Two weeks ago, Chick-fil-A officially released its first new sandwich in 21 years, the Spicy Chicken Sandwich, and our staff at CL Tampa were able to sample it for ourselves.

The zesty new menu item is much like their original chicken sandwich — hand-breaded, pressure-cooked in 100 percent refined peanut oil and served on a toasted buttered bun with dill pickle chips — but is seasoned with a fiery blend of several peppers for an added kick. Unlike many spicy, deep-fried chicken sandwiches I've had in the past, this one wasn't coated with a thick layer of extra breading. It's hand-breaded the exact same way as its predecessor, and besides the reddish color to it, exactly resembles the original chicken sandwich.

Upon first bite, the spice didn't attack my tongue and set it ablaze the way other versions of this sandwich have done. The taste was still indicative of their original chicken sandwich — I'd almost forgotten I was eating this new version until the piquant aftertaste coated my palate. This one was definitely an "afterburner", which was great because I was able to finish it without having to gulp down my drink to fan the flames and the spices didn't overpower the taste of the chicken. It was after I'd consumed the whole thing that I could really feel the heat, but it wasn't at all unpleasant.

This article appears in Jun 17-23, 2010.