Top Chef by Heatonist – Herbs Hot Sauce
Bitter: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Salty: ⭐⭐✰✰
Sour/Tangy: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Sweet: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Umami: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Heat: ⭐✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰
Quick Flavor Notes: Rosemary, earthy, green, herbal
Recommended: Yes
Texture: Very thick and rustic without chunks
Ingredients: Jalapeno Pepper, Garlic, Distilled White Vinegar, Water, Olive Oil, Cilantro, Lime Juice, Parsley, Onion, Marjoram, Rosemary, Lemon Pepper (salt, lemon, pepper, spices), Chives, Sea Salt
Created in conjunction with Top Chef to celebrate their 20th season Heatonist designed three hot sauce based on popular ingredients used by chefs. I’ve previously reviewed their Top Chef Garlic Hot Sauce and enjoyed it so I was excited to see what they could do with their Herb focused sauce.
With green jalapenos as the pepper base Herbs Hot Sauce contains an entire garden’s worth of herbs. With cilantro, parsley, marjoram, rosemary, and chives there’s a ton of flavor packed into the bottle. Olive oil is used to carry the fat soluble herb flavors and to add some richness to the sauce. In addition to herbs onions, garlic, and lime juice are used as is dried lemon pepper spice. Much like the Top Chef Garlic Hot Sauce, Herbs Hot Sauce is extremely thick. It doesn’t pour so much as it comes out in plops of sauce. While the texture isn’t chunky there are still some herb bits inside of the sauce. The aroma is very herbal with some hints of pepper and vinegar.
The strong herbal flavors of Top Chef by Heatonist Herbs Hot Sauce mean that the jalapenos mostly get overshadowed in flavor. There’s some of the vegetal green jalapeno flavor and a tiny bit of heat but the majority of the flavor profile here is coming from the herbs. The rosemary and marjoram in particular seem to be dominant giving this sauce a fresh and piney flavor combined with the woodsy and the citrusy earthy flavor of the marjoram. I don’t get a strong cilantro or chive flavor but there is a general sense of green freshness, though not quite as fresh tasting as other green sauces I’ve tried. The chives and the onions do give a general sense of allium depth and the garlic is prominent though not so much as the Top Chef Garlic Hot Sauce. Though this sauce has both white vinegar and lime juice it’s not particularly tangy or acidic. With the olive oil it is a bit creamy and has a richness. Overall it’s more of a slightly spicy herb paste than a traditional hot sauce.
The thickness of this sauce limits some uses. For example on a slice of pizza it doesn’t spread out, just lays in clumps unless you spread it by finger or knife. It does taste very nice on pizza however. I liked this the most mixed into pasta. A few dollops in a bowl of chicken alfredo added brightness and depth without the vinegary tang that other hot sauces sometimes provide. It’s also quite nice spread inside the bread on sandwiches.
While it’s currently not available on Heatonist I would recommend this if they restock. It’s not a traditional hot sauce, but if you like herbal flavors, thick textures, and low acidity it’s well worth checking out. This sauce is also all natural with no artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, or thickeners.
