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McDonald’s Louisiana Stack

McDonald's Louisiana Stack

Review of McDonald’s Louisiana Stack

What they say:

Two 100% British & Irish beef burgers with Pepper Jack cheese, red & yellow peppers, cool mayo and Spicy ketchup, all in a spicy bun.

Price: £4.19 for the burger only. £5.69 for a meal + 40p for large upgrade.

Calories: 611 kcal.

Great Tastes of America is currently running at McDonald’s and up next is the Louisiana Stack.

Available in week five and week six, the Louisiana Stack is arguably the most desirable of the promotion in 2017.

Now the official description reads “Spicy ketchup” but interestingly on the in-store advertising, the burger has a bottle of Tabasco in the background. So one assumes it contains the hot pepper sauce.

A McDonald’s and Tabasco partnership isn’t a new thing – there have been multiple McD’s burgers around the world featuring the condiment:

– Royal Chili Beef in Morocco
– Chicken Mythic with Red Tabasco Sauce in France
– Burger with Tabasco Sauce in The Netherlands
– CBO with Green Tabasco Sauce in France
– A double cheeseburger with Tabasco in the Middle East
– Angus with Tabasco in Mexico and Brazil

Moving onto the Louisiana Stack….

I must confess, the description for this one really fills me with optimism.

Overall, it is pretty tasty… but on this occasion, was let down by some sloppy presentation.

Firstly the sauce – is it ketchup infused with Tabasco or not!?

I assume there are two issues at play here.

Is the name Tabasco dropped from the description because British palates might shy away from the naming of the McIlhenny Company hot sauce?

Or is it a licensing/royalty issue?

As you can see above, the overseas promo pics contain Tabasco imagery and acknowledge the brand in the small print.

It is interesting to consider, but has no real impact on what the burger is actually like. UPDATE: Tabasco is referenced in the TV Ad.

Opening the Great Tastes of America promotional packaging, your senses are hit with the smell. It’s quite “fruity” from the peppers and possibly the sauce.

The red and yellow peppers are certainly not a new ingredient to be added to a McDonald’s burger – see the previously released Spanish Grande, Sweet Chilli Fiesta and the Mediterranean Chicken.

It looks OK… could be better – it hints at being haphazardly put together.

In its defence, the Louisiana Stack displays an inviting mixture of vibrant colours.

The build was 100% correct, but it was disappointing to discover that they had skimped on the red and yellow peppers.

The 6:1 beef patties appear to be the driest I have had in recent memory – perhaps explaining why the sauce had been so liberally applied.

If this isn’t Tabasco in the spicy ketchup it is a pretty accurate carbon copy. I’m sure it is, with a very undeniably distinct peppery kick to it without being too hot. A more moderate heat level which is unique and tasty.

In contrast to that, you have the cool mayo. Personally, I don’t care for hot food to be cooled down by a counter. I don’t see the point, but I must confess the two working together in tandem unquestionably works.

My Louisiana Stack was fairly devoid of the peppers which was unfortunate. The few that I did have were coming out the “front” of the burger. As you can see from the images, this appeared a different burger depending on which angle you looked at it.

The peppers themselves are sweet and soft in texture. They’ve got a subtle flavour and contrast nicely against the satisfying crunch from the fresh lettuce.

I like the Pepper Jack and it is becoming an increasingly more common cheese used on McDonald’s LTO – definitely a case of when, not if, it will return in the future. Very good.

The Sesame paprika topped bun is an excellent choice, visually looks great and brings the very slightest of smoky sweetness to the palate. It definitely made me think of the aforementioned Spanish Grande and both the crown and heel were toasted correctly.

The Louisiana Stack is most definitely an enjoyable and recommended burger and IMO would rank it above the South Carolina Stack in terms of taste and texture.

The peppers are subtle and the sauce is the most dominant force on the build, which is offset by the cooling influence of the mayo.

There is just the right level of spice for a High Street burger and I must recommend trying this while you can.

The Louisiana Stack is available from Wednesday 31st May until Tuesday 13th June from 10.30am subject to availability and at participating restaurants.

Burger Lad®

Website: http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/product_nutrition.beef.1972.week-5-6-the-louisiana-stack.html

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