The hot sauces from MyHotSauces.com were the first products we did a Feature on when we got this blog up & running, so we have a bit of a soft spot for Monty’s products. That being said, when he asked to give his picante sauces a try, it took us all of 1.2 seconds to say “Yes!” Thanks again, Monty!

This is a bit of different sort of cyber-Feature that we’re doing this time around for MyHotSauces.com. Normally, we’d give the “Joe vs. Linda” view on everything we tried. With soooo many picante sauces to try, we enlisted some help. We had a little “picante sauce-tasting party” where we invited some friends over and had them help taste all the different sauces and give their opinions. Check those out below, along with the official HZOB opinions as well.

Awards

Stunning. Positively stunning. Listed below is the grand list of awards that Monty’s picante sauces have won, and the list seems to grow longer by the year.

Monty’s Party Picante – Chipotle
First Place – 10th Annual Fiery Foods Challenge – Salsa: Hot
Third Place – 2005 Fiery Foods Challenge – Chipotle Salsa Category
Third Place – 2006 Scovie Awards – Chipotle Salsa Category

Monty’s Party Picante – Medium Hot
First Place – 2005 Scovie Awards – Hot Salsa Category
Second Place – 2005 NBBQA’s Awards Of Excellence – Salsa Category
Second Place – 2006 Scovie Awards – Hot Salsa Category

Monty’s Party Picante – Black Beans & Corn – Chipotle
First Place – 10th Annual Fiery Foods Challenge – Salsa: Beans
First Place – 10th Annual Fiery Foods Challenge – Salsa: Chipotle
Fifth Place – 2005 NBBQA’s Awards Of Excellence – Salsa Category
First Place – 2006 Scovie Awards – Chipotle Salsa Category

Monty’s Party Picante – Mild
First Place – 10th Annual Fiery Foods Challenge – Salsa: Mild
Fourth Place – 2005 NBBQA’s Awards Of Excellence – Salsa Category

Monty’s Party Picante – Black Beans & Corn – Mild
Third Place – 2005 Scovie Awards – Unique Category

So what’s in all this stuff? An Ingredient List!

Monty’s Party Picante (Black Beans & Corn – Mild): tomatoes, black beans, onions, corn, turbinado sugar, vinegar, jalapenos, garlic, salt & spices

Monty’s Party Picante (Black Beans & Corn Chipotle): tomatoes, black beans, onions, corn, turbinado sugar, vinegar, jalapenos, garlic, chipotle chiles, salt & spices

Monty’s Party Picante (Chipotle): tomato sauce, tomatoes, fresh onions, vinegar, fresh jalapenos, salt, sugar, hickory smoked peppers, garlic & spices

Monty’s Party Picante (Cranberry): tomatoes, cranberries, onions, turbinado sugar, vinegar, jalapenos, salt, spices

Monty’s Party Picante (Medium Hot): tomato sauce, tomatoes, onions, vinegar, jalapenos, salt, sugar, cilantro, garlic & spices

Monty’s Party Picante (Mild): tomato sauce, tomatoes, onions, vinegar, jalapenos, salt, sugar, garlic & spices

Monty’s Party Picante (Roasted Garlic): tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, vinegar, salt, turbinado sugar, roasted garlic, spices

Monty’s Party Picante (XXX HOT): tomato, water, garlic, jalapeno peppers, capsaicin extract, habanero, onions, cilantro, salt & spices

COMBINED REVIEWS

Monty’s Party Picante (Black Beans & Corn – Mild)

HZOB’s take: We didn’t find the sweetness too distracting, and it has a nice tomato-ey blend with little to no heat. A great sauce choice for those with sensitive palates. Not sure what other foods would be a good choice with this one, but it’s versatile enough to eat as a dip or use in recipes.

The crowd’s take: Most found this initially a little bit sweet & smooth. At least one person thought it was “too sweet.” The sweetness made it a little too saccharine for “chip & dip” eating, but the prevailing opinion was that this would be a great way to sweeten up bland foods, even with the presence of corn & beans.

Monty’s Party Picante (Black Beans & Corn Chipotle):

HZOB’s take: We wanted to say it was just a stronger heat version of the Mild variety, but we thought it just tasted a lot better. It still has that hint of sweetness as you taste it, but it has a little bit of cumulative heat which really compliments the mix of flavors quite nicely. Definitely a “chip & dip” fave in this bunch.

The crowd’s take: [This one won't have an opinion from "the crowd." We liked it so much that we polished it off before the party even started. Judging by their reaction to the Mild version of this sauce, we guess they probably would have liked it as well.]

Monty’s Party Picante (Chipotle)

HZOB’s take: GREAT chipotle flavor with gentle licks of heat. One of the better chipotle flavors in this bunch, it’s WONDERFUL with chips and we found ourselves munching on this one quite a bit. Surprisingly good as a condiment with hamburgers, it also worked as a jazzy mixin’ for your morning egg dishes. Nummy!

The crowd’s take: A hit with the crowd as much as with us from the HZOB. Even though it rated as one of the hotter sauces by their palates, the cumulative heat was much to their liking. Moderately chunky, it was rated as one of those sweet-then-hot flavors with a strong, smoky Chipotle taste. As for uses, the universal choice was Mexican/Tex-Mex…whether it be burritos, enchiladas, or fajitas. One person even suggested using it as part of a marinade for chicken breasts. Sounds like a good plan to us!

Monty’s Party Picante (Cranberry)

HZOB’s take: Very, VERY cranberry. Can’t imagine that this would be good with chips for snacking, but this one begs to be used in recipes or poured over food. It’s fairly tart, but has the slightest hint of heat…but that seemed scarcely noticeable amongst the sweetness of the dominating cranberry flavor. Even the consistency makes it ideal for use in cooking.

The crowd’s take: Here’s one where the crowd differed from our taste. Most found this one not overly sweet with just a hint of spicy hotness. One described it a “jelly-like” in consistency. The best suggestion was to use this with turkey rather than the plain ol’ cranberry sludge most normally eat. Thanksgiving for Chileheads, indeed!

Monty’s Party Picante (Medium Hot)

HZOB’s take: The taste of black pepper hits you right away with this sauce and is a nice contrast to the sweetness of the tomatoes and the spice of the peppers. Enchiladas are screaming for this sauce or, quite simply, just your average chip. This will liven the most boring of tastes into a memorable experience.

The crowd’s take: This reigned as fave for the most people in the crowd, and for good reason. Like most of these picante sauces, it starts sweet and has a building heat…which suited the tasting masses quite nicely. Described as “nice and chunky,” “sweet and hot,” and “good hotness level.” It was felt to be perfect with chips, and one person would use it “as their basic salsa in all kinds of stuff.” The only criticism was really that it should be a little thicker, but still a solid effort and a star in this bunch o’ sauces.

Monty’s Party Picante (Mild)

HZOB’s take: We found that although the sweet hits right away, so does the fresh flavor of the tomatoes & peppers. This is another great sauce choice for those who like little to no heat at all. This would be a great topper sauce for omelettes or nachos for a crowd who likes things mild.

The crowd’s take: There was no middle ground with the crowd on this one…either it was panned or raved about. Those who liked it said it was “great, with lots of flavor,” ” sweet, with a mild tomato-ey flavor,” and “a good blend of mild…good for the spice-intolerant.” Those who didn’t like it said it was “like the roasted garlic, but with less flavor,” “too sweet and boring,” and “pretty standard.” This was another sauce destined for accompanying the chip bowl, but one person thought it might be good to enhance an otherwise boring marinara sauce. While it may be mild enough for the meekest of palates, it was felt to be fairly versatile. Moral of the story is that each must be their own judge for this one.

Monty’s Party Picante (Roasted Garlic)

HZOB’s take: We could sense the wafting garlic aroma as soon as we opened the jar. It has an “in-your-face” garlicky taste initially and finishes pretty smooth with no aftertaste that some garlic-heavy sauces have. With just a hint of heat, it has a surprisingly addicting flavor that we kept coming back to during the tasting with the others.

The crowd’s take: One of the hits with the crowd, at least one person indicated this sauce as their fave. Other descriptions were that it was “somewhat buttery-tasting,” “VERY garlicky,” and “sweet.” Suggestions for uses included mixing with steamed veggies, spicing up pasta sauce, or even spread over garlic bread. Most liked the consistency, although there was the tendency to want it a little thicker. Overall, a solid thumbs-up.

Monty’s Party Picante (XXX HOT)

HZOB’s take: The outside of the jar says “Ignorant Hot,” and ignorant we were for taking too big a bite of this…and then suffering for 15 minutes afterwards. Can’t say it tasted all that good, because I think our tastebuds melted off and needed to regenerate. Not for casual eating, but would probably do well to mix with another dish to spice it up a bit.

The crowd’s take: Facts is facts…we can’t disguise the fact that no one who tasted this sauce liked it. The sweat & pain suffered by those who were brave enough to taste it dissuaded the others. Those who did try it said is was “thin” and had a “chemical taste” to it…likely from the capsaicin extract. The one positive was that it was felt that it could be mixed with something else to add heat, but was inedible as it was right out of the jar.

Want to review the picante sauces from MyHotSauces.com for yourself? Go here and leave your own opinion:

www.rateitall.com
www.thehotpepper.com/viewforum.php?f=3

Recipes

Monty has a few delectable ones located on his website and can be found HERE.