Cripple Creek's Original Barbeque Sauce
Out of Colorado comes Cripple Creek Barbeque, a small family operated producer of barbecue sauces and meat rubs. They are firm in their convictions to produce products that are free of artificial flavors, chemical additives and excess sugars. Using all natural ingredients, they believe they have created the perfect balance of flavor and organic wholesomeness.
With such flavors as Roasted Garlic, Chipotle, and Caramelized Onion, they just may be onto something. I decided to stick to the basics and evaluate their original sauce.
Initial Impressions
The 12 fl. oz. glass bottle is simplistic in nature with a paper label that conveys an old-fashioned, home made appeal.
The listed ingredients are: Tomato Sauce, Salt, Onions, Garlic, Spices, Brown Sugar, Unsulphured Molasses, and Balsamic Vinegar.
The sauce is reddish-brown in color similar to what you might see in a dark barbecue sauce. It is definitely a thick sauce. As a matter of fact, I had to wrestle with it a bit to coax it out of the bottle, which is fine with me. I prefer a thicker style sauce since it clings better to the meat.
The aroma was primarily that of tomato with just a hint of garlic. Although I expected more from the Balsamic vinegar, there was only a slight presence of it.
Out of the Bottle Taste Test
It is a rich sauce with a mellow tomato taste that I believe was toned down by the vinegar and molasses. You do get a hint of the garlic and onion if you're looking for it. Other than that, I have to say that no one flavor really jumps out at you which indicates to me that the ingredients are in perfect balance. The salt is minimal and there is no spicy heat.
Apply the Meat Taste Test
Being a robust sauce with a flavor more suited as a steak sauce, I personally believe Cripple Creek's Original sauce would perform best on beef. I decided to test it on a grilled flank steak using just a mild amount of mesquite smoke.
My assumptions were brilliant, if I do say so myself. The flavors of the meat and smoke were greatly enhanced by the sauce, yet the sauce didn't hide the flavor of the meat and actually toned down the smoke flavor, while the mesquite mellowed the sauce. The flavors seemed to be in perfect harmony.
The Final Verdict
Review the ingredients and one would not assume this sauce to be so complex, yet it packs a powerful flavor punch in an almost subliminal way. The genius of this sauce is its ability to enhance yet not overtake the flavor of the meat, and in my case the smoke.
If you're looking for a sweet-style barbecue sauce, Cripple Creek's Original Barbeque Sauce is not the answer. On the other hand, if you're looking for a full-bodied all purpose sauce or a minimally sweetened barbecue sauce, I think you'll be pleased with this sauce. Although I believe this sauce is perfect for beef, I can't wait to give it a try on other types of meat.
To take a look at Cripple Creek's products, you can check them out...Here
Happy Grilling!
