Posted July 18, 2012 by brian in Bloggers

Smoke Canyon Smoke Roasted Jalapeno Sauce Review

Smoke Canyon smokes and roasts their jalapeño peppers over Missouri hardwood, combining them with seasonings and spices to bring us a truly unique hot sauce. The gourmet quality and flavor of this hot sauce is remarkable.

I am a sucker for a good jalapeño hot sauce – not the simple green stuff – give me the red jalapeño, the roasted jalapeño, the smokey chipotle versions (chipotles are simply smoked jalapeños, usually found in canned adobo sauce). Yea, that’s the kind of jalapeño guy I am. Established in 2009, I have no idea why Smoke Canyon has been under the radar for this long!

…upon tasting it, you know you’ve struck gold. No, much more than that – a diamond mine! ~ScottRobertsWeb.com

Recently reviewed on ScottRobertsWeb.com, I can tell you that upon reading Scott’s review, I promptly set out to email Jay Abbey of Smoke Canyon, to purchase a few bottles for myself. A quick PayPal transaction later and the bottles arrived here at the HotSauceDaily household within days. Let’s get into the review.

Smoke Canyon Hot Sauce

Ingredients: the finest jalapeño peppers, white wine vinegar, MO Ozarks water, onion, lemon, sea salt, garlic, sugar, and selected herbs & spices”

Label and presentation:

The label is a classic…

– One of our few 5 star ratings for packaging. This is your typical 5 ounce bottle, but the label gets kudos for design. Based on a simple 4 or 5 color scheme, it’s very classy. Unique fonts, simple chile pepper graphics, and the inclusion of “Jay-Bird”, a character that “tweets” (pardon the pun) statements about the veracity of this sauce, all bring about a confident and simple presentation of a gourmet sauce. And the word “Gourmet” is prominently pasted in the middle of the label. Definitely not an afterthought, as this sauce is of a gourmet quality.

Jay-Bird on the label is cool… even with one eye.

Aroma:

– Jalapeño and smoke. No hint of fake liquid smoke, but the hardwood scent is there. It smells like smoked peppers right off the grill… a mashup of jalapeño heat and dark smokey aftertones.

Texture:

Smoke Canyon Hot Sauce Sample

– This bright green sauce has a medium texture, with bits and flecks of spices. You would think the first specks you see are black pepper, but that flavor is absent… those are probably the “selected herbs and spices” along with some very small bits of herbs that show up in the bottom of the spoon.
Nice and pulpy – think applesauce, without the apples. It is medium-thick.

Taste:

– The heat hits my tongue and moves down the throat quickly as I swallow… it’s deep, dark, and pungent – lot’s of dark undertones, and a pretty big hit of the smokey jalapeño pepper. I will sheepishly admit, as I write this, I took another big spoonful to taste, and got a short, little case of the hiccups! Amazing for a jalapeño sauce to deliver that. Sheer genius in this recipe – it does not disappoint.

Heat Level:

– I have to go easy here. Although, if you gulp a whole spoonful straight up you may get the hiccups, but overall it’s a mild to medium level of burn. There is a fair amount of heat, but nothing overbearing or too hot. Just a big fresh taste with lots of smokey flavor too. It’s freakin’ delicious. (You can quote me on that.)

On Food: I’m thinking green chile burger sliders, nachos, pizza, eggs. Anything you’d put real jalapeño slices on would be a great use of this sauce.

Smoke Canyon on Pizza

I made a quick and simple nachos plate with chips, cheese, and “fresh” salsa in a tub from our produce department, and the Smoke Canyon sauce rocked on this midday snack!

Final Thoughts: Smoke Canyon Smoke Roasted Jalapeño Sauce is probably the best jalapeño based hot sauce I’ve ever had. This is one of the few times Scott Roberts and I can agree on a flavor profile. For overall taste and quality, Smoke Canyon is poised to be a huge hit in the hot sauce market.

Overall Rating:

– Our highest rating overall. Smoke Canyon Smoke Roasted Jalapeño Sauce is one of the best jalapeño sauces we’ve had this year.

You’ll find Jay-Bird and his Smoke Roasted Jalapeño Sauce over at http://smokecanyon.com or you can order a couple of bottles by emailing him at [email protected] and tell him what you want. Get 2 or 3 bottles, you’ll love it that much and they will go fast! Tell him Brian from HotSauceDaily.com sent you!

Disclaimer: We purchased this product for our own personal use and review purposes. No compensation was received. The thoughts and opinions expressed are our own.