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Last weekend, I was over at the Farmer’s Market behind Arrowhead Mall on 79th Avenue. While perusing the different sauce and spice vendors, I came across Kay at the Eatz & Treatz booth. She gave us a taste of a couple of her different sauces and I decided to buy 2 bottles of the Sweet Heat.
I gave her a card for our business, we talked a bit about her and her husband and their business, then we parted ways. My wife and I walked away talking about how nice she was. We were about 6 booths away, when she called me and asked me to come back. We did and she informed me that they network with people all the time and give away free samples, and they had decided they wanted to give us some extra bottles of sauce to taste test for them. They are listed in the picture above (from left to right); Peach Cobbler syrup, Green Enchilada Sauce, Sweet Heat, and Tennessee. I was blown away at their request and their generosity, more than glad to do them a service. As such, here is my review of the sauces above.
Peach Cobbler – Oh…this is the bomb, for sweet sauces. You open the bottle and your olfactory senses are assaulted by the smell of a perfectly cooked peach cobbler from Grandma’s kitchen. Peachy, baking spices, warm and comforting holiday thoughts. It tastes the same as it smells, like a fresh peach cobbler right out of the oven. This would be wonderful over Saturday morning pancakes or waffles with some fresh peach slices. This sauce is nice and thick. It’s not a syrup. It’s got some texture to it that absorbs all those flavors. This would also go well with a spicy pork dish; a little spicy, a little sweet. On a scale from 1 to 10, I’m going to give this one an 8. I’d like it to be a little more clarified if I’m going to use it as a syrup, but it would make a great marinade.
Tennessee – This smells delicious! The first whiff as you crack open the bottle has a ketchup-y bouquet, but much deeper and richer. The brown sugar gives it just a touch of sweetness. Not too much, just right. A second whiff and a taste bring out the deeper notes of Worcestershire sauce, bourbon and smoke. No heat, just a delightful old-school Tennessee BBQ sauce. This would be the perfect glaze for a nice rack of ribs for those of you not into heat. On a scale from 1 to 10, this would be an 8 for me. Really well done and a nice alternative for when I have company coming over that aren’t spice heads and for my wife.
Sweet Heat – This was by far, my personal favorite. From the dark color of the sauce, to seeing the pepper seeds suspended in the bottle, I knew this one was going to be good. You can smell the different flavors as soon as you open the bottle. It’s smoky, peppery…I really don’t know how to describe it. You still smell the base ingredients of ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and smoke…only…darker. You take a taste of this sauce and it’s a flavor explosion! You get everything that your nose detected, along with a subtle Whiskey flavor, but most importantly, it has a great heat that hits right at the back of your throat. It’s not an immediate punch, but a heat that builds nicely and makes you give a little cough as it hits the back of your throat. It also stays with you and doesn’t fade away…amazingly flavorful, nice level of heat. It’s not so spicy that it would mask your food, but it compliments pork and chicken beautifully. This would be what I’d use to make spicy and sticky BBQ ribs or add some to a good steak chili for a little depth of flavor and a nice heat. On a scale from 1 to 10, this one is an 11! Kay and Brannon, you hit this one out of the park!
Green Enchilada Sauce – I first opened the bottle and the smell reminded me of…you guessed it, Hatch Green Chile Enchiladas. If you make decent enchiladas and want to take them to the next level and introduce some additional flavor without any extra heat, then this is the sauce for you. But if you already make a good Hatch Chile enchilada and are looking to add some additional heat, then this is not the sauce for you. There is great flavor to this sauce because it has vegetable stock in it. But sadly, there is no heat. This would be a great addition to breakfast; put it on your steak and eggs, put it in your beans, add it to an omelet. Personally, I really wanted to like this one more than I did, being such a spice head. But the lack of heat was a detractor for me, as it caused me to think more of a soup than a hot sauce. On a scale from 1 to 10, I’ll give this one a 5. Just middle of the road for me. Kay and Brannon, don’t take this as a negative though. It’s a good sauce, I’m just not big on the green salsas. I prefer the depth of a red sauce.
We’ll be sure to taste test more of Kay and Brannon’s sauces and spices as they come out, so keep coming back and we’ll keep you posted.