Review: Blind Hot Sauce Review #101 Mild

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Posted on 12.22.07 by HSB Reviewing Team @ 8:13 am | Comments: |

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Warning: This is a fairly long review - if you can’t wait until the end to find out what the sauce is, just skip to the end here.

First Impression: Reviewer #1: First of all, I’m Brendan, and I was reviewer 1 for the review of sauce #102. “Hi Brendan!” I decided to come forward with my story to end the speculation, end the constant personal torment I’ve been living with over this, and help others who have also struggled with anonymous hot sauce reviewing to reclaim our lives. The hot sauce community can and must heal together over the deep wounds that anonymous reviewing has inflicted. Or we can continue doing anonymous reviews; that would be funny too.

Appearance: Reviewer #1: This sauce is a little darker than brick red, with a pretty smooth texture that holds together soundly. Once thinned out on a plate, small chunks reveal themselves. Then there are microscopic dots of matter that are a slightly darker color than the sauce itself. It runs slowly, like, like a- oh I don’t know, a slow dog. Are you bored yet? Okay, fine, I thinned it out even more and thought it would make an interesting wall paper design, and now I’m thinking that some lucky entrepreneur who is reading this is going to steal my idea and come out with an entire line of hot sauce-inspired paints and wallpapers.

Reviewer #2: Brick red, presumably a tomato base, with visible flecks of dried red chile, some spices (maybe cayenne and others), and seeds. Has somewhat of a “gritty” look to it. 8/10

Reviewer #3: Deep, crimson red spotted with pieces of red chile (looks like the skins), and what looks like garlic powder or small rehydrated pieces. Actually, a very nice sauce to look at, but nothing that suggests the wheel has been reinvented. 8 out of 10.

Consistency: Reviewer #2: More thin than thick. Would coat something. Meant to be splashed on your food. “Pleasantly gritty”. You can actually bite into some of the spices and ground chiles. 8/10

Reviewer #3: Like ketchup was blended with vinegar-thick enough to control from the woozy bottle mouth, but not too thick to cover the target food. 8/10

Smell: Reviewer #1: Well, first, I’ll tell you about a peculiar thing I heard when I opened the bottle. It was ever so faint at first, but when I put my ear up to the opening, I’ll be damned if there wasn’t an entire mariachi band in there! Seriously, is Taco Bell bottling their Fire Sauce now? This sauce is Mexican to max! Or perhaps Mexican-American. Or maybe just what one American associates with Mexican food. I’m assuming that that very distinct smell that reminds me of tacos is chili powder, although part of me wants to say curry is in there too. Or maybe chili powder is kind of like the Mexican culinary equivalent to curry. It smells and looks a lot like Tapatio, which I have right here as well.

Reviewer #2: Initial nose of vinegar and hints of a blend of spices common to “chili powder”, i.e. cayenne, cumin. Maybe a hint of smoke, suggestive of Ancho or Chipotle in the batch. 7/10

Reviewer #3: Vinegar, garlic, onion, and some cayenne-type chile. Nothing in itself over-powering nor exciting. Reminds me of a Taco Bell sauce. 4/10

Taste: Reviewer #1: Once again, I’m going with “solid taco accoutrement”. Or any Mexican-type food, for that matter. It’s sweet, with some tang after a few seconds. The chili powder or curry (whatever that is) is clearly if the defining ingredient of this sauce, although I’m going to say some garlic is in there as well, and allow for the possibility of a fruit of some sort, pineapple maybe. Real Taco Bell Fire Sauce is on my good side, especially now with those wise-cracking little packets, and this sauce does taste a lot like it in my opinion. However, I think this sauce tastes fresher, and magnifies the distinguishing flavors more effectively. Although I’m sure one could probably find some other things to do with it, I may just have to bite the bullet and call this a “specific application sauce” for Mexican dishes, with the caveat that almost all hot sauces work well on pizza and eggs. But you all know that.

Reviewer #2: Tasting by itself, an expert balance of vinegar, sweet, salt and heat, followed by a slightly smoky aftertaste. Poured on top of my chili-mac, it was the perfect complement. Even with all I have going on in my chili recipe, this sauce added another dimension. Somehow it made it taste richer. 9/10

Reviewer #3: By itself this sauce was vinegar and garlic with an almost chemical flavor to it, kind of like they went overboard on the preservatives. But on food, for example flank steak tacos (I was inspired) the rest of the flavors came out, and the heat was more “there”. Garlic developed more with the heat of the target foods it was applied too (especially eggs, scrambled or fried). 5/10

Heat: Reviewer #1: Yeah, mild. A very dull, middle of the tongue sensation that never gets out of hand, never even comes close. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with mild, and on tacos, for some reason I don’t usually want it crazy hot. In fact, the only issue I ever had with Taco Bell’s Fire Sauce (I swear this is the last time I mention them) is that they call it “Fire Sauce,” when there is really no heat to scream about.

Reviewer #2: Initially burns the roof of the mouth, then all around the mouth. In sufficient quantity, it produces a good sweat on the skull and forehead, and a runny nose. This was labeled mild, but I peg it more medium – a 6/10 on the HSB scale. In some ways, behaves like cayenne, but in other ways, has a quicker effect like some other pepper is predominant.

Reviewer #3: Initially there wasn’t detectable heat, but the more and more I had right out of the bottle the more the heat was actually building. On food the heat was also more pronounced, and, strangely, lingered. Again, it reminded me of Taco Bell.

Chipotle Tacos

Chili Mac

Skirt Steak Tacos

Overall: Reviewer #1: Good. It will definitely be my go-to sauce for Mexican food, as friendly as the sombrero-ed Tapatio man appears (watch this is Tapatio). I don’t really know what they could change. The sauce has a very clear vision, Mexico, and I think it accomplished what it had set out to do. I bought some Chipotle to put it on for dinner, and it was very good, not to mention classier and tastier than Taco Bell (oops, I did it again). Chipotle (the restaurant chain) is actually a relatively new thing here in New York, and everyone is pretty crazy about it. I think it’s overpriced, but clean and well-managed. However, this is neither here nor there. Enjoy your food, and if it’s Mexican, enjoy this sauce on it.

Reviewer #2: I would buy this by the gallon to add tang, spice and a richer flavor to chili, soups, stews, bloodys, scrambled eggs, you name it. 8.5/10

Reviewer #3: This is not a sauce I would buy. It’s not a terrible sauce, don’t get me wrong. It’s just too much like a sauce you would find at a fast food place, like Taco Bell or Wendy’s: Hot for the Non-hot Crowd, but nothing really to offer the rest of us. 5.2/10.

Curious to know what sauce it is? Information on the sauce is available below the fold

HSB Blind Review #101: CaJohn’s Oaxacan Hot Sauce
CaJohn's Oaxacan Hot Sauce

Ingredients: Vinegar, Chile Peppers, Brown Sugar, Garlic, Salt, Onion & Cumin

CaJohns Fiery Foods
2040 Oakland Park Avenue
PO Box 24010
Columbus, Ohio 43224

Related Posts:

23 Comments »

Comment #1:

Comment by DK (2397) - 12/22/2007 @ 9:46 am | [ Quote ]

At least the link worked this time. Thanks Nick. Don’t gotta read this one either. Oaxacan is an awesome sauce. Think I’ll grab some tacos for lunch. Just seeing the label makes me hungry!

I still think it would be much simpler to just put the pic at the beginning. It doesn’t affect the blind tasting or the review one bit.

Blind tasting = good
Blind reading =

Comment #2:

Comment by Geckofiend (8) - 12/22/2007 @ 2:51 pm | [ Quote ]

Oaxacan has been my favorite “taco sauce” since I tried it a while back.

Comment #3:

Comment by thetruth (9) - 12/22/2007 @ 4:04 pm | [ Quote ]

DK on 12/22/2007 at 9:46 am said:

At least the link worked this time. Thanks Nick. Don’t gotta read this one either. Oaxacan is an awesome sauce. Think I’ll grab some tacos for lunch. Just seeing the label makes me hungry!

I still think it would be much simpler to just put the pic at the beginning. It doesn’t affect the blind tasting or the review one bit.

Blind tasting = good
Blind reading =

here we go……..again

Comment #4:

Comment by thetruth (9) - 12/22/2007 @ 4:06 pm | [ Quote ]

Great job guys…good reading… for those who can….:)keep up the good work!!!!

Comment #5:

Comment by Anthony (293) - 12/22/2007 @ 5:42 pm | [ Quote ]

Great intro there Brendan. Amazing writing style you have!

Also a great overall review on this sauce. Glad I got to hear the different opinions!

Comment #6:

Comment by CaJohn (1368) - 12/22/2007 @ 6:14 pm | [ Quote ]

A little of the story behind this sauce. It was never meant to make it to the “market”. As many know, we have a retail store at the Historic North Market here in Columbus. On May 5th, (Cinco de Mayo) they held a food festival, and asked me to make tacos to sell to the attendees. I agreed, and thought if I was going to do this properly, I would need a sauce that fit John Q. Public’s idea of a taco sauce. So I quickly threw something together and made about 10 gallons of this sauce and bottled it. It was a huge hit with all who attended and they bought almost the whole batch! I had no intention of continuing to make it, but people kept asking for that “taco sauce”. The demand was there, so I made another 10 gallons. This too was soon sold out. So we made more, took it to Jungle Jim’s and ZestFest where it was well recieved, so it is now part of the line. John Meister of Albuquerque did the excellent artwork for the label, and the name was given tounge in cheek as I knew few people would pronounce it correctly.

As to the speculation as to what’s in it, first, there are no “chemicals”. It is a serrano base with ancho, guajillo and cayenne. It has a big taste of cumin, in fact the Mexican places we frequent all like it, but say “there is too much cumino”.

We took a third place in the Oxymoron category at Ft Worth, Mild Hot Sauce. So what was just supposed to be a 1 day thing is now one of our good selling products. A lot of people have asked for a larger size and we will soon be selling it in a 12 oz bottle. We are also playing with a hotter version where we add a little red habanero.

Thanks for the review! By the way, this is the best format for reviewing in my book…

Comment #7:

Comment by SteveM (51) - 12/22/2007 @ 6:34 pm | [ Quote ]

Hey reviewer #3, I like the look of those steak tacos, but…what on earth is that other thing on the plate? Looks like you planted a cactus garden in your mashed potatoes. SM

Comment #8:

Comment by DK (2397) - 12/22/2007 @ 7:03 pm | [ Quote ]

Anthony on 12/22/2007 at 5:42 pm said:

Great intro there Brendan. Amazing writing style you have!

Also a great overall review on this sauce. Glad I got to hear the different opinions!

So if Brendan revealing that he was the reviewer was such a great opening statement, then why the big deal over actually using the reviewers names in the first place? Seems a little contradictary to me.

Same thing with the picture of the sauce at the beginning. That’s my whole point. The purpose of a blind review is to bring fairness and a lack of bias to the review. It has nothing to do with the posting of the review facts. Hiding useful info just makes it more confusing to the reader. And if you’re gonna have a link to see the sauce, and then have the reviewer’s name right beside “Reviewer #X:”, then why all the smoke and mirrors? It just makes no sense to me.

As I’ve stated in the past, I have no problem with the blind aspect of doing the review. It’s the BS that has to be waded through to get the needed info in the actual post that I disagree with.

Comment #9:

Comment by Ethan (125) - 12/22/2007 @ 8:09 pm | [ Quote ]

mmm, Oaxacan. Amazing stuff! I’d buy it by the gallon too! CaJohn, do you sell it by the gallon?

Comment #10:

Comment by kristi (1242) - 12/22/2007 @ 8:34 pm | [ Quote ]

DK on 12/22/2007 at 7:03 pm said:

So if Brendan revealing that he was the reviewer was such a great opening statement, then why the big deal over actually using the reviewers names in the first place? Seems a little contradictary to me.

Same thing with the picture of the sauce at the beginning. That’s my whole point. The purpose of a blind review is to bring fairness and a lack of bias to the review. It has nothing to do with the posting of the review facts. Hiding useful info just makes it more confusing to the reader. And if you’re gonna have a link to see the sauce, and then have the reviewer’s name right beside “Reviewer #X:”, then why all the smoke and mirrors? It just makes no sense to me.

As I’ve stated in the past, I have no problem with the blind aspect of doing the review. It’s the BS that has to be waded through to get the needed info in the actual post that I disagree with.

Personally, I prefer the order in which the review is presented. I like the reviewer showing what he/she was presented with in order to do the review, in this case a covered labeled bottle. What the hell sense would it make for the person to show the bottle with the label right off the bat????? Thats kind of jumping past all the good stuff just to get to the end.

I dont want to know what the bottle is right away. I want to get a feel for what the reviewer went through while doing the review AND THEN be made aware of whats being reviewed. In my opinion, good job on the review. I like the format and I dont feel like ripping apart every damn sentence. I dont think its “BS” and I’m not easily “confused” by any part of it. I appreciate you taking the time to do this so people like myself can take a few minutes out of their day to read something that pertains to hot!

Now go ahead and rip me apart………..xoxoxoxo

Comment #11:

Comment by thetruth (9) - 12/22/2007 @ 9:05 pm | [ Quote ]

DK on 12/22/2007 at 7:03 pm said:

So if Brendan revealing that he was the reviewer was such a great opening statement, then why the big deal over actually using the reviewers names in the first place? Seems a little contradictary to me.

Same thing with the picture of the sauce at the beginning. That’s my whole point. The purpose of a blind review is to bring fairness and a lack of bias to the review. It has nothing to do with the posting of the review facts. Hiding useful info just makes it more confusing to the reader. And if you’re gonna have a link to see the sauce, and then have the reviewer’s name right beside “Reviewer #X:”, then why all the smoke and mirrors? It just makes no sense to me.

As I’ve stated in the past, I have no problem with the blind aspect of doing the review. It’s the BS that has to be waded through to get the needed info in the actual post that I disagree with.

If you dont like the bs you have to go through DOUG than stop coming here and starting your same crap ever time this type of review is put up!Your always the first one to comment ALL the time.You have made yourself perfectly clear (WE GET IT) you dont agree with the way these are done.Thats fine but for someone that does not like these type of review you have alot to say.Just read doug and enought with the bs comments

Comment #12:

Comment by thetruth (9) - 12/22/2007 @ 9:10 pm | [ Quote ]

kristi on 12/22/2007 at 8:34 pm said:

Personally, I prefer the order in which the review is presented. I like the reviewer showing what he/she was presented with in order to do the review, in this case a covered labeled bottle. What the hell sense would it make for the person to show the bottle with the label right off the bat????? Thats kind of jumping past all the good stuff just to get to the end.

I dont want to know what the bottle is right away. I want to get a feel for what the reviewer went through while doing the review AND THEN be made aware of whats being reviewed. In my opinion, good job on the review. I like the format and I dont feel like ripping apart every damn sentence. I dont think its “BS” and I’m not easily “confused” by any part of it. I appreciate you taking the time to do this so people like myself can take a few minutes out of their day to read something that pertains to hot!

Now go ahead and rip me apart………..xoxoxoxo

Holy shit is that you Kristi???…lol …I agree with you 100%.Well said!!!
Love ya..

Comment #13:

Comment by Buddah (475) - 12/23/2007 @ 7:37 am | [ Quote ]

DK, I think your heart is in the right place, but for the most part I have to agree with Kristi and thetruth, this format is solid. I enjoy the trip down the yellow brick road to see the Wizard, and discovering who he is. You are entitled to your opinion, but you are beating a deadhorse here. This is the 1st wave of blind reviews, and Nick did say there might be changes come the next wave. Yes, the reviewer’s name should be mentioned, but these reviews are in the experimental stage. Lets see what 2008 brings.

It is all about Oaxacan, and this taco sauce is an awesome addition to the hot sauce community. It was the first sauce I bought from CaJohn at Jungle Jim’s, and it is my favorite Mexican food condiment. There is now a spicier version, but not sure it really packs a wallop for me. The sauce really needs a bigger bottle because it is usually gone in 1 1/2-2 applications. Brendan, I love your wit and writing style and you made this review worth reading. No offense to the other reviewers, but personality is always a plus.

Comment #14:

Comment by DK (2397) - 12/23/2007 @ 8:06 am | [ Quote ]

I’m not beating a dead horse. I made my comment. I’m not arguing with anyone. As long as I disagree with something I’ll let it be known. Anyone doesn’t like that, just don’t read my comment.

I’m not the one making the attacking comments here, so what’s all the fuss? No matter, I’ve got nothing more to say on the subject, so you guys can go back to your a** kissing “politically correct” comments. I’m done.

Comment #15:

Comment by kristi (1242) - 12/23/2007 @ 9:01 am | [ Quote ]

“I’m not the one making the attacking comments here, so what’s all the fuss?”

“…… so you guys can go back to your a** kissing “politically correct” comments. I’m done.”

Contradictions huh??????????

You see, reviewers aren’t the only ones who don’t always word things 100% perfectly. Maybe some slack should be given on the side of human error and we can try to be a bit more positive here.

Comment #16:

Comment by thetruth (9) - 12/23/2007 @ 11:21 am | [ Quote ]

Doug thanks for the email!! i said what i had to say to you and now im done i hope you understand where im coming from..Happy holiday to you and your family Doug

Comment #17:

Comment by SteveM (51) - 12/23/2007 @ 11:55 am | [ Quote ]

Oh, the bile and venom this round of reviews has produced !!! If you could collect it, you could make a sauce out of it! Wow, what a brilliant idea! And then it should be reviewed. The cycle continues!

I still want to know what’s growing out of reviewer #3’s mashed potatoes in that picture. The visual is haunting me at night.

Peace on earth…or, at least on this blog…this holiday season! SM

Comment #18:

Comment by Tony Legner (62) - 12/23/2007 @ 1:26 pm | [ Quote ]

SteveM on 12/23/2007 at 11:55 am said:

Oh, the bile and venom this round of reviews has produced !!! If you could collect it, you could make a sauce out of it! Wow, what a brilliant idea! And then it should be reviewed. The cycle continues!

I still want to know what’s growing out of reviewer #3’s mashed potatoes in that picture. The visual is haunting me at night.

Peace on earth…or, at least on this blog…this holiday season! SM

What is that?

Comment #19:

Comment by Scott (86) - 12/23/2007 @ 5:26 pm | [ Quote ]

Where can I but this sauce? I searched Cajohn’s site but couldn’t find it.

Comment #20:

Comment by Scott (86) - 12/23/2007 @ 5:30 pm | [ Quote ]

Scott on 12/23/2007 at 5:26 pm said:

Where can I but this sauce? I searched Cajohn’s site but couldn’t find it.

My bad, I meant where can I BUY this sauce…..

Comment #21:

Comment by thetruth (9) - 12/23/2007 @ 7:50 pm | [ Quote ]

SteveM on 12/23/2007 at 11:55 am said:

Oh, the bile and venom this round of reviews has produced !!! If you could collect it, you could make a sauce out of it! Wow, what a brilliant idea! And then it should be reviewed. The cycle continues!

I still want to know what’s growing out of reviewer #3’s mashed potatoes in that picture. The visual is haunting me at night.

Peace on earth…or, at least on this blog…this holiday season! SM

Steve

Maybe im missing something but i dont understand this post.Can you help?

Comment #22:

Comment by SteveM (51) - 12/23/2007 @ 8:18 pm | [ Quote ]

thetruth on 12/23/2007 at 7:50 pm said:

Steve

Maybe im missing something but i dont understand this post.Can you help?

After reading all the acrimonious posts from the last two blind reviews, I was simply stating (tongue in cheek) that there was enough venom flowing that you could bottle it up and make a sauce. Weak attempt at humor, I guess. SM

Comment #23:

Comment by thetruth (9) - 12/24/2007 @ 11:18 am | [ Quote ]

SteveM on 12/23/2007 at 8:18 pm said:

After reading all the acrimonious posts from the last two blind reviews, I was simply stating (tongue in cheek) that there was enough venom flowing that you could bottle it up and make a sauce. Weak attempt at humor, I guess. SM

lol

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