I don’t think I’ve had quite a wallop of pure flavor such as this in a long, long time; perhaps not since I reviewed Jake’s Mesa Breeze Basil Lime Marinade have I encountered a sauce that possessed bold, amazing taste notes and also was balanced and delicious. The sauce I’m talking about is the wonderful chile verde, garlic & ginger-based Uncle Brutha’s ALLSAUCE No 9, one of two condiments (the other sauce being a multiple chile pepper-dominated red sauce) devised by successful music industry sound technician-turned hot sauce maker Brennan Proctor.
Ingredients:
Serrano Chiles, Garlic, Vinegar, Vegetable Broth (Carrot, Onion, Celery), Soy Protein, Kosher Salt, Ginger, Cilantro, Green Onion, Natural Flavors, Spices.
Aroma:
4 out of 5. Strong garlic, cilantro, onions, vinegars dance and interplay with the chile peppers. Powerful, but definitely not off-putting.
Texture and Appearance:
No. 9 has a medium consistency with a chunky quality. It’s a dark olive green sauce and is a nice looking chile verde liquid.
Taste Straight Up:
4.5 out of 5. Not very noticeable in the aroma, but one small taste reveals a rich vegetable flavor and a touch of lovely sweetness. Shortly after placing some of this on your tongue, I sensed a spice which I can’t put my finger on that made this taste like beef summer sausage. Working this around in my mouth, I detected elements of garlic, onions, celery and cilantro among other ingredients, all very well balanced and employed in just the right amounts. Chile heat and vinegar tang sneaked up after several moments and provided a spicy unique and all-around pleasing experience.
Taste With Food:
I used UncleBrutha’s ALLSPICE No. 9 Chile Verde, Garlic & Ginger on a few different things. First, I wanted to see how it would hold up on a hamburger. It was an interesting eat, with the onion, garlic, and cilantro doing an admirable job flavoring it up while the peppers providing a good kick. Then I places some shakes of sauce on a Santa Fe chicken mix of rice, corn, black beans and red bell peppers. This was fantastic! It easily conquered the task of both complimenting and elevating the pre-existing ingredients.
Suggested Uses:
This ain’t your “slap on your eggs in the morning” kind of sauce (of course, you’re welcome to try that application if you feel so inclined). It’s my opinion that this is intended for more adventurous culinary uses. Try it with cooked or raw veggies. Mix it with seafood and chicken recipes of all walks of life. Put it in gumbo or jambalaya.
Heat:
A solid 2 out of 5 (1 being totally mild and 5 being a nuclear heat). There’s a delayed burn and when it builds it never creeps beyond a chilehead’s medium territory. It may be a tad too hot for those who can’t go past Tabasco, but most fans of spice would be comfortable with Uncle Brutha’s ALLSAUCE No 9.
Label:
Great looking and professional. Looks like a top-flight, gourmet offering without looking too high-falootin’.
Overall:
With lots of daring flavors, this sauce is a beautiful and welcome attack on the taste buds and gets a big thumbs up from me.
You can purchase a 5 ounce bottle of the sauce here for $4.45 plus shipping.