Scott's Best Products of 2011

Scott Roberts December 31, 2011 at 11:00 am food video firecast Digg this Article

The following are items and companies I've chosen as featuring the best that have been released or that I've encountered for the first time during the 2011 calendar year. To qualify, this product either had to be released after January 1, 2011 or I would have tasted it for the very first time in the past year. Believe me, there were dozens of worthy sauces, seasonings and food enhancers I would have loved to include and so many product manufacturers that deserved a mention. But I had to narrow it down to the creme de la creme and give the "Scottvies" (with apologies to Dave DeWitt) to my top choices in each category.

Please bear with me as I speak with an upper respiratory infection. I hope my scratchy voice isn't too annoying to listen to, especially as it gets later into the video.

I've deviated slightly from the past (but not too much) from the tops in these categories:

• Hot Sauce
• Wing Sauce
• Salsa
• BBQ Sauce
• Condiment
• Seasoning/Rub
• Spicy Snack
• Sweet N' Spicy Product

Like last year, I announce who I think is:

• New Manufacturer of the Year
• Product of Year

And new to this year, I'll tell you who I thought was:

• Overall Manufacturer of the Year

I've also introduced my first award for Outstanding Contributions to the Fiery Foods Industry. As I mention in the video, this award may be named in honor of someone in the future.

The websites mentioned in the video can be found here:

Heartbreaking Dawns
http://www.heartbreakingdawns.com

Bonfatto's Wing Sauce & Marinade
http://www.feeltheflavors.com

Gringo Valley Original 10 Pepper Sauce
http://www.gringovalley.com

Rooftop BBQ Sauce
http://rooftopbarbeque.wordpress.com

Drapers BBQ
http://www.drapersbbq.com

Heatseekers Chilli
http://www.http://www.heatseekerschilli.com.au

Fat Kid Sauces
http://www.fatkidsauces.com

Oak Ridge BBQ
http://www.www.oakridgebbq.com

B More Nutz Nutterz
http://www.bmorenutz.com

Sogrates BBQ Baconstein Bacon Jerky
http://www.sograte.com

Texas Pepper Jelly
http://www.texaspepperjelly.com

Race City Sauce Works
http://www.racecitysauceworks.com

I Love It Spicy!
http://www.iloveitpsicy.com

Comments

Darrell
2011-12-31 15:31:28

Great job Scott! You are correct on the Trinidad. Our D.N.R. sauce has a mixture of 7 peppers including the Trinidad but it is not solely a Trinidad Scorpion Hot Sauce. And the Big Dawg Crew agrees with you on "Buddah" being selected...just a class act and he has done an awesome job promoting the industry. Stay safe everyone and have an awesome 2012.

huvason
2011-12-31 16:28:33

thanks for the great review Scott. Working on a new site, and will have a special for your bog followers

Candy Fitch
2011-12-31 17:01:25

Our D.N.R. won 3rd place in the Pepper category at the Austin Hot sauce Festival in 2009... a mix of 7 peppers we purchase from Arizona Jack :)
7 Pot
Naga Morich
Bhut Jolokia
Trinidad Scorpion
Fatali
Habanero
Jalapeno

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Market/HotSauce?Year=2009

Buddah
2011-12-31 18:37:44

Scott, I am both extremely honored and touched by your award. I never feel deserving for such things, always feeling that there is others that are way more worthy of it than me. I was told by a good friend to accept gifts and praise when it comes and not second guess it. So with all the humility that I can muster thank you so much for your tribute and praise. It means a lot, especially coming from one of my peers that I respect so much. Meeting so many great people like yourself in this chile community has been a true blessing for me as well. Thank you too Big Dawg for Candy and your friendship.

Congrats to all the winners, and to Scott for recognizing their fine efforts. These awards like my own are to not just to recognize great products, but also telll the uninformed who do not know about them. Supporting these products and their makers gives them a better survival rate in this tough marketplace. So if something has caught your eye, spend the money and keep the good will going. These companies deserve to continue to tantalize our taste buds for years to come.

Happy New Year and may it be filled with success to all, including me, I do want to make some money Scott. lol Happy tidings one and all!!!

Heatseekers Chilli
2011-12-31 19:56:18

Wow thanks Scott, I feel so proud that I (an Aussie) made it to your list! Thanks for recognising my sauce and I'm glad you enjoyed it so much.
What a great way to start the new year. Congratulations to everyone and Happy New Year.

Brian Meagher
2012-01-01 00:26:35

I'm with you on so many of your choices. Great wrap-up of many good sauces and products. May 2012 be even bigger and better for Chileheads everwhere!

Andy
2012-01-01 02:46:45

Wow. We are so honored to be mentioned among all these great products. Best of luck to everyone in 2012.

Johnny
2012-01-01 10:36:12

Congratulations to everyone in this years listing. And Thank you Scott! We've been so blessed with our journey in this industry. Such kind words regarding our products is something Nicole and I are both truly grateful for!
Thank You and here's to the start of another awesome year!

Jim Duffy
2012-01-01 11:45:29

Great job Scott! Going to have to try some of these new products. Agree with you that 1498 is one of my faves for 2011 and Chad Lowcock has a great line too. Perfect that you gave Buddah the recognition he deserves. I have been trying to get an order done on Fat Kids sauces site for two months. Not good to have a great Rub but no way to order it. But the good thing is I tried other rubs instead and fell in Love with "Memphis Belle" from Heartbreaking Dawns.

sauce goddess
2012-01-01 14:05:07

Great job Scott! I'm excited to check out some of these products! Congrats to all the award winners!!!

FIREHEAD THOMAS
2012-01-01 23:43:14

Great to see the Firecast back!!
Yep, I had Bonfatto's Fire in The Hole as my favorite wing sauce for 2010...if you haven't tried that one, it's very addcitive! Glad to see Buddah recognized for all of his hard work....congrats to everyone!

NIck
2012-01-02 18:53:54

How could you leave out CaJohn's Trinidad Scorpion!!

Scott Roberts
2012-01-02 22:05:18

Thanks everybody for the kind words.

Nick, CaJohn knows that I love his stuff. The problem is that SOOOOO many great sauces are released every year that deserve a mention, but only one can get the top spot (in this case, there was a tie for hot sauce category). CaJohn's products are consistently in the top 5 or 10 every year, and so many of his products are in my top 30 or 40 sauces of all time.

Craig Sharry
2012-01-03 15:22:27

Thank you for choosing one of our products as a winner.

It was a true pleasure to have you select our Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly as your Sweet N' Spicy Winner.

Jenny
2012-01-03 22:51:27

I had a hand in making a Trinidad Scorpion sauce with Torchbearers Sauces this year....whoooooweeeee. It took me a few months to actually try it but I am glad I finally did! Was a pretty great sauce! I'll have to try HeartBreakingDawns.

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