Company - Four King Hot Sauce Co.
Web Four King Hot Sauce
Online Order - No
Ingredients -
Apple Cider Vinegar, Chipotle Pepper, China Red Pepper, Water, Reshampatti Chile, balsamic vinegar, Pineapple, Onion, Nectarine, Apple, Tomato Paste, Paprika, Cumin Seed, Garlic, Brown Sugar, Lime Juice, Honey, Bhut Jolokia Pepper, Tamarind, Sea Salt, Black Pepper.
Packaging / Labeling
The label is really bright and bold and just a little 'risque' in its graphic depiction of a King sitting on his throne (toilet). The colors are retail friendly and the design is well laid out. The product is named "Mumbassa" and is labeled as containing the Chipotle Pepper. An amusing anecdote is printed on the side panel along with a heat index showing half way between medium and hot.
Aroma -
This hot sauce has an incredible nose. It's clearly fairly low in vinegar content as the vinegar is one of the last things to hit the nose. The chipotle aroma is bold and fruity and there's an underlying hint of aroma from the tamarind. The heat content is not revealed too much by the nose, but there's a pleasant hint of the acidity coming from the heat of the pepper.
Consistency -
The sauce is thick and fruity with plenty of pulp and seed. The solid matter stays well in suspension and looks very appealing on the inside of the bottle. This sauce needs a gentle shake to get it to leave the bottle but it's very controllable, unlike some of the other more viscous sauces. I would say this is almost the perfect consistency for any hot sauce worth its salt.
Color -
The color and aesthetics of this hot sauce are quite delightful. The color is a darker brown and just simply screams 'Chipotle'. The flecks of seed offer a little contrasting color and it all just looks so toothsome!
Taste and Heat
Wow. This is a very flavorful hot sauce. I'm not generally a lover of chipotle sauces but the Mumbassa hot sauce absolutely nails it. There's a rich tangy and fruitiness which combats the force of the chipotle, creating a wonderfully balanced flavor profile. The balance of sweet and sour is perfect, the sweetness comes from the brown sugar, nectarine, pineapple and honey, and the slight sour comes from the lime juice, balsamic, apple cider vinegar and tamarind. It's a perfect balancing act and it sets the stage very well for the slow build up of heat on the tongue.
The heat is pretty well gauged per the scale on the product label, it's not a hot, hot heat but it does have a nice build and envelops the tongue and lips without getting too irritating in the throat. The flavor profile is a perfect fit for steak, chicken, BBQ and pretty much any meats. It may also work nicely on pizza, though the thicker consistency may make it a little difficult to pour evenly on a Za.
Conclusion -
I can't think of a much better tasting sauce that's come across my table in recent times. This is a deliciously rich and fruity sauce with the smokiness of the chipotle in sensible and balanced measure.
Highly recommended.
Ratings -
Packaging 4.5 from 5
Aroma 5 from 5
Consistency 4 from 5
Color 4.5 from 5
Taste 4.5 from 5
Heat Balance 4 from 5*
[Heat Intensity Scale 2.5 from 5*]
Overall score - 26.5 from 30
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