I know there may have been fancier, more eclectic sauces at the Weekend of Fire show, but I ordered pizza last night and merely wanted a nice, simple and good tasting hot sauce to complement my dinner. I looked around, opened a few, and found Jerome’s to be the best fit.

The bottle touts the phrase, “The Finest Caribbean Hot Sauce.” Sometimes this indicates that there are several Caribbean flavors. What I mean by this is that you will taste a lot of allspice, cinnamon, coriander, or ginger, making it a clearly Caribbean sauce. This sauce is not like that. It comes from the Caribbean, but it is not limited in its use. It does use Thyme, which is classically Caribbean, but the flavors that jump out from the very beginning are garlic and vinegar. While that does not sound ultimately appealing as a description, it works beautifully with pizza. I did not order jalapenos on the pizza as I normally do, so I was looking for that depth of flavor with a sauce. I definitely got it. I also got a nice little lip burn going. The habanero jumps out and is tasty, but not overbearing with regard to pepper specificity or heat. Seriously, folks, your lips should burn after eating pizza and something like Jerome’s with habaneros should fit that criteria.

In short, this is a very good all-purpose sauce that lends itself to the flavor of the food you are eating. Thus, you will tend to use it often. You do have to remember that it has a strong vinegar base. If you like that or are looking for that, though, the additional flavor is very good.

They appear to use quality ingredients and keep it simple. I like this. Here is the official list: Peppers, vinegar, onions, garlic, thyme, salt, brown sugar, and xanthan gum.

You can read more about the company and other available sauces by visiting their website at Jerome’s Hot Sauce – Your Headquarters for Hot Sauce.