Tonguespank Pineapple Mango Moonshine Hot Sauce Review

Tonguespank Pineapple Mango Moonshine

Note: This sauce was provided for purposes of review by Roger Damptz of Burn Your Tongue. Check out BYT on Facebook or, better yet, head on over to his new online outlet where you can shop the widest selection available anywhere, www.burnyourtongue.com.

Note: Support video available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYSn_Cnw0v8

The last Tonguespank sauce I had, the discontinued Scotch Whiskey Trinidad Scorpion (reviewed elsewhere here) was a contender for Sauce Of The Year and I've been lately really primed, ready, and in the mood for a nice fruit-based sweet hot sauce, although I also readily admit that is now shifting somewhat since grill season is right around the corner. Still, I was excited as soon as I stumbled across it on Roger's BYT Facebook feed and as soon as I heard it was released and stocked, a trip to the hallowed shelves could not be far behind.

With anticipation that high, I admittedly got nervous that it would not live up to expectations, which, I admit, were lofty. Not merely content to have a Pineapple-Habanero or a Mango-Habanero, here they had both, combined in one sauce, which would be a best of both worlds situation, but, as easily, be a worst of both worlds. Their choice of liquor, in keeping with the company's theme, was a smart one, as moonshine tends not to impart a lot of actual flavor to things. My expectations were along the lines of most fruit-based sauces, somewhat thick and a bit chunky, with lots of fruit bits and an overall sweet flavor. 

I must say that in most of the respects of the prior sentence, this sauce did not quite resemble those thoughts. The flavor was a bit mango-forward, but rather subtle overall, and runny, closer to a fruit juice than the usual sweet-hot consistency I was expecting. This particular part makes using it a bit of a chore, as it likes to run off various foods and pool under it. The flavor is also subtle enough that it is hard to get it to a level enough to interact with any of the stronger-flavored foods. I found myself repeatedly wishing it was less runny. 

Heat here is very moderate, with no trace of a raw alcohol flavor nor that really of either vinegar or Habanero. Despite pineapple being the first ingredient in the name, it is not quite as present in the flavor profile as is the mango. Having typed all that out, though, I will say this sauce is absolutely delicious, with a simply stellar flavor, even if it perhaps makes a better beverage addition than what we might think of as a regular hot sauce. 

Bottom line: Very, very fruit-forward sauce with more emphasis on the mango, but a spectacular flavor, with a slight heat finish. I find it a bit too watery to use in a lot of applications, but YMMV.

Breakdown:

            Heat level: 1
            Flavor: 10
            Flexibility: 4
            Enjoyment to dollar factor: 10

Overall: 6