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The Snack Attack: Wendy's Heats Things Up With Jalapeno Fresco Spicy Chicken Sandwich [TASTE TEST]

Wendy's is calling it "the sandwich that almost wasn't" -- and we're so glad they trusted their better judgement because the Jalapeno Fresco Spicy Chicken Sandwich sure is a delicious kick in the mouth.

Made especially for those with fire-proof palettes, the sandwich was almost too spicy to make it on the menu, according to the fast-food giant. Here's how Wendy's describes the sandwich:

We're kicking up the heat with 5 layers of spice on our new Jalapeno Fresco Spicy Chicken sandwich. It's our classic spicy chicken breast topped with fresh, diced jalapenos, ghost pepper sauce, Colby pepper jack cheese all on a red jalapeno bun. It's too hot to last, so try one today!

Wendy's Fresco Spicy Chicken
No surprises here...the sandwich doesn't look anything like the promo image. (Credit: CBSDetroit.com)

I love things that are hot and spicy  but have been let down lately with food that's advertised as being "really spicy" actually turn out to not have any heat at all. Luckily, Wendy's is reversing that trend for me.

I was expecting the ghost pepper sauce to be the hottest thing about this sandwich but honestly, it barely had a kick. However, combined with the spicy breaded chicken and overload of fresh diced jalapenos in every bite, this sandwich really delivered on the heat scale.

If you like spicy foods, you have to try this sandwich -- you won't be disappointed. Everyone else, you've been warned -- this thing is hot.

I'm not exactly sure what makes this sandwich "fresco," but who really cares?

Available for a limited time only at participating Wendy's, the Jalapeño Fresco Spicy Chicken Sandwich has a suggested price of $4.99.

Review: Wendy's Jalapeno Fresco Spicy Chicken Sandwich

Fresco Spicy Chicken wendys
Smothered in ghost pepper sauce and fresh jalapenos. (Credit: CBSDetroit.com)

Appearance: The actual sandwich looked pretty sad compared to the promo images, but that wasn't going to stop me from shoving it in my mouth. The bun was soft and warm and there was so much ghost pepper sauce, it was dripping off the chicken. It was also covered with diced jalapenos. The red onions were kind of stringy but I don't like them anyway, so I took those off.

Aroma: The smell of fried chicken overwhelmed any other scent that might have come from this sandwich.

Taste: Starting with the red jalapeno bun, it had a faint taste of spice without the heat. If they were sold in the grocery store, every burger I grilled would be made on this bun. With the chicken, you could tell there was some spice but on its own, it's not very spicy. Moving on to the sauce, considering it is made with one of the hottest peppers in the world, I was really anticipating my mouth being on fire with just a taste. But that didn't happen even in the slightest. It had a really yummy flavor, but it wasn't spicy. The best thing about this sandwich is that every bite I took had jalapenos in it, seeds and all.

Pros: Lots of crunchy peppers -- so if you're looking for heat, you've found it! The sandwich was dripping in sauce which made every bite nice and juicy. Long after eating the sandwich the heat was still ringing in my mouth. Mission accomplished.

Cons: The sauce wasn't very spicy and there was so much of it, my hands were covered. But the mess was a minor inconvenience.

Rating: 8 out of 10 -- While the ghost pepper sauce was a slight letdown, the multiple jalapenos in every bite kept the heat going.

The Snack Attack is a new daily feature on CBSDetroit.com that centers around all things food. Know of a new snack we should attack? Send an email and we'll be sure to add it to the list.

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