Product Name: Cajun Island Blackened Bourbon Sauce
Style: Cajun grilling sauce
Manufacturer: Cajun Island
Country of Origin: USA
Website: http://cajunisland.com
Ingredients: Sugar, Water, Teriyaki Sauce, Wine, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Spices, Sodium Benzoate, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Arrowroot, Chili Paste, Bourbon, Amaretto, Caramel Color, Soy Bean Oil, Spices
Label/Packaging: The label is very vibrant and eye catching. It is set against a black background. There is a silhouette of a man playing what I assume is New Orleans jazz on a saxophone with the moon behind him. The words Cajun Island are above in orange.
Appearance/Aroma: The aroma is sweet and a little smoky. You can smell the bourbon, but the sweetness dominates. The appearance is of a light syrupy sauce similar to teriyaki with what appears to be a lot of spices.
Body of Review:
I had the pleasure of meeting Nick Ney of Cajun Island about a year and a half ago at Peppers at the Beach's inaugural event in Rehoboth, DE. He called me over and said "Hey, try this" and handed me a piece of blackened chicken breast with a little side cup of this sauce. I have to tell you, I had a lot of samples at this show, but this one bite literally stole the show for me. It honestly ruined me for the rest of the show. I kept trying more samples, all the while looking back over my shoulder and wanting to go get more of this chicken! Luckily, Nick is not only a good cook, he is generous, and gave me a couple more samples as well as a deal on one of each of the products he had there.
To properly make this chicken, you need to use his Blackened Seasoning and a real healthy dose of it. It is this combination along with the Blackened Bourbon Sauce that really does it for me. The Blackened Seasoning is a bit salty and spicy whereas the Bourbon Sauce is sweet and tangy. More of that yin and yang thing I love.
When I taste this sauce I get little to no (okay no) heat, but Nick never claimed there was any. It is very sweet and rich almost like eating a cake with a very sweet icing and eating that last bit of the cake with the big thick icing bite. Honestly it is just a bit too sweet by itself. The texture is syrupy, but not as thick as a maple syrup, more like a glaze. There is also what I have learned from Nick is some of the rub in the sauce as well. I guess this is to tie it together, but when just tasting the sauce it makes it a little gritty. However, this is not noticeable when eating it with food. I am a lover of all food Cajun, so I am anxious to see how many ways I can use this.
Heat Level: .5
Applications: As a glaze or dipping sauce for blackened chicken, catfish, shrimp, etc. Would also work as a glaze for wings, ribs, or even steak.
Appearance Score: 4.5
Aroma Score: 4.5
Taste Score: 4
Mouthfeel Score: 3.5
Heat Accuracy Score: 4.5
Overall Score: 4.2
Notes: This sauce is a very good one, but it is limited in its uses as to a glaze or dipping sauce in my opinion. It is best when paired with the blackened spice. Of course, that is what it was made for. I absolutely love it with blackened chicken. Give it a try!
Style: Cajun grilling sauce
Manufacturer: Cajun Island
Country of Origin: USA
Website: http://cajunisland.com
Ingredients: Sugar, Water, Teriyaki Sauce, Wine, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Spices, Sodium Benzoate, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Arrowroot, Chili Paste, Bourbon, Amaretto, Caramel Color, Soy Bean Oil, Spices
Label/Packaging: The label is very vibrant and eye catching. It is set against a black background. There is a silhouette of a man playing what I assume is New Orleans jazz on a saxophone with the moon behind him. The words Cajun Island are above in orange.
Appearance/Aroma: The aroma is sweet and a little smoky. You can smell the bourbon, but the sweetness dominates. The appearance is of a light syrupy sauce similar to teriyaki with what appears to be a lot of spices.
Body of Review:
I had the pleasure of meeting Nick Ney of Cajun Island about a year and a half ago at Peppers at the Beach's inaugural event in Rehoboth, DE. He called me over and said "Hey, try this" and handed me a piece of blackened chicken breast with a little side cup of this sauce. I have to tell you, I had a lot of samples at this show, but this one bite literally stole the show for me. It honestly ruined me for the rest of the show. I kept trying more samples, all the while looking back over my shoulder and wanting to go get more of this chicken! Luckily, Nick is not only a good cook, he is generous, and gave me a couple more samples as well as a deal on one of each of the products he had there.
To properly make this chicken, you need to use his Blackened Seasoning and a real healthy dose of it. It is this combination along with the Blackened Bourbon Sauce that really does it for me. The Blackened Seasoning is a bit salty and spicy whereas the Bourbon Sauce is sweet and tangy. More of that yin and yang thing I love.
When I taste this sauce I get little to no (okay no) heat, but Nick never claimed there was any. It is very sweet and rich almost like eating a cake with a very sweet icing and eating that last bit of the cake with the big thick icing bite. Honestly it is just a bit too sweet by itself. The texture is syrupy, but not as thick as a maple syrup, more like a glaze. There is also what I have learned from Nick is some of the rub in the sauce as well. I guess this is to tie it together, but when just tasting the sauce it makes it a little gritty. However, this is not noticeable when eating it with food. I am a lover of all food Cajun, so I am anxious to see how many ways I can use this.
Heat Level: .5
Applications: As a glaze or dipping sauce for blackened chicken, catfish, shrimp, etc. Would also work as a glaze for wings, ribs, or even steak.
Appearance Score: 4.5
Aroma Score: 4.5
Taste Score: 4
Mouthfeel Score: 3.5
Heat Accuracy Score: 4.5
Overall Score: 4.2
Notes: This sauce is a very good one, but it is limited in its uses as to a glaze or dipping sauce in my opinion. It is best when paired with the blackened spice. Of course, that is what it was made for. I absolutely love it with blackened chicken. Give it a try!
