Bufalo Salsa Jalapeno

Hello again, chileheads! This week I'd like to take a look at a sauce called Bufalo Salsa Jalapeno that I stumbled upon in a market in a small town that I visited by the name of Murphy, NC. It cost me VERY little, to the tune of $0.64, if I recall correctly. It was so inexpensive that I bought four bottles, and I'm fairly glad that I made that decision.
Upon initial taste, it has a nice citric acidity, but this might not be conducive to folks with sensitive GI tracts. Luckily I don't have that particular malady. It is quite rich, making it good for things like eggs and mixed with chili or a queso dip. There is also a very slight hint of carrot which, after our last review, may seem to be a trend. Coincidence only, I assure you. The freshness of the vegetable pairs nicely with the otherwise full flavor of the sauce. It is a bit simplistic in flavor, having none of the nice layers of taste found in some of the more premium sauces, but the flavor it does express is pleasing.
The heat of the sauce is actually rather potent. The initial burn isn't overwhelming, but it is present. This one, like our last sauce that we visited, has quite an apparent building burn while tasting it. It hits more towards the tip of the tongue, but doesn't have a prolonged lip burn.
The consistency is quite thick, almost to a fault. It is tricky to coax it out of the lip of the bottle and when it finally reaches pouring state, it tends to erupt, so pour with caution and, if mixing it, pour it into a tertiary container first. With that said, it should be evident by now that I have an appreciation for thick sauces and this one is no exception to that tendency.
For the money, this is one of my favorite hot sauces. It's very satisfying on a lot of levels. It isn't nuanced or subtle, but for ones simpler dishes/creations, this will fit in well.

Valentina Salsa Picante

Welcome to Molten Sauce's inaugural post! Thank you very much for checking us out and I hope that you will find my hot sauce reviews and discussions interesting at the very least. My first review is for an old stand-by, that of Valentina Salsa Picante. This sauce's big draw is its affordability. I picked up a 12.5 oz bottle for $0.88, which is totally approachable on almost any budget. The first thing that drew me to the sauce was its consistency. It's not like your classic Louisiana hot sauce in that it is not watery; it is relatively thick, something I very much prefer in my sauces. The second thing that tickled my fancy about it was that it doesn't overwhelm the tongue with vinegar. I don't have anything against vinegar laden sauces. Indeed, one of my own private recipes is a green hot sauce heavy on vinegar that has gone over very well thus far. It's just nice to not get stuck in the same rut as one tends to with "this week's new version of spicy vinegar". The flavor is not very complex, although I like the garlic notes that I detect (also a happy trigger point for me in hot sauces). The heat is the main weakness in the sauce in that it is only slightly above mild. I have found that this sauce shines when served over scrambled eggs. It removes the need for salt while not making the dish runny or pooling at the bottom of the plate/bowl/whatever. All in all, a great bang for the buck!