05 Jul Disaster Bay Chillies: Red Mutt Hot Sauce
Review by Greg Wagenmakers
Product:
Location of Manufacture: Eden, NSW
Ingredients: 100% cross breed, fermented and aged chillies, apple cider vinegar, salt, vegetable gum, gluten free.
Review: A sauce that comes from Disaster Bay Chillies, for me, comes with rather high expectations. They haven’t produced anything that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy and this bottle of ‘Red Mutt’ confirms that sentiment. This sauce is essentially an improved Tabasco, heat-wise and flavour-wise. Red Mutt has a bit of a punch that can linger, depending on how much is added. There isn’t enough heat to take one’s breath away, invoke silly breathing patterns and produce involuntary hiccups, but it does produce a decent glow on the tongue.
I have added Red Mutt to steak, chips, lamb chops, sausages, pasta and chicken and for me it worked with all of them. This is the second or third sauce that I have had that contained apple cider vinegar and I must admit that I am a huge fan of its addition to chilli sauces. It delivers the tang of vinegar and without sounding like a pompous arse, the cider gives the sauce a bit of depth. I am unsure of the flavour difference between fresh chillies and fermented and aged chillies; perhaps they are adding to the sauce’s ‘depth’.
Like all sauces that are reviewed by the Mr Chilli family, they need to be promoted and made available to the broader population. Red Mutt needs to be in everyone’s pantry to replace the standard additive to guacamole. It tastes better, is warmer and comes in a bigger bottle; those criteria alone should persuade anyone to make the switch. But if more persuasion is necessary, Red Mutt achieved 1st place at the 2017 Mr Chilli awards, taking out the tabasco category.
For heat, I give this sauce a 5, which is where I like it. If you add too much, it can be diluted so you won’t ruin a meal. For flavour I give this sauce an 8. I really enjoyed it and consequently, the bottle is now empty.
