I discovered Redbeards’ “2x Habanero Hot Sauce” while wandering the Los Angeles Beer Fest this year, and I’m stoked I did. After trying a couple of products at their booth with my fellow chile-loving-New-Mexican-compatriot, we decided this was our favorite and it hasn’t disappointed.
As you can tell by the picture and how much I’ve eaten, I don’t take reviewing products lightly! I am tired of the internet as an echo-chamber of reviews, many of which being fake.
The sauce has a gratifying fragrance, triggering nostalgic southern-style hot sauces. Think Louisiana, think Crystal Hot Sauce, but something more complex: roasted cayenne and tomatoes, garlic, and of course vinegary goodness. The complexity of the sauce masks the habanero at first, but I can tell there’s something hiding behind the cayenne smell.
The flavor is lovely and tangy, the fire-roasted habanero really comes forward. The aged cayenne leaves a subtle and pleasant lingering aftertaste. There is a little sweetness, but it’s nicely balanced with the peppers and overall heat you expect from habanero. Looking at the ingredients on my first go, I’m pretty right on the money. However, I didn’t notice onions so I’d say it’s fairly light and just adds some sweetness. The only thing I didn’t like is the overall acidity level between the salt, vinegar, and tomato. Seems like the pH balance could maybe be tweaked to make it a little less acidic. That being said, this is often a problem with vinegar based sauces, especially with strong oils from habanero or jalapeño.
The heat level is solid, I’ll give it our patented Órale rating (see chart). You could absolutely use it as a sauce or just a rock-solid marinade. I really get the impression this sauce was made for meat, so I at least tried a copious amount on some veggie Italian sausage. It added a nice contrast in flavor: the herbs of the sausage, a touch of sweetness, the aged quality to the peppers together. I really dig this sauce and though the 2x might be too spicy for some to use on a daily basis, you could definitely use it as a rock-solid marinade. Red Beard’s also offers a regular strength for anyone who would find it a little strong.
Recommendations: Surely pork or chicken (or fake meat in my case)! Personally I think this would go great with anything smoked or from the grill. You could marinate too, but personally I think that’s a waste of good sauce and I would recommend using it as a condiment instead. Cheers!
New Mexican Spicy Rating System:
Forged in the fires of Mount Doom (industrial use) 9-10+
Chingón! (like a lot!) 7-8
—> Órale! (feeling it for sure!) 5-6 <—
Un Poquito(a little) 3-4)
Nadaz (none)