Haico’s Hot Sauce – Hounds of Hell
Haico’s Hot Sauce was founded by the eponymous Haico in Ottawa, Canada. Haico immigrated from the Netherlands to Canada in 2005 and found that he missed the spicy flavors from his Indian and Indonesian family members. Haico’s Hot Sauce grows all of their peppers and as many vegetables as the Canadian climate allows on their own farm in Ottawa.
Hounds of Hell is a collaboration sauce with the local (to them) Stray Dog Brewery and includes their Shaggin’ Wagon IPA in the sauce. Stray Dog describes their Shaggin’ Wagon IPA as being a low-bitterness IPA with flavor notes of pineapple, tangerine, and apricot plus a hazy texture due to oats and wheat in the brewing process. Since Hounds of Hell is a habanero based sauce and there does seem to be an affinity between habaneros and fruits it seems like a great potential pairing.
To add another flavor dimension Hounds of Hell uses smoked habaneros. The smoke is at the forefront of the flavor profile without being overwhelming. The fruity and slightly vegetal flavor of the habanero cuts through the smoke and is supported by onions and garlic to reinforce the savory flavors. The beer taste is also solid with the flavor of the hops and some malt in the sauce, and the addition of lime and orange juice helps both bring out those notes in the beer and in the habaneros. The result is that the sauce as a whole hits with smoke and habanero flavor first followed by a complex interplay of beer, fruit, and alliums in the background. The consistency is medium-thin and the smoke and pepper flavors come through very nicely in the aroma.
The one problem I had with this sauce is that it really needs more salt to bring the flavors out. At 20mg per teaspoon per the nutrition label it’s certainly on the low side, but when looking at the ingredients list I couldn’t figure out where even that salt was coming from as salt wasn’t a listed ingredient. The beer probably has a small amount of sodium in it, but with the amount used in a sauce it likely wouldn’t add up to the listed amount. I found that when mixed with salty food the flavors of Hounds of Hell became much more vivid, but when paired with foods with less seasoning the lack of salt became apparent. It wasn’t difficult to add a few shakes from the salt grinder and then shake up the bottle, which at least in my opinion greatly improved the sauce, just something to keep in mind if you pick up a bottle yourself.
When it comes to food pairings Hounds of Hell is a great friend to subs and cheesesteaks, and the smoke notes worked incredibly well in a bowl of ramen. It’s excellent on meat, both a cheap cut of steak I accidentally overcooked and some leftover turkey, those smoky, fruity, and hoppy notes playing very well in all cases. While I blew through my bottle before I had a chance to make wings with it, I did some bacon-wrapped chicken in it and found that was a harmonious pairing as well.
I always love beer-infused hot sauces so I will heartily recommend Hounds of Hell with the caveat that you may need to add a bit more salt to the bottle to get the best effect. Anyone on a low-sodium diet may appreciate the very low sodium content that it comes with. This sauce is all-natural with no artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, or thickeners.
Ingredients: Smoked Habaneros, Vidalia Onions, Stray Dog Shaggin’ Wagon IPA, Freshy Squeezed Orange and Lime Juice, Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic
Heat Level: 3/10. With habaneros as the fist ingredient there is some heat up front, however it passes quickly without any building burn
