Walkerswood Fire Stick Hot Sauce Review

Walkerswood Fire Stick Pepper Sauce

Of note, this is my 600th overall sauce review.

Walkerswood is a company I’ve seen around for a while. As they are a Jamaican company, a lot of the product line is oriented around jerk products and to what seems a lesser degree, more general Jamaican/Caribbean-themed sauces. I wasn’t aware they had actual hot sauces until just recently when, once again, I was poking around Amazon to find something to tag on for free shipping. I should have looked more closely, as for an extra $2, one can get a bottle double the size I got. If you decide to get this, do not make the same mistake I did.

If you’re a fan of Lousiana-style sauces or Cajun or Caribbean generally, you do probably want to decide to get this. The vinegar here is far less subtle than the hammer that is most sauces, tempered as it is by the sugar, but this is also a wonderfully flavorful sauce. I can’t be sure what peppers are in here, as it is not delineated and I didn’t bother to ask the company directly, but unless I miss my guess we probably have some Cayenne, some Scotch Bonnet or Habanero, mainly for the heat, and possibly some red Jalapeno as well. The heat, it should be noted, despite the “warnings” dotting the label copy, is quite low.

The flavor is very pepper forward and the seasonings behind it are used well. It harkens to mind certain pepper sauces I’ve had that manage a depth of flavor that reminds me a bit of a tomato-based sauce and I find this is one of the more accessible sauces I’ve come across. This naturally extends the flexibility as well, though I think the best uses are where one would use those other styles I mentioned before, but unlike those other sauces, this is one I can and happily did use on pizza. As with a lot of other sauces that I’m always happy when I come across one, I found myself both using this a lot and wanting to use it more. Part of this is because I only got a 100ml bottle, but part is because I’m also having a lot of fun playing with it. Both preceding sentences are also hallmarks of Sauce Of The Year candidates, of which this is my second for this year.

Bottom line: If you want a sauce with a less harsh vinegar hit, but still retaining some of the flavor characteristics of a Louisiana-style, Cajun, or Caribbean style sauce, that also delivers a bit more heat than those normally might, this is an absolutely delicious must.

Breakdown:

            Heat level: 1
            Flavor: 10
            Flexibility: 10
            Enjoyment to dollar factor: 10

Overall: 8