Born To Hula is one of the companies I've been really interested in trying for a while (I keep a list - truly), due, again, in no small part to Scott's comments on their fine wares. This one is one that struck me as sort of interesting at first, but given that Ancho peppers are used fairly frequently in a variety of items, once I tried it, the glamour wore off pretty quickly.I can sum this sauce up fairly quickly and easily by saying that it is more or less like the liquid from a really good bowl of chili, distilled down with a touch of vinegar and hint of lime, down into a hot sauce. I don't mean they actually did that, but with the Anchos and the cumin making their presence very heavily known, it is most reminiscent of that. Habanero is the fourth ingredient here and in no way dominates the taste, so probably the order of peppers in the sauce's name is backward, but there is enough heat to give it a small bite and a good little punch, but not really enough that I would consider it especially hot. The label calls it "MEDIUM" heat, but I think they're being fairly generous in that level description.
It is, however, a fantastic-tasting sauce (in fact, it is one of those rare sauces that is frequently better alone than with something) that is overall pretty flexible. I've been able to use this with success on taco salads and casseroles and a few other items, though, of course, the more oriented to either chili or Mexican food (not counting Taco Bell and that assorted ilk, which barely qualifies as food) you get, the better it works. It's a sauce that I'm enjoying and having a lot of fun with but not one I consider especially necessary.
Bottom line: Good craftsmanship in the creation of the sauce, good flavor, pretty decent flexibility and an ok amount of heat. I don't mind supporting the company at all because they're unquestionably one of the "good guys" out there, but it's hard for me to see a place for this in my line-up.
Breakdown:
Heat level: 4
Flavor: 8
Flexibility: 7
Enjoyment to dollar factor: 5
Overall: 6
