The Chechen Smokin’ Chipotle Sauce

We're back together again looking at unique hot sauces! Today I want to share a sauce that I picked up via some passive internet sleuthing. I bring you The Cheech Smokin' Chipotle Hot Sauce! With that name, this was something I could hardly pass on. As well, I've been wanting to taste more chipotle sauces in general. With that, on with the show!
I honestly couldn't find much on the sauce in the way of back story. Thecheech.com only yielded me a 404 error. Interestingly, it is imported and distributed by Melinda's Foods, LLC, makers of the Melinda's hot sauce line. This line of sauces is one of which I'm particularly fond. With this lack of information in mind (and readers, if you have the skinny on this sauce, please let me know by emailing the deets to moltenhotsauce@gmail.com) I'd like to share what drew me to the sauce initially. I've always had a soft spot for Cheech and Chong, and of course Richard "Cheech" Marin is from whom this sauce gets its title. I loved Marin in From Dusk Till Dawn, the Quentin Tarantino film take on vampires.
The label has an adorable depiction of Cheech holding up red peppers in both hands. He has a cartoonish guitar slung across his torso and is grinning widely. This art is just joyous and it makes me smile. The color is a reddish brown with a LOT of sediment traversing the liquid. This is a very thick sauce with a super slow pour. A pour guard is present here, which I find a curious choice. However upon pouring I discovered that it's not a super hindrance. Nonetheless, I removed it.
The flavor has fresh elements to it with not a heavy presence of vinegar, though it is detectable. The garlic is nice and up front with a hint of carrot. Past that, there isn't a very complex flavor profile here. Pleasant and tasty? Yes. Complex? No. I, sadly, didn't detect much smoke flavor at all here.
This has a nice and fiery heat. It first hits the tip of the tongue and has a sear quality there that lingers for quite a while. For me, the heat didn't travel much. A bit to the roof of my mouth and it has a lip burn that is surprisingly robust and long-lasting. In fact, the lip burn made itself known after just the second sampling. In short, do not underestimate the fire in this one.
This sauce has a pleasing flavor, a nice punch of heat, and at $6.99 for a five ounce bottle, I would give the go-ahead on adding this sauce to your cupboards. The price is right and the taste is nice. Plus it'll warm up whatever you're wanting to increase the heat. Until next time friends!