Review: Honey! Where Da’ Hell is my Hot Sauce?
Please welcome Vic (of Vic & Wendy) to the growing legions of HSB reviewers. Vic has sent in several reviews so far, so expect to see much more from Vic in the future. Give him a warm HSB welcome!
Like many people I have spoken to, there seems to be a Tijuana Flats Burrito Co. opening on every corner – all over Florida and by their website other southern states as well. Hey I don’t complain, I jones pretty hard if I don’t have a Megajuana burrito with Blackened Chicken, everything on it, and covered in Queso Cheese on a regular basis. Makes me hungry just thinking about it. This review is on one of the many sauces manufactured for them.
Honey! Where Da’ Hell is my Sauce is a Habanero based sauce with Garlic – the label reads: “Habanero with a Pinch of Garlic between da’ Cheeks”. It’s actually more like huge pinch of Vinegar with some Garlic. But to it’s defense that’s what they claim it to be. This Louisiana style sauce fits the stereo type to a T, a no frills straight to ya “Fishn’ in the Bayou” Naw’lins sauce.
Ingredients: Habanero Peppers, Distilled Vinegar, Garlic, Salt, and Vegetable Gum.
“Shirley was a Mean Mamma straight from Naw’lins. The one thing she hated most was when someone messed with her Hot Sauce“
Needless to say this sauce is as hot as Shirley’s picture on the label, for a sauce with Habaneros listed first I was a little weary, yet not disappointed. I thought about how to try it for a couple of days and settled on the ever popular egg angle. I through together a little egg, sausage, and cheese sandwich on an English Muffin- good times. Upon breaking the seal the first whiff was strong Vinegar that just didn’t dissipate like most sauces do. It was like the Vinegar was here to stay and made itself comfortable, shoes off and feet on the coffee table type of thing.
The Garlic smell, to me mixes well with the Vinegar and is a great combo. I happen to enjoy the Louisiana styled sauces, again this followed suit and like many of that type of sauce, it was very thin. So you end up using more of it to get the heat you desire, but Honey! Where Da’ Hell is my Sauce held up well.
I thought the taste was good, not a barn burner or a 5 star award winner but a good solid tasting sauce, perfectly in line with it’s style and/or direction. The Garlic kind of built up and like the good Italian boy I am, I absolutely friggen’ love Garlic on practically everything. So I took the test one more step, to see how she would hold up on her own. I put several drops of Shirley’s sauce on a cracker- yup, the old Triscuit Test! I was pleasantly surprised, I actually enjoyed the sauce more this way. I’m not sure if I worked through the Vinegar, but to me the Garlic and the heat came out more. The comfortable burn/sting lasted a good couple of minutes, making this Heat-Freak pretty happy.
Overall: Not to be repetitive, or in the words of a good friend and Brooklynite “Repeateal”, Honey! Where Da’ Hell is my Sauce is a good representative of a down home Louisiana style sauce, it’s strong Vinegar base is complemented well with Garlic. There is a good steady and comfortable burn that lasts a little while. If Louisiana style sauce is what you like, then you “will” like this sauce.
Packaging/Label: 7 out of 10 – Funny Graphics, kinda lower end- but Dang Shirley’s a Hottie!
Aroma: 8 out of 10 – Strong Vinegar followed up by Garlic
Taste: 8 out of 10
Heat: 6 out of 10
Overall: 8.5 out of 10
Fairly scary picture of Vic after the fold 🙂
