Review - Bonfatto's Apple Pepper Jack Sauce
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If you're looking for a company that's truly one of the bright, new shining stars of 2011, look no further than Bonfatto's Wing Sauce & Marinade. Owner David Letterman (not the late night talk show host) took his grandfather Guy Bonfatto's restaurant and introduced a line of spicy sauces with a uniqueness and panache rarely seen in even this overcrowded gourmet food market.
I first encountered Letterman and his Bonfatto's lineup at this year's Peppers at the Beach (you can watch my entire video here courtesy of ILoveItSpicy.com). Each and every one of his concoctions boasted an above-average burst of pleasure on my tongue, making Bonfatto's one of my favorite new manufacturers of the year.
One of his best offerings, the Apple Pepper Jack Sauce impressed me to pick up a bottle at Peppers just to try on some ice cream, one of my all-time most beloved sweet/snack foods...
Ingredients:
Brown Sugar, Unsalted Butter, Molasses, Apple Juice, Jack Daniel's Whiskey, Apple Liqueur, Spices, Citric Acid
Aroma:
4 out of 5. Nice and sweet! My nose got notes of mild alcohol mixed with rich, candy-like tones based on brown sugar and apple.
Appearance and Texture:
4 out of 5. Thick, dark brown and in-a-good-way murky, it's dense and slow to pour, perhaps requiring the use of a butter knife if you want to get this started flowing out of the bottle. This is not unlike a super-thick apple butter. David, this is too thick! Because of this, I had to knock off a point. Bonfatto's Apple Pepper Jack Sauce has a bit of light, sugary "grittiness" to it and has superior stickiness that allows it to stick to your food.
Taste Straight Up:
4 out of 5. Fantastic flavors that I could definitely feel on my tongue! I hate to use to word "caramel", but the collocation of Apple Pepper Jack's ingredients are highly reminiscent of the soft, sticky candy. Yet breaking the tastes down I could tell apart the individual components, and the sum of them create a syrupy dessert topper that's richer, darker and more layered than any caramel.
The rich, sweet pounding of brown sugar was given depth from the darker flavor of molasses. I could detect some apple tartness in there, with both the Jack Daniel's and the apple liqueur there was the brightness of hooch not unlike that of a tart rum. Intertwining throughout all of this is the very prevalent presence of a warm, chile pepper heat. Although there is nothing in the ingredients list (it must fall under the catch-all descriptor of "spices") there is some considerable "sneaky" heat.
Taste on Food:
4.5 out of 5. This is amazing on ice cream! The caramel-like kick, the deep, flavor-laden blast and the slight chile pepper burn make this one of the best pairings I've ever had on a bowl of French Vanilla.
I also glazed some smoked spare ribs with Bonfatto's Apple Pepper Jack Sauce. It didn't fare as well yet still performed respectably. I would have preferred the dark, heavy molasses tones to be, well, toned down. But if I use Apple Pepper Jack again on some pork ribs, I'll probably go with a lighter coating.
Heat:
2 out of 5. A very surprising burn built up in my mouth from eating with was the equivalent of spoonfuls of this. A nice, delayed heat would make this enjoyable for most chileheads to consume yet wouldn't be too hot for a majority of mild mouths to eat.
Label:
4.5 out of 5. Some of the best graphics I have ever seen on a spicy food product label. Exquisite cartoon artwork, bright colors...this is clearly a winner.
the half a point deducted is because I think the "Wing Sauce & Marinade" description (something that's part of every Bonfatto's label) is very misleading as this ultra-heavy liquid wouldn't do very well as either one of those without some significant watering-down.
Overall: 
Top-notch stuff here. You can purchase a 16 oz. bottle for $7.00 plus shipping at http://www.lettermaninc.com or Bonfatto's Wing Sauce & Marinade.
Comments
2011-10-11 17:38:17
His traditional mild wing sauce is awesome and his Hawaiian was also abig hit - I thought my favorite would be the Razz Hab - but for me - it came in second to the Apple Pepper Jack.
Great Sauces & great people - I'm with Scott - this is a must try line of products.
2011-10-11 21:26:12
2011-10-12 06:16:24
Hey Mike - long time. Let me know the dates of your event next year. Wish you the best with your excellent products as well
2011-10-13 11:33:54
Sounds so yummy!
2011-10-14 17:33:50
2011-10-20 18:20:22
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