I have been tasting it now that it is thickening up pretty good, and I give it two thumbs up!:thumb::thumb:
I need to say however, keep in mind this is a SALT-FREE sauce. This makes it quite different from other BBQ Sauces, much in the way a salt-free rub tastes quite different than one with salt. Seeing as how Derek's intent was to make a sauces with no salt, then this is in my opinion a success. I have not had many (if any) salt free BBQ sauces before however to compare it against however.
Now, because it is salt-free, it is hard to judge on the balance of the 5 tastes, because there is no salty to interact the other flavors. Also, since there is no salt, the flavor is more muted than it would be with salt, but this stuff has a lot of concentrated flavor in there from the ingredients, it is not watered down at all.
It is a thick dark sauce that is Sweet and Spicy for sure, with some Bitter notes coming from the liberal use of peppers. Personally, I think it could use a bit more Sour flavor, but that is just my personal preference (I like vinegar flavor to make it's presence known in my sauces) and there are many popular brands of thick BBQ sauce that do not have a distinct vinegary or sour taste to them.
That leaves only Salty and Umami totally out of the taste department in this sauce. Based on the sodium restrictions this is probably unavoidable. It's a good sauce though (I did say that, right?) but be prepared for this lack of salty/umami flavor.
About the heat level, I am a bit of a chile head, and this has some noticeable warmth. I do not find it uncomfortable, just rather warm. I think the average person would find it rather hot, so if you do not like it spicy, make alternate arrangements on the peppers.
I took some of it into a bowl and experimented with adding some salt, rubs, etc, to get the other flavors I mentioned were lacking. I was honestly happiest with the result of adding apple cider vinegar, my own rub, and some dulse flakes in there, which contains flavors I mentioned were missing, and the rest simply pairs up with flavors already in the sauce for the most part. I have no measurements to share, I was just sprinkling and tasting until it was right.
I am letting the sauce thicken up even more, so i have not taken any finished pictures yet. I wanted to share my thoughts on the taste though.
