Denzel has been on a long winning streak with us here at the Hot Zone.

He keeps sending us his sauces, and we have been loving each and every one of them. There’s always that bit of trepidation when we try a new one, as we wistfully wonder if we’ll run across that one sauce that we say, “Eh, it’s not all that great.” It’s not that we’re skeptical, but the law of averages catches up with everyone eventually.

Or does it?

The simplicity of this sauce is unreal. Check this out:

Ingredients: vinegar, corn, chipotle, garlic, salt

For all the hot sauce makers who feel the urge to add a huge pile of extra stuff just to make it complex for the sake of being complex, this is a lesson in “less is more.” Denzel’s description of the sauce goes like this:

It’s a roasted corn chipotle hot sauce that goes great with Mexican food. I especially like it on fajitas or burritos. It also is great in soups or just straight up on a steak. It has a real sweetness to it that is contrasted by the heat of the chipotle peppers. Proudly made in small batches in Enderby , BC.

First impression: What initially struck me about this sauce is that it seems very much like a relish than a hot sauce, perhaps due to the amount of roasted corn mixed within. It’s very thick yet pours from the bottle without coming out in aesthetically displeasing globs onto the plate. While the appearance may be mostly corn, the aroma is pure unadulterated chipotle. It’s smoky with an element of sweetness, yet I’m not able to pick up a strong vinegar element despite it being the most prominent ingredient on the label. Some definite kudos for the label graphics as well. Taking the title of the sauce to a literal cartoon level will make you chuckle a tad bit when you gaze at the bottle for the first time.

Taste: With the corn in this sauce, I expected it to be a touch on the sweet side of the spectrum. However, the aroma of the chipotle I mentioned above also really comes through in the flavor as well. The chipotle is the up-front flavor with its earthiness, followed by the chunky sweetness of the corn. It’s a pretty nice balance of flavors, although certainly middle-of-the-road when it comes to heat. No hotter than the average chipotle, I’d give this sauce a 4/10 on the heat scale, with not much accumulation with added consumption.

This sauce has great utility, although I couldn’t decide whether I liked it more poured right over my food or mixed in for flavor. Due to its flavor profile and medium heat, it works great as a condiment for sandwiches and hamburgers. I enjoyed it to give extra flavor to mundane soups & stews, although I didn’t like the sweet effect in my regular cup o’ chili. I didn’t have a chance to try Denzel’s suggestion with Mexican food, but I bet it would be fabulous in that capacity. My only other use for this was with brushed over grilled chicken, and that was a famously good use as well. Smoky-sweet chicken off the grill was a big hit for dinner here, especially with Linda’s ongoing love affair with the chipotle. Thumbs up!

Overall recommendation: Have no fear, Denzel’s winning streak of great hot sauces is more than intact…it’s an ongoing phenomenon. Simple and well-designed, this medium heat hot sauce manages to balance out the best aspects of roasted corn and chipotle into a slightly sweet, earthy sauce that has enough utility to make you happy with it in a wide variety of dishes. Sure, it doesn’t look like your average chipotle sauce…but all the better for you chileheads who are wanting to have something a little different in your hot sauce collection. Keep up the good work, Denzel! This sauce is a winner. Enjoy!

(I encourage you to check out a couple of other reviews on this sauce as well. Check out Ian Chadwick’s mention of it on his website as well as a review on the HSB.)

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