So...Texas Pete, long a bastion of the Louisiana-style sauces and Chick-Fil-A restaurant chain, has finally decided to follow Tabasco into deviation and release some alternate-theme flavored sauces. While I find their Louisiana-style Original sauce to be a good standby, I personally think companies that do this often undertake such variation to somewhat limited results.I don't hate this, but it's not too far off from saying "wow, you added Ancho (and possibly Arbol) chili powder to the Original sauce". Heavy vinegar sauces rarely work well in a Mexican sauce setting and here, again, while it works somewhat better than many I've had, it also falls pretty far short of being actually good. Heat is very minor and the taste is somewhat mild, so you can use a lot of it, which makes it nice not to have to waste a sauce, but what flavor is there tends to conflict a lot with the actual dishes. This is a sauce that would probably be enjoyable with some Cup O' Noodles or something until you got something better.
Trying to flavor and spike in a different style an already popular sauce in the original style is a tough gig and I really wish sauce makers would quit trying to do it. I understand there is big money involved and using the same base is a lot more efficient and cost-effective, but therein lies the difference between churning out product and a good-tasting sauce, commerce vs. art, if you will forgive me the conceit. This is clearly not art.
Bottom line: Not the worst entry into a different category by a major sauce company but not a very compelling one, either. Yet another unnecessary item competing for shelf space in the hot sauce aisle at your local grocer's, but not completely offensive and better than nothing.
Breakdown:
Heat level: 2
Flavor: 5
Flexibility: 6
Enjoyment to dollar factor: 5
Overall: 4
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