Yesterday I popped open my bottle of Lucky Dog Hot Sauce Red. Was running low on a couple of staples and decided to continue working my way through the list. I am late to the party on this one. Scott has received praise from all quarters, and it's well deserved. Red was the winner of last year's THP awards, among tons of other accolades. This sauce should already be in all kitchens. Really on all tables, ready to go.
This is from the middle of LDHS's line, a red, basic sauce that is supposed to be at a medium heat level. As noted in other positive reviews, there is a wide range of peppers here delivering a more fruity, chinense heat balanced with the up front medium heat of cayennes and jalepenos. I was excited.
The packaging is fantastic. Like all good hot sauce bottles, Red's looks dangerous, with a black plastic seal. The flecks of dried pepper complement the dark orange color of the sauce. The bottle art is inviting, because though the blacks, reds and oranges of the bottle tell you it's going to burn, the friendly dog and the tag line "Food's Best Friend" reminds you that hot sauce is your friend. A buddy.
So let's get moving. I popped the bottle open and gave it a try. Red is a thick sauce, which is impressive given that apple cider vinegar is the top ingredient. It's slightly thinner than your average ketchup, and has that nice, artisanal chunky texture that gives it some weight when you eat it with something.
First teaspoon was great. It's a basic sauce with a low, balanced heat. It's tangy, but the cider vinegar does not overpower the range of flavors you get from the half dozen or so varieties of peppers in the sauce. The shining attribute of this sauce is it's consistency... it goes on thick and delivers a depth of tangy pepper flavors that really brings food alive. It's a basic sauce, so I think it'd be great on everything. I had it on eggs (my default testing food) and on beef taquitos (a heartier, darker food) and it vitalized both. I also mixed some in a mild salsa I had on hand and it made much more exciting.
This sauce is for everyone. It's heat is low to medium, and it pairs with everything I've tried it with quite well. The key word here is balanced and fresh. It delivers its flavors so that nothing overpowers anything else, which is impressive given the cider vinegar and onions features so prominently in the ingredient list.
As always, I will update as I try it with more foods. But don't wait for me (you probably haven't), grab a bottle and start eating.
This is from the middle of LDHS's line, a red, basic sauce that is supposed to be at a medium heat level. As noted in other positive reviews, there is a wide range of peppers here delivering a more fruity, chinense heat balanced with the up front medium heat of cayennes and jalepenos. I was excited.
The packaging is fantastic. Like all good hot sauce bottles, Red's looks dangerous, with a black plastic seal. The flecks of dried pepper complement the dark orange color of the sauce. The bottle art is inviting, because though the blacks, reds and oranges of the bottle tell you it's going to burn, the friendly dog and the tag line "Food's Best Friend" reminds you that hot sauce is your friend. A buddy.
So let's get moving. I popped the bottle open and gave it a try. Red is a thick sauce, which is impressive given that apple cider vinegar is the top ingredient. It's slightly thinner than your average ketchup, and has that nice, artisanal chunky texture that gives it some weight when you eat it with something.
First teaspoon was great. It's a basic sauce with a low, balanced heat. It's tangy, but the cider vinegar does not overpower the range of flavors you get from the half dozen or so varieties of peppers in the sauce. The shining attribute of this sauce is it's consistency... it goes on thick and delivers a depth of tangy pepper flavors that really brings food alive. It's a basic sauce, so I think it'd be great on everything. I had it on eggs (my default testing food) and on beef taquitos (a heartier, darker food) and it vitalized both. I also mixed some in a mild salsa I had on hand and it made much more exciting.
This sauce is for everyone. It's heat is low to medium, and it pairs with everything I've tried it with quite well. The key word here is balanced and fresh. It delivers its flavors so that nothing overpowers anything else, which is impressive given the cider vinegar and onions features so prominently in the ingredient list.
As always, I will update as I try it with more foods. But don't wait for me (you probably haven't), grab a bottle and start eating.
