I guess El Yucateco has a contract with Walmart because that is where I finally found this. I'll give a short "unofficial" review.
Packaging/label/appearance: black and black they want to make a point! The whole thing is black. The appearance of the sauce is a pretty good consistency, it flows easily as I turn it over and over again. This is the darkest non extract sauce I have seen.
Aroma: This stuff smells smoky as hell! They must have roasted everything in this sauce. I hope its not liquid smoke. I can smell something sweet, that must be the habaneros.
Ingredients: water, habanero peppers, salt, citric acid, acetic acid, xanthan gum, garlic, onion powder, sodium benzoate, and calcium disodium. No mention of liquid smoke or surprisingly food coloring.
Taste: The taste is a bit off-putting. It is smokey, but in a char kind of way. Like the skin of a piece of chicken that had a flare up on the grill. It really leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I can taste the habs and the garlic-onion combo, but it is the char that I am greeted with immediately, and it is the lasting impression in my mouth. It is a little salty as well.
Heat: the heat is pretty minimal to start, it does build a bit as you keep eating it. A spoonful left me with a warm feeling all over my mouth, but not much more. A couple spoonfuls and I am nearing a bead of sweat. Lips are warm, but still not really hot overall.
Applications: I would probably not use this sauce by itself. MAYBE with steak in a quesadilla or taco. I think the best use for this sauce is probably to mix in with a marinade or bbq sauce to add smokiness to it.
Notes: I like the concept of the dark sauce/black label. Normally, I like smoky sauces, but this one has a very bitter taste. I guess it can be used with food for some applications, but I would not use it as a direct condiment. The heat is decent for El Yucateco. If I were scoring this one, it would rate around a 3.3 out of 5
Watch for official THP reviews to return shortly after New Years!
Packaging/label/appearance: black and black they want to make a point! The whole thing is black. The appearance of the sauce is a pretty good consistency, it flows easily as I turn it over and over again. This is the darkest non extract sauce I have seen.
Aroma: This stuff smells smoky as hell! They must have roasted everything in this sauce. I hope its not liquid smoke. I can smell something sweet, that must be the habaneros.
Ingredients: water, habanero peppers, salt, citric acid, acetic acid, xanthan gum, garlic, onion powder, sodium benzoate, and calcium disodium. No mention of liquid smoke or surprisingly food coloring.
Taste: The taste is a bit off-putting. It is smokey, but in a char kind of way. Like the skin of a piece of chicken that had a flare up on the grill. It really leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I can taste the habs and the garlic-onion combo, but it is the char that I am greeted with immediately, and it is the lasting impression in my mouth. It is a little salty as well.
Heat: the heat is pretty minimal to start, it does build a bit as you keep eating it. A spoonful left me with a warm feeling all over my mouth, but not much more. A couple spoonfuls and I am nearing a bead of sweat. Lips are warm, but still not really hot overall.
Applications: I would probably not use this sauce by itself. MAYBE with steak in a quesadilla or taco. I think the best use for this sauce is probably to mix in with a marinade or bbq sauce to add smokiness to it.
Notes: I like the concept of the dark sauce/black label. Normally, I like smoky sauces, but this one has a very bitter taste. I guess it can be used with food for some applications, but I would not use it as a direct condiment. The heat is decent for El Yucateco. If I were scoring this one, it would rate around a 3.3 out of 5
Watch for official THP reviews to return shortly after New Years!
