Prepare to have your understanding of the perfect Dorito forever shaken up. Or at least mildly tested, depending on how you feel about cheese. The tortilla chip brand have just made another flavor available in the US, and its name is promising to make cheese lovers very happy.
Doritos fans already have multiple flavor options to choose from when there’s a dip crying out for a chip, or an attack of hanger that will only be satisfied with a packet of salty triangles that leave dust all over your hands. According to a Thrillist article published in 2019, customers in the US already have access to 19 flavors, not including limited edition releases. But we’re always open to new flavor experiences, especially when cheese is involved.
(Well, new flavors aside from the Mountain Dew-flavored Doritos unleashed on the world in 2008 as a mystery flavor named Quest. Or, in fact, Dorito-flavored Mountain Dew, which parent company Pepsi were working on in 2014 but apparently never released.)
This isn’t just any cheese flavor: it’s Ultimate Cheddar.
This photo was posted to Instagram on August 4th 2019, by someone who clearly enjoyed the new flavor:
Followed by another savvy shopper, on August 10th:
The general verdict is a cheese dust-covered thumbs up.
This poster from August 14th would (and did) recommend them to friends:
Here’s where to get them.
After those early posters, this more in-depth Instagram caption from markie_devo let us in on where to get them: 7-Elevens in New York.
They’ve also been spotted in another location.
If you can’t quite justify a trip to New York just to pick up a bag of chips, you could try Sam’s Club. The website says they’ll be “Available for sampling,” but only on August 14th (oops) and August 17th. So hurry!
Rumor has it they were first seen in Spain.
While we are very excited to invite this cheese-tastic edition into our lives (and our mouths), it turns out that they’ve had a previous life.
One commenter on the markie_devo post claimed that they were sold in Spain in 2017, although that could be a case of Dorito gatekeeping, and that they were similar to Canada’s Zesty Cheese flavor. However, a comparison of the ingredients shows that among other things, the Zesty flavor contains cheddar and Parmesan, while the Ultimate Cheddar contains cheddar, tomato powder, Monterey jack and Swiss cheese, making it effectively the Avengers of cheese.
They’ve made an appearance in the U.S. before.
However, it was more of a cameo than a starring role. In October 2018, Ultimate Cheddar was teamed up with another flavor named Blaze, in what Doritos called a Collision pack. But the cheesy flavor was overshadowed by the super hot Blaze.
Which should come with a warning label, apparently:
So I'm eating some Doritos Blaze, and as I bite into a chip a tiny crumb manages to get around my glasses and into my eye, OH MY GOD did that burn, my eye is all red now.
— GlitchyDemon (@AGlitchyDemon) October 2, 2018
Why must the one thing I love hurt me.
Fortunately, not everyone hates Blaze:
Some reviewers felt the Ultimate Cheddar lived up to its name.
According to Jones, who is one half of YouTube review team Two Bald Guys Eat Stuff And Talk About It, “This is a lot more cheese than a normal Dorito. I kinda like it.”
[fm_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRVZBOGkC9I"]He added that the cheese helps soothe the burning sensation of Blaze, which was backed up by possibly the most thoughtful Twitter review of a Doritos flavor to ever grace our feeds:
Now that Ultimate Cheddar is out on its own, the internet already wants more.
Those who have been able to track down the elusive flavor are shouting its praises (presumably through mouthfuls of chips):
FYI: Ultimate Cheddar Doritos are my new favorite #Doritos pic.twitter.com/RFsdK10Pzn
— ᑕᕼᖇIᔕ ᔕOYá—©á‘ŽGá‘•O (@csoy13) August 9, 2019
Doritos have been informed.
Go straight to the source.
@Doritos Absolutely love the new flavor Ultimate Cheddar!!
— Debbie Pendergraff (@ZiggyDoo1956) August 11, 2019
Some of the praise gets straight to the point.
Make it direct, like eating straight from the packet.
Them Ultimate Cheddar Doritos good asf
— nai🌻 (@oneofakindNAI) August 13, 2019
Other feedback is more ambiguous.
Given the previous reviews of the Blaze flavor, we’re afraid to ask for more details.
These new Ultimate cheddar doritos do numbers!
— Captain Runtz (@StaxxAFool) August 13, 2019
There’s a little saltiness over the portions.
We need to have a discussion about this whole concept of serving size.
Go big or stay home!
@Doritos you dropping the ultimate cheddar in big bags??
— Josh (@Jski666) August 15, 2019
The flighty nature of new flavor introductions has some fans concerned.
And ready to fight for their favorite.
@Doritos Don’t y’all dare take away thes Ultimate Cheddar Doritos
— Vote B for Phoebe! (@queeny_boss) August 15, 2019
Despite all the pro-Ultimate Cheddar feedback, it’s unclear how long they’re planning to stay in New York — let alone whether they’ll ever make it beyond the city limits. So if you’ve already established them as your new favorite Dorito, stock up now (and maybe send some our way?)
