Colibrí
Manufacturer: Colibrí Pepper Company, L. L. C.
Website: www.colibrihotsauce.com
Ingredients: Vinegar, Chile Peppers, Salt and Xanthan Gum (a thickener)
Colibrí is like no sauce I’ve seen to date. It’s as bright yellow as anything I’d ever ingest, and it’s very thin. I can’t imagine how thin it was before the xanthan gum was added. It’s thicker than water, but not much – it reminds me of the consistency of a soup stock. The bottle has a restrictor fitment, which is necessary, but (and I’m not even sure these exist) it could use a larger opening. I find that I use a moderate amount of Colibrí with my meals, and with the small opening in the fitment, it requires a fair amount of shaking.
The label is great - very professional. The hummingbird on the front is a little confusing at first, but a visit to the web site clears that up. In any case, it’s an interesting look – so many hot sauces adorn their label with imagery of peppers, fire, snakes and dragons; it’s an attention-grabbing and welcome change.
Colibrí’s scent is strong of vinegar and perfume chinense, reminiscent of ají dulce. I’ve never had any other varieties of perfume chinense, so it’s the closest thing I can compare it to. For those unfamiliar, it’s got the sweet and fruity scent of yellow or orange habaneros, but with no detectable heat, and coupled with the vinegar, it brings out a tanginess that normally is very subtle.
I’m afraid to spoon taste this sauce, as the vinegar is so strong. Last time I spoon tasted Tabasco, I gagged, and this seems about on the same scale. In any event, the spoon tastes I do are more of a goof than anything. Hot sauce is not intended to be eaten straight. A spoon test doesn’t really show the true character of the sauce, and what it can do to a meal. I’m skipping the spoon on this one.
So far, I’ve had Colibrí with a number of meals. To date, my favorite is easy tamale casserole, followed closely by tacos. Sloppy joes and soup is also great. Colibrí states, “This sauce will impart its unique flavor to enhance soups, sauces, red beans and rice, gravy and gumbo.” I think they’re pretty spot on. It lends itself amazingly to bean dishes, and to ground beef dishes. Outstanding on Mexican fare (as you’d imagine), it’s also fantastic as a salad dressing, and great on french fries. I wanted to try it on fish & chips, but I’m almost out. It doesn’t go with everything, though. The vinegar is a little too strong to just have with boiled chicken and steamed veggies, unless you’re in the mood for a nice acidic kick in the pants. You’ll want to save this one for really hearty, heavy meals, or soups and stews. It was suggested I try Colibrí on spaghetti, and I honestly meant to, but it never happened. I can imagine that it would be quite good on a pasta dish, with maybe brown gravy or a meat sauce… Oh yeah, that’s the stuff…
One of the reasons I think I like Colibrí so much is that I don't have to be in the mood for heat to use it. It's mild enough where I can use it all the time. Granted, I'm often in the mood for heat, so it isn't a huge problem, but it's nice to have a little breather every once and again. And, as clearly stated on the bottle, this is a "Pepper Sauce." Not a hot sauce. Big ups, Colibrí. You successfully challenged my preconceptions of what a sauce made from peppers was supposed to taste like.
Compared to the majority of hot sauces out there, this one is more like Tabasco than most, with its strong vinegar base and mild heat. It stands to reason that the name of the sauce, like Tabasco, is simply the name of the pepper that they use in it. It’s simple, and it clearly works for McIlhenny. Colibrí isn’t a replacement for Tabasco, and I don’t think it intends to be. It’s more of a companion. Colibrí will work on foods where Tabasco just doesn’t, and vice versa. I’d like to see Colibrí on restaurant tables, right next to the Tabasco. But then again, I’d like to see restaurant tables host a Lazy Susan of hot sauce selections. But hopefully, with the right exposure and marketing, it’ll find its rightful place.
Flavor: 8/10. The flavor is awesome, but the vinegar is too strong to be used universally. While the intention is not to be a “general purpose” sauce, I have to dock some points for the somewhat excessive use of vinegar. I’d do the same if I was reviewing Tabasco (which I wouldn’t rate higher than a 5/10, for comparison).
Heat, from Nada to Naga: 2/10. I found it to be around the same heat as Tabasco, or maybe even milder, but maybe it’s the juxtaposition of the sweetness that makes me think it’s not as hot. The other people who I’ve had try it say it’s definitely hotter than Tabasco. If it is, it’s not by much. That said, I may have skewed my gauge for heat this summer with all the fresh peppers. I’ll probably recover. Eventually.
Overall: 8/10. Always, I try to remember to judge these sauces based on what they are, not what I want them to be. I like the flavor very much, and as much as I’d like if it went with EVERYTHING, it just doesn’t – and it’s not supposed to. The application is broad, but not total; and what it does, it does VERY well. I’ve begun to think of Colibrí as Tabasco’s freaky cousin (the family resemblance cannot be denied). And like its very popular cousin, Colibrí is targeted for mass consumption, literally.
Manufacturer: Colibrí Pepper Company, L. L. C.
Website: www.colibrihotsauce.com
Ingredients: Vinegar, Chile Peppers, Salt and Xanthan Gum (a thickener)
Colibrí is like no sauce I’ve seen to date. It’s as bright yellow as anything I’d ever ingest, and it’s very thin. I can’t imagine how thin it was before the xanthan gum was added. It’s thicker than water, but not much – it reminds me of the consistency of a soup stock. The bottle has a restrictor fitment, which is necessary, but (and I’m not even sure these exist) it could use a larger opening. I find that I use a moderate amount of Colibrí with my meals, and with the small opening in the fitment, it requires a fair amount of shaking.
The label is great - very professional. The hummingbird on the front is a little confusing at first, but a visit to the web site clears that up. In any case, it’s an interesting look – so many hot sauces adorn their label with imagery of peppers, fire, snakes and dragons; it’s an attention-grabbing and welcome change.
Colibrí’s scent is strong of vinegar and perfume chinense, reminiscent of ají dulce. I’ve never had any other varieties of perfume chinense, so it’s the closest thing I can compare it to. For those unfamiliar, it’s got the sweet and fruity scent of yellow or orange habaneros, but with no detectable heat, and coupled with the vinegar, it brings out a tanginess that normally is very subtle.
I’m afraid to spoon taste this sauce, as the vinegar is so strong. Last time I spoon tasted Tabasco, I gagged, and this seems about on the same scale. In any event, the spoon tastes I do are more of a goof than anything. Hot sauce is not intended to be eaten straight. A spoon test doesn’t really show the true character of the sauce, and what it can do to a meal. I’m skipping the spoon on this one.
So far, I’ve had Colibrí with a number of meals. To date, my favorite is easy tamale casserole, followed closely by tacos. Sloppy joes and soup is also great. Colibrí states, “This sauce will impart its unique flavor to enhance soups, sauces, red beans and rice, gravy and gumbo.” I think they’re pretty spot on. It lends itself amazingly to bean dishes, and to ground beef dishes. Outstanding on Mexican fare (as you’d imagine), it’s also fantastic as a salad dressing, and great on french fries. I wanted to try it on fish & chips, but I’m almost out. It doesn’t go with everything, though. The vinegar is a little too strong to just have with boiled chicken and steamed veggies, unless you’re in the mood for a nice acidic kick in the pants. You’ll want to save this one for really hearty, heavy meals, or soups and stews. It was suggested I try Colibrí on spaghetti, and I honestly meant to, but it never happened. I can imagine that it would be quite good on a pasta dish, with maybe brown gravy or a meat sauce… Oh yeah, that’s the stuff…
One of the reasons I think I like Colibrí so much is that I don't have to be in the mood for heat to use it. It's mild enough where I can use it all the time. Granted, I'm often in the mood for heat, so it isn't a huge problem, but it's nice to have a little breather every once and again. And, as clearly stated on the bottle, this is a "Pepper Sauce." Not a hot sauce. Big ups, Colibrí. You successfully challenged my preconceptions of what a sauce made from peppers was supposed to taste like.
Compared to the majority of hot sauces out there, this one is more like Tabasco than most, with its strong vinegar base and mild heat. It stands to reason that the name of the sauce, like Tabasco, is simply the name of the pepper that they use in it. It’s simple, and it clearly works for McIlhenny. Colibrí isn’t a replacement for Tabasco, and I don’t think it intends to be. It’s more of a companion. Colibrí will work on foods where Tabasco just doesn’t, and vice versa. I’d like to see Colibrí on restaurant tables, right next to the Tabasco. But then again, I’d like to see restaurant tables host a Lazy Susan of hot sauce selections. But hopefully, with the right exposure and marketing, it’ll find its rightful place.
Flavor: 8/10. The flavor is awesome, but the vinegar is too strong to be used universally. While the intention is not to be a “general purpose” sauce, I have to dock some points for the somewhat excessive use of vinegar. I’d do the same if I was reviewing Tabasco (which I wouldn’t rate higher than a 5/10, for comparison).
Heat, from Nada to Naga: 2/10. I found it to be around the same heat as Tabasco, or maybe even milder, but maybe it’s the juxtaposition of the sweetness that makes me think it’s not as hot. The other people who I’ve had try it say it’s definitely hotter than Tabasco. If it is, it’s not by much. That said, I may have skewed my gauge for heat this summer with all the fresh peppers. I’ll probably recover. Eventually.
Overall: 8/10. Always, I try to remember to judge these sauces based on what they are, not what I want them to be. I like the flavor very much, and as much as I’d like if it went with EVERYTHING, it just doesn’t – and it’s not supposed to. The application is broad, but not total; and what it does, it does VERY well. I’ve begun to think of Colibrí as Tabasco’s freaky cousin (the family resemblance cannot be denied). And like its very popular cousin, Colibrí is targeted for mass consumption, literally.
