Hank's Heat Hot Sauce
This may be coincidence, but these guys came onto my radar at around the same time as Gindo's (and Hoff's, reviews forthcoming there) and like Gindo's, there seems to be a preference for the larger square bottles. The two companies also have a Honey Habanero sauce in the lineup (review for Hank's forthcoming, Gindo's reviewed elsewhere on this blog), but after that, the similarities seem to end. Hank's evidently has a base (a Louisiana-style sauce) that they use as a platform for all of their sauces (and use pretty much exclusively the large square bottles), where Gindo's is much more boutique (most of their sauces are Limited Editions, in the regular 5 oz. round bottles), a difference in aesthetic that extends all the way to the labeling. Indeed, the labeling of Hank's is pretty plain and somewhat difficult to read, given the use of a brown base, which does not lend itself well to contrast.
The focus here seems to be more on the sauce, though, with them here taking the concept of a more or less basic Cajun sauce and turning it on its head. We have the additions of wine, Habanero, and basil to round out the usual addition of garlic. Here, the garlic is fresh and the quality reads through immediately. In terms of Cajun style sauces, this is one of the better ones and somewhat gives my usual preference for Lousiana-style sauces a run for the money. Here, the garlic is not flattening the other flavors, but rather complimenting them, to an overall absolutely delicious result. The Habanero appears to be there mostly for heat, the presence of the wine is indistinct, other than in slight grace notes, and the basil, aside from getting pieces of it, mostly lost, but as a composite, the effect is extremely well done.
Heat-wise, even with the addition of Habanero, there is precious little of it, but that's typical of both Louisiana-style and the off-shoot of Cajun style. Those sauces are more meant to restore balance and cut through the richness of various dishes a bit moreso than as heat delivery vehicles. Habanero is a good heat building pepper, though, and consumption of enough of this will give a nice heat roundness to the mouth, which is a gorgeous way to finish.
Bottom line: Very strong offering for my first sauce from this company and quite impressive. If you prefer Cajun style to Louisiana-style or like a good dose of quality garlic, this is an absolute must...and first contender for SOTY 2022
Breakdown:
Heat level: 1
Flavor: 10
Flexibility: 9
Enjoyment to dollar factor: 10
Overall: 8
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