Review: Longbranch Trading Company: Dorsey’s Reserve Hot Sauce

I should hope that Dorsey’s Reserve is not a limited time offer because I think that Longbranch has perfected a great sauce here. I always had my … ahem … reservations about the quality of the Salsa Rio Verde. Something was lacking in that sauce, something just not right that I could never place my finger on. I had described it as a bitter flavor, the only thing my conscious mind could come up with for its description. A conflicted mind I have about the Rio Verde. I think it’s a good sauce, but I really didn’t feel drawn to it for slathering purposes. I never desired to put it on my food. There was always something else better in the fridge.

But Dorsey’s Reserve fills that void in my heart and heals the division in my head. This stuff tastes great and it is hot, hot, hot.

Officially this sauce is called Dorsey’s Reserve: Salsa Picante 8 Pepper Blend. Those peppers are Manzano, Jalapeno, Habanero, red Serrano, Chile de Arbol, Chipotle Morita, Habanero, and Serrano. Did you count all eight? Kind of an odd list, but the label indicates those last two are dried peppers. And you just have to love a sauce that gets its reddish-orange hue from the peppers and not added carrots or tomatoes. You won’t find carrots or tomatoes in this sauce.

Tasting this sauce, one becomes aware of all eight peppers, but the taste also hints to Longbranch’s dedication to higher-quality, and sometimes fancier ingredients. Apple cider vinegar, pumpkin seeds, sea salt, and roasted pine nuts are all part of the list, a factor that does not surprise.

I tried Dorsey’s reserve on a Jalapeno and Hominy Frittata which looks like this:

On food – It sure worked well on eggs as well as the mac and cheese. Those two are always my baseline for a hot sauce test, so I can definitely see this one working well on a myriad other foods, including sandwiches, grilled steak and pork, burgers, and pizza.

The heat – During my frittata test, I had previous knowledge that Dorsey’s Reserve is a hot hot sauce. I had licked a little bit off my finger to get a feel for what I was about to partake of. The first helping of frittata and the hot sauce set my mouth afire in a very pleasant way. On the second helping, I must have accidentally brushed some sauce past my chapped lips, an act I never wish to repeat.

Aside from the burning, bleeding chapped lips incident, one thing is for certain. I desire to slather this on everything, but not in such great quantities that I burn my lips off.

Longbranch has outdone itself this time. Dorsey’s Reserve is exactly what should be expected of a hot sauce, a high-end hot sauce, and most importantly, a quality product.

Longbranch Trading Co.
6285 E. Spring Street #319
Long Beach CA 90808-4000
Tel: 562 421 8371
Fax: 562 425 2818