Chile Chapters

It's always exciting to try out some new hot sauces. We received two new bottles to taste, and will elaborate upon our reactions. Since matters of taste are quite subjective, there will be a second opinion on each sauce this time around. Our chef friend, "Orange-Juice Jackson" (OJ) we'll call him, will be weighing in.

The first is a sweet jalapeño sauce by Skipper's Treat. I believe this is the first sauce under this label. This sauce was created by Deidra and Ron Skipper, and is manufactured by the larger Sauce Crafter's Inc, based out of Riviera Beach, FL.

The second is Crazy Bastard Sauce, based in Berlin, Germany. This is their hotter, yellow label habanero sauce. Their other flavor, "jalapeno and date" (sounds interesting), has a green label.

Skipper's Treat: Sweet Jalapeño Sauce

Labeling/Bottle:

OJ: A pseudo jolly Roger with little chili peppers.

JW: The labeling is not bad, but could be better designed as a whole. Everything is legible and I like the look of the green flames. The logo is a little odd, as it mixes a black-outlined illustration with two realistic (photo-sourced?) chile peppers floating next to the skull. The bottle is your standard 5 oz.

Aroma:

JW: It smells sweet, and like vinegar (reminds me of sweet pickles? I could just be imagining that).

OJ: Unmistakable jalapeño with some vinegar. A really pleasant smelling sauce.

Looks:

JW: A fresh green puree with a good consistency that still pours. Some little chunks of ingredients, and a darker speck here and there.

OJ: Fairly chunky sauce. Bits of spice and skin are evident.

Taste:

JW: There's a mouth-watering sweetness that I want to keep tasting. I can't pin it down to a single ingredient..a combo of the sugar, onions, and natural flavors? Nothing artificial or too sweet. Everything meshes well together. The spices seem to work with the delayed heat as it starts to spread.

OJ: Golly willikers this stuff is tasty as heck! It has a great sweetness to it and it packs a punch as well. Onion and garlic are perfectly blended in there. As far as sweet sauces go, this is the best I have ever tasted.

Heat:

JW: About what I was expecting for a sweet jalapeño sauce. I can eat it on a spoon without much discomfort (a large helping and I can feel some burn in the top/back of my gullet..yes, I said gullet).  

OJ: It has got a punch. Nothing that will stick with you, or melt your face off.

Overall Rating:

JW: A-
A great jalapeño sauce that is finding itself popular at our dinner table. Try it on samosas, eggs, chicken, or what-have-you.

OJ: A+
I love this sauce. It is unique and has an awesome flavor. It would not be a regular sauce of mine, but for anything that you could imagine needing a little sweetness and heat, look no further!

 

Crazy Bastard Sauce: Tomatillo & Habanero

Labeling/Bottle:

JW: They've got a handle on their branding here. It's a unique, very modern and professional design. Nice typography and a fun back label with a subtle ingredient pattern behind the text. They even use the crazy wide-eyed mustache face on their twitter bird icon, which was funny. The bottle is a 6.7oz flask-style bottle with an atypical metal cap.

OJ: A pair of crazy eyes with a hipster envy inspiring mustache. Bold black type on a yellow gold background. One of my all time favorites!

Aroma:

JW: If you've ever sliced up a freshly picked habanero, this is what it smells like. Very fresh and pungent.

OJ: A nice blend of smoky vinegar with a hint of carrots tomato and lime.

Looks:

JW: It's red-orange, with pepper skin and some small seeds visible (4 or 5 visible on one of the sides). It pours quickly (careful!). Everything is finely blended.

OJ: A fairly thick orange/red sauce. There are bits of seed and spice throughout giving it an interesting look.

Taste:

JW: I'm having trouble discerning much of the flavor behind the habanero heat, especially when I first tasted it. I first taste the lime, very briefly. Then a thick pulpy (almost creamy?) texture, that is much like the smell. It tastes like a liquified habanero, as it should, but I find myself wanting something else in there. I'm not too familiar with the raw taste of tomatillo, which is supposed to be a bright tartness (often used in salsas).

OJ: This is a pretty tasty sauce. A little tomato, a little carrot, unmistakable habanero. It definitely complimented the samosa I tried it on.

Heat:

JW: I like the amount of heat here, that's all natural from the peppers. It's fairly hot, that hits the senses quickly and lingers for some time.

OJ: Its a dull sort of burn that by no means took my breath away. Its there, it lingers a bit, nothing an experienced hothead would be uncomfortable with.

Overall Rating:

JW: B-/C+

I don't find myself wanting to use this very often on my food, but it's a decent sauce. Fresh ingredients and better than average. Maybe I just haven't found the right food to pair it with. I'll have to try cooking/marinating something with it. It has grown on me a little, since I first tried it.

OJ: B

I love the label and I wanted to love the sauce. Not quite in love, but Its a solid hot sauce. I was rather intrigued that it has tomatillo in it. I have never seen that before and it gets points for creativity.