Review - Johny 5 Hot Sauce from Threatcon Kitchens
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Usually I'm amped up about sauces and products that are a little off-kilter in their approach or are a tiny bit out of left field. It's often that these subtle (or big) differences that make a sauce exciting and unique, especially when it's able to stand out from the crowds of thousands of copycat flavor enhancers.
Here comes along an item called Johny 5 Sauce, a product distributed by Threatcon Kitchens, Inc. (And, no, it's not referring to that stupid robot movie from the 1980s.) It states on its label that it is "derived from Jamai-Jun influences, combining spicy Cajun and smooth Jamaican rum to get your tastebuds tingling". It also boasts components such as habanero peppers, guajillo peppers, ginger, wasabi and olive oil, this could get interesting. Very Interesting. And that's not a "polite" way of dismissing something away that I don't want to discuss; I was genuinely intrigued.
Well, let's not lollygag around anymore...let's get to the review!
Ingredients:
Dark rum, vinegar, onions, banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, habanero peppers, guajillo chile powder, ginger, olive oil, garlic, salt, wasabi powder and xanthan gum.
Aroma:
3 out of 5. This elixir has rich, meaty tones heavy in mixed chiles, pungent rum, onions and garlic. It also seemed like there was a bit of sweet and acidic tomatoes present in the smell.
Appearance and Texture:
4 out 5. With Johny 5's medium-thick viscosity and superb pourability and cling, this was right down my alley of what I prefer. The sauce is deep red in color with substance and a bit of pulpiness without being too clumpy. Nice job!
Taste Straight Up:
2 out of 5. Wow, was this not what I expecting, and it certainly was not an overly pleasant surprise. I got way too much rum on the tongue along with high-end tartness from the vinegar, onions and chiles. It was too bitter and unpleasant of a flavor to enjoy, sort of like an alcoholic aftertaste that was actually the foreground taste. It was only after the rum notes started to dissipate 10-15 seconds after the initial taste that the much-needed sweetness and vegetable notes began to blossom - much too late for this to be a harmonious amalgam of flavors. In reality, Johny 5 Hot Sauce feels like a car lumbering down the highway with a wheel seriously out of alignment.
Taste on Food:
2 out of 5. My first experience with this was a dinner with a friend and fellow chilehead Eric "EMan" Nanista (you might remember him from the old Hot Sauce Blog). He and I tasted on a number of "bar food"-type offerings such as pizza, wings and mozzarella sticks. He and I were in complete agreement that Johny 5 did not go well with any of these. I want to be nice, but to be honest I had trouble stomaching the entire pizza square you see pictured below.
Thinking that there might have been some bad luck with the initial taste tests, I wanted to give Johny 5 Hot Sauce another shot at redemption. I grilled a couple of chicken breasts, seasoned only with salt and pepper. Again, the bitter rum flavor was simply too strong for enjoyment.
Heat:
2 out of 5. There is an edge of burn to this, most nothing that most chileheads couldn't handle.
Label:
4 out of 5. Very colorful, with a voodoo-style feel to it with an island native in a mask and headdress surrounding a crystal ball. The only thing I would change is a mention of what this product is, even if it's in vague terms, such as "Jamai-Jun Style Rum Sauce". If you were to glance at the label on a shelf, all you would see is "Johny 5". Thankfully, it is intriguing enough to make you want to pick up the bottle to learn more.
Overall: 
Bottom line, the rum is simply too strong. I would have rather it played a complimentary role instead of a scene-stealing and ultimately dominant one. If you're the type of person who loves to drink rum, or even digs chile beer, then you may want to give Johny 5 a try. However, if you're more interested in exploring a fruity, peppery, well-seasoned blend of Jamaican and Cajun cuisines in a hot sauce, then you might find this sauce to be a huge disappointment like I did.
The official Threatcon Sauces website can be found at http://threatconsauces.com.
Related Articles:
Spicy Food Reviews - Hot Sauce Reviews, Hot Snacks, Hot Wings, Seasonings, BBQ Sauces, Condiments, and More
Comments
2012-09-11 07:18:14
The wasabi does add a tartness to the the mixture giving it an almost cocktail sauce kind of flavor, which guests noticed at the trade show I recently attended. They recommended trying Johny 5 on oysters on the half shell, which I thought was a great idea, but also makes me wonder as to your qualifications to even do food reviews. Just because you can stomach scorchingly hot foods, that doesn't make you a food writer.
P.S. If you have to put hot sauce on pizza, stop eating at Chuck E. Cheese.
2012-09-11 09:43:32
If you can not take criticism, then you are destined to fail in business and completely defeats the purpose of having someone REVIEW your product. You took the chance, asked a well respected man in the industry to taste your product on his own time and accord(along with the thousands of other products he gets in the mail...patience is a virtue dude), so guess what, you get what you asked for. people who buy sauces are looking for something that works on multiple fields. not everyone is going to have oysters just lying around the house, but if you want them to try it on them, then say so on the bottle, let people know with the name; "hey this shit is for oysters only!".
I applaud your effort in stepping outside the box, it is well needed in this industry, but learn your boundaries of "taste", learn flavors and once more, learn how to learn. criticism is meant to make one stronger, but if you are not smart enough to absorb and embrace it, then you will become weaker...
2012-09-11 12:24:15
The hot sauce industry is growing, and a hot sauce doesn't just go with everything like the old days, so reviewers are expected to pair a hot sauce to its pallet. i.e. white wine with fish. Tabasco with pizza.
If these people aren't willing to grow with the industry then please step aside for those who WILL. Hot sauce is becoming a respectable market and reviews should be taken seriously by people who know food.
I have already had my share of good reviews from these people and find them appalling when they pour my gourmet hot sauce on hamburger helper. I am just fed up with the ineffective methods some sights think is acceptable.
Scott tasted Johny 5 by itself and could therefore make a decision on what would go with the sauce. I have a pumpkin spice hot sauce that I just got from a sauce convention. Let's try it on some pizza shall we?
2012-09-11 13:01:30
Chad is anything but anonymous. He's one of the most respected sauce makers out there, has won numerous awards, and is an "outside the box" thinker like you - not everything Chad takes a chance on is a grand slam product, but when he has succeeded, his products can be amazing. Most importantly, Chad has a great attitude, a thick skin and has developed a maturity and knowledge that has enabled him to garner solid growth in this marketplace. Also, he's a very nice guy (like most sauce makers in this industry) and it would not be a bad idea to take the advice of someone who's been around the block a few times.
Not everyone is going to fall in love with your sauce. If you have enough people (outside of your circle of family and friends) who praise your product and purchase it on a regular basis, then more power to ya! Don't let Chuck E. Cheese customers like me who pretend to be food writers get in your way.;-)
2012-09-11 14:06:06
Doing recipes and such, I don't run high profile bits on yahoo and MSN, but I still have a following and try to produce quality articles with insight.
That being said, try a little harder dude. I seen you pushing the additives on your twitter account, as if we don't have enough already, and if I can get better feedback from real customers why bother with you at all?
2012-09-11 14:37:49
Oh, and if you don't want people putting your sauce on pizza (which MANY "average joe" chileheads do!), then how about saying what the sauce is good for on the label if your sauce is so specialized! Like Chad said, if it's for something specific instead of pizza or Hamburger Helper (which Scott never said he tried it on), market it as such! You have much to learn yet...
Lastly, just based on your ridiculous attitude and ego, I won't bother to look into trying out your Johnny5 sauce. Just go away. There are dozens of worthier hot sauce manufacurers that I'd rather spend my hard-earned dollar on than Mr. Central Florida Food Snob.
2012-09-11 14:57:12
Sorry for sticking up for my hard work. It takes money to make these things happen, and when a critic with nothing vested can't take criticism, then where are we?
I just want a review that reflects some sort of effort from the reviewer. Once again I apologize for bothering you all.
2012-09-11 15:09:55
I'm not sure what makes it gourmet but maybe you should be telling people to only use it on kobe beef, foie gras or bluefin tuna instead, you know, instead of greasy junk food like most other hot sauces are for.
Also, your website looks like a 10 years myspace page from the 90's, gourmet indeed.
2012-09-11 20:10:02
But that said, if you don't say what it's for on the bottle, how would someone know what to use it with? I happen to know that I would not try this on say rice, or probably pizza first, based on the ingredients.
And also remember, not everybody likes everything. Based on your ingredients, this sauce was an ambitious project, as you were not playing it safe and using tried and tested ingredients. Sometimes these things are a hit with everyone; sometimes they aren't for everyone, and sometimes they might end up being downright nasty.
Maybe if you don't like bad reviews, you should try to make a better sauce?
In short, if you want a better review, you can always try making a better hot sauce.
That's the thing about reviews -- if you don't get it right the first time, you can always try tweaking the product to fix the problems with it.
2012-09-12 01:41:47
No, I wouldn't use this on a regular basis for quick meals. But, I think this sauce has certain applications that it excels at. Unfortunately, I don't think Scott executed them. I wouldn't use Race City Sauce Work's "Zen" on pizza or dip cheese sticks in a fruity sauce like JungleRain's "Inquisition".
I don't agree with the review that Scott has given this sauce. But, at the same time, I don't feel you(Chris Tice) need to defend your sauce in such a negative way. Not everyone is going to love every sauce that is put out there even if it is used properly.
I do agree with Chris. But, I don't agree with the way he is trying to get his point across.
Btw, Chris, I will be ordering some more in the near future. I thought this was an excellent sauce on grilled meats such as wings and it complimented Caribbean-style cuisine very well.
2012-09-12 19:28:07
I agree with the label stating what it goes with for the average man, but when I request a review from a seasoned food critic and I have to tell them what it works with, I get a little upset. I am looking for ideas to update my labels because I haven't tried Johny 5 on everything, and even I get tired of eating my sauce every friggin' meal.
So once again, sorry for that Scott, Ryan and everyone else I offended.
Except Ady, you're just a douche.
2012-09-12 20:22:56
2012-09-14 09:42:45
2012-09-17 23:31:34
2012-09-20 19:05:46
I would have thought that a saucemaker would be more interested in hearing what others think of their sauce than in defending their narrow vision of their product.
If your sauce is intended for a specific cuisine then say so.
You say "so reviewers are expected to pair a hot sauce to its pallet. i.e. white wine with fish. Tabasco with pizza."
That may be the way you see things but not everyone will feel the same. Perhaps the flavors weren't distinct enough to indicate what they "obviously" should be used with.
Many people buy sauces before even considering what they are going to put it on. I know I rarely go looking far a specific sauce for chicken, and another for beef. I'll buy a sauce that looks interesting and then figure out how I'll use it later.
Try to keep a more open mind and listen to what the reviewers have to say. It may not always be pleasant but it IS one potential buyer's opinion.
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