Every Halloween, there are certain highlights that separate the present from the previous. Whether it was Fruity Yummy Mummy and Frute Brute, Ghostbusters Krispy Kreme doughnuts, or Cheetos Bag of Bones, there's always that one commodity that ignites the spirit of Halloween and fuels us throughout the season. Well, this year is no exception. Once again, there is a brand that stands head and shoulders above the rest in the hunt for Halloween supremacy. Yes, my friends, by now you've seen it everywhere, but 2015 belongs to Burger King's Halloween Whopper!
When news first broke of a potential Halloween Whopper via Dinosaur Dracula, I was a bit suspicious. For as amazing as the mere thought of its existence was, I was hesitant to believe that Burger King would offer such a risky food item on their menu. I mean, black buns? Don't get me wrong, for a guy like me who loves Halloween with a passion, this was a sure fire sale, but I had the casual consumer in mind. Would Joe Schmo and Plain Jane, both whom collect Christmas ornaments, find a pitch-black breaded burger really all that appetizing? I wasn't convinced and didn't think Burger King would be either, but I held my hopes high and kept my eye closely on the situation. Then, low and behold, images of that glorious Mummy wrapper leaked and my elation commenced. Yes, it was true, the Burger King Halloween Whopper was to become a reality and it was only a matter of time before this masterpiece was ours!
As soon as I read the official announcement, I began researching the black bun. To my surprise, I learned that the all-important black bun was already available in Japan and the color was attained by dying the yeast with squid ink. At that moment, my stomach dropped and I figured this truly would be one hell of a frightening delicacy. I'm not a fan of seafood - at all - so my excitement soon became disappointment before pulling a complete 180. Further investigation revealed that the North American Halloween Whopper would be dyed black with A1 Steak Sauce. Now we were talking!! And yes... I did actually investigate black buns. Black buns matter! *dodges tomatoes*
If you thought I was a picky eater before, then you're really going to make fun of me when you find out I don't put anything on my burgers but cheese. Yup, that's right, I'm a plain cheeseburger guy. You might think I'm missing out on the complete experience, but I've had it before and never liked all that green and red going on. Besides, without all that lettuce and those pickles, my version looks much more Halloweeny in pure black and orange! However, I did stick with the A1 Sauce because that's just too good to pass up and is ultimately the major selling point.
Regardless of what you put on your Whopper, this is always going to be a home run! The black bun, which has A1 Sauce baked into the bread, provides a subtle yet effective shot of flavor not found in your traditional Whopper. I wouldn't call it prominent, but there's more than enough to separate this from anything we've ever had before. Combine that with the steak sauce and we have a Whopper that's just as luscious on our taste buds as it is on the eyes. This is simply perfection.
With a Whopper this delicious, it's hard to keep away from wandering eyes. In my personal experience, Frankenstein, much like Sir Mix-A-Lot, couldn't resist himself from those big black buns. I offered him a Burger King crown in hopes that he'd leave my Whopper alone, but he wasn't having it. He was sprung, he wanted it his way, and I'm not one to argue with a 3" Funko Pop.
Unable to defend myself or save my beloved Halloween Whopper, I submitted to defeat and tapped out to Frankenstein. While I still question how he managed to eat that much of the Halloween Whopper without having a mouth, the bigger question is how the hell I still have a Man Card. I'm 28-years-old and I'm trying to convince you that a toy ate my cheeseburger. I mean.. it happened, I just don't know how to explain it. Believe it or not, even the undead are craving Halloween Whoppers.
In all seriousness and without a shadow of a doubt, the Burger King Halloween Whopper gets a 10 / 10. If I designed the meter to go any higher, I'd increase the score. Sure, thousands of people think it's disgusting to look at and even more think it's nothing better than a simple Whopper. Playing devil's advocate, both opinions may have valid arguments. But the fact that Burger King put this much effort into their Halloween Whopper simply because it is Halloween speaks volumes. As a child, Halloween was the main event. It wasn't about "Goosebumps" or "Hotel Transylvania 2," but about monsters, candy, costumes and spooky atnospheres. The only thing being forced down our throats was Halloween and we were perfectly fine with that. Then, somewhere along the way, major companies saw an opportunity, got involved and changed that. They used our love of Halloween as a way to cash in on their most recent partnership. Even today, McDonalds no longer offers traditional McBoo pails featuring pumpkins, ghosts or witches. Instead, they're marketing "Minions" to kids who may now lose sight of what this time of year is truly all about. Thankfully, Burger King has made an effort to be the change that is needed in this age of consumerism we live in, today. The black bun Halloween Whopper exists as a tribute and honor to the day of Halloween and nothing more. And I may not be sales specialist, but looking at social media, I'd say that's more than enough to be profitable. As for McDonalds and their Minions.. Good luck, because 2015 McBoo "pales" in comparison.
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