Thursday, February 14, 2019

Tabanero Extra Hot Hot Sauce

Happy Valentine's Day all! I hope that you're keeping warm today, whether it be via special someone or a special spicy condiment that I know you share my passion for. I know that this day isn't up everyone's alley but even if it is not, I hope that you're enjoying today.
I want to run Tabanero Extra Hot Hot Sauce through its paces (known simply as Tabanero from here on). Made by Tabanero company,  it's a nice sauce to have on standby for many uses. They state on their site in the Vision section that they seek to provide a sauce that's a more pleasurable and sensational option rather than one that's just hot for the sake of hotness. On another note, this evidently is the official hot sauce of AMC's The Walking Dead.
The label is nothing to mark a red letter day in one's calendar about. Simple rather than particularly memorable, it is to the point. I like the unobtrusive royalty hat logo but I could leave the font reading "Flavor & Fire" at the door. The color of the sauce is a little too pale for my tastes. It almost resembles a dark yellow or light orange, leaving an almost sickly impression.
 The consistency is fairly runny but, coupled with the dripper insert included on the bottle, the pour is quite controllable if one uses a shake pour or a bottom tap pour. Also it contains sediment from the ingredients forming the makeup of the contents. Bits of (presumably) seed and pepper flakes can be discerned within.
The flavor of the sauce is quite well done. The garlic is plentiful and enough to add depth without evoking a tiresome amount of richness, leading to a fresher taste. There are subtle fruit notes present with an emphasis on citrus. I also detected a bit of salt; it's not too much but rather acts as an enhancer.
The heat took me by surprise a bit. They may not have intended to make it hot for heat's sake but it does pack somewhat of a punch. It may not seem so upon first entering the palette but as it travels across the tongue, it begins to act. It has more of a back and sides of the tongue burn, the back burn jolting me a bit. This fire will grow considerably upon repeated tastings and for me led to a fairly substantial lip tingle. This isn't a "burn the house down" heat but it's not something to underestimate either.
This sauce will go well as an enhancer to existing heat while adding a well rounded flavor to a dish or snack. I plan on adding just a taste to some vindaloo I made for dinner. For the affordability factor, this works well. At the time of this writing, a 5 ounce bottle is running at $5.99 (on sale from $6.99). This sauce will be a decent yet not 100% necessary, addition to anyone's collection.


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