Review - Volcanic Peppers Lava Spicy BBQ Sauce and Lava Hot Scorpion BBQ Sauce
Digg
Share
I don't envy hot sauce makers. Now that every guy and his dog have entered the spicy foods arena with their own product, I imagine that it would get tougher and tougher to come up with a unique and memorable name for your food enhancer. If you've been following this business for more than a couple of years, I'm sure you've heard of the Lava lineup from Texas-based Brian Moon's non-defunct Loco Luna company. Or perhaps Taco Bell's Lava Sauce.
Here are another pair of products using the "Lava" moniker. I like the usage here, because for one, it may be the first time it's ever been applied to a BBQ sauce. Second, these are the brainchildren of Tim Bader of Volcanic Peppers, and fits in with the whole volcano theme.
Nebraska-based Tim has grown and dried various chile peppers for a while now, and approximately one year ago I reviewed his Volcano Dust 2 pepper powder over at the I Love It Spicy site. Within the past year, Tim, just like many other up-and-coming product makers, have ventured out into brewing up other products. I probably should not give out too much information, but I was able to sample one of his prototypes for a barbecue elixir. To be completely honest, I was able to pick out several flavor styles, but how they coalesced was messy and random at best. At this year's ZestFest, I was able to meet Tim and taste the final formula for his spicy BBQ sauce. Thank the Maker, he was able to harmonize the ingredients in a positive way. I will now describe in detail the two separate versions: Volcanic Peppers Lava Spicy BBQ Sauce and Volcanic Peppers Lava Hot Scorpion BBQ Sauce, the later of which uses the heat and flavor of Trinidad Scorpions.
Volcanic Peppers Lava Spicy BBQ Sauce
Ingredients: Ketchup (Tomato Concentrate, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Distilled Vinegar, Corn Syrup, Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Natural Flavors), Molasses, Brown Sugar, Apple Cider Vinegar, Mustard (Distilled Vinegar, Water, No. 1 Grade Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric, Paprika, Spice, Natural Flavors and Garlic Powder), Water, Honey, Smoked Habanero, Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Cumin, Black Pepper
Volcanic Peppers Lava Hot Scorpion BBQ Sauce
Ingredients: Ketchup (Tomato Concentrate, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Distilled Vinegar, Corn Syrup, Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Natural Flavors), Molasses, Brown Sugar, Apple Cider Vinegar, Mustard (Distilled Vinegar, Water, No. 1 Grade Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric, Paprika, Spice, Natural Flavors and Garlic Powder), Water, Honey, Smoked Habanero, Trinidad Scorpion, Bhut Jolokia, Moruga Scorpion, Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper, Cumin
Aroma:
Lava Spicy BBQ Sauce: 3.5 out of 5. Richly sweet with some light vinegar-originating twang. No real chile smell.
Lava Hot Scorpion BBQ Sauce: 3.5 out of 5. Almost identical to the Spicy BBQ Sauce, but there is the faintest presence of chile peppers. Of course, unlike some pungent-smelling hot sauces, the aroma can be deceiving as to the heat present inside the sauce.
Appearance and Texture:
4.5 out of 5. Each one is reddish-brown, and boasts a thick consistency that I love. It's nearly perfect in this regard. The act of pouring out these is smooth, and they get nice n' sticky when exposed to some high heat on the grill. Lovely!
Taste Straight Up:
Lava Spicy BBQ Sauce: 3 out of 5. The first notes that hit be are the deep, almost "artificial" sweetness from the high fructose corn syrup, brown sugar and the molasses. Wow! If you don't like sweet BBQ sauce, then this product is NOT for you! I do happen to enjoy a good deal of sweetness in my barbecue, so this did not offend. I would have preferred a bit more sharpness and tanginess on the initial lick on the tongue. A few seconds into the taste, the fire from the habaneros flared up, letting me know that this was a sauce for those who like things on the spicy end of the spectrum. A tiny bit of smokey tones faded out as the taste of the sauce went away, but the big stars of the show with this one are sweetness and spice.
Lava Hot Scorpion BBQ Sauce: 3 out of 5. For a split second, I thought Hot Scorpion would merely be a spicier doppelganger of the Spicy BBQ, and then...whammo! The all-guns-a-blazin' blast from the chile peppers not only kicked down the door, but they obliterated the entire house! Several seconds in, it was difficult to pick out the nuances of the sauce other than the scorpions, habs, bhuts and morugas. If you like a devilishly-smoldering meat coater and are usually disappointed with the burn, this product will be your remedy!
Taste On Food:
Lava Spicy BBQ Sauce: 4 out of 5. Perhaps helped along by a pre-seasoned salty and savory rub, both pork steaks and spare ribs did very well with the lesser-heat Spicy BBQ version. It was this added factor that made Volcanic Peppers Lava Spicy BBQ Sauce a true, full-bodied BBQ sauce with a heavy sweet slant. I loved it!
Lava Hot Scorpion BBQ Sauce: 3.5 out of 5. Like the regular Spicy BBQ Sauce, the additional elements provided by the rub made this Hot Scorpion BBQ Sauce sing. The flavor was right-on, but I did have to knock off a half of a point because of the intense heat. While I dig my hot sauce blistering hot, I prefer that my barbecue sauce be a bit milder, so that the heat marries well with the smokey or grilled taste of the meat and the salty, savory and umami aspects of the rub or seasoning. This sauce was still great, and I can tolerate this severe heat every now and then.
Heat:
Lava Spicy BBQ Sauce: 2.5 out of 5. A fine, all-purpose, everyday heat for chileheads. For the general populace, it may be a bit too spicy.
Lava Hot Scorpion BBQ Sauce: 4.5 out of 5. BLAZING hot, and the onslaught of the habs, bhuts, morugas and trinidads make this a fire-fest for hardcore chileheads.
Labels:
2.5 out of 5. There are functional, but really don't stand out to me. I like the basic ideas, yet it seems closer to what should be on a hot sauce label, not a BBQ sauce. That might have been Tim Bader's aim; so if it is, more power to him. I would make the words "Lava Spicy BBQ Sauce" and "Lava Hot Scorpion BBQ Sauce" stand out a little more - perhaps a higher-contrast font and font color would would better?
Overall:
A terrific offering from Volcanic Peppers. In summary, you love searing heat and loads of sweet, this may be your go-to sauce.
Both are available from the Volcanic Peppers website for $8.99 each for a 12 oz. bottle.
Related Articles:
Spicy Food Reviews - Hot Sauce Reviews, Hot Snacks, Hot Wings, Seasonings, BBQ Sauces, Condiments, and More
Comments
2012-06-07 15:53:32
2012-06-07 22:18:31
2012-06-09 11:44:25
Add Your Comment: