The Meatwave

Background

This bottle was sent to me by Rob Larman, the man behind Sonoma's Cochon Volant BBQ—a mobile barbecue business that focuses on slow smoked meats that have been naturally raised and are hormone-free. To compliment these chickens, hogs, and steer, Rob created this Sonoma BBQ Sauce that carryovers the same focus on all natural ingredients to strike a balance between sweet and spicy, with a light smokiness.

Aroma

A sweet chili aroma fills the nose of first whiff. A slight tanginess that's easy on the nose comes out next. Smell a little deeper and there's a spice mixture that has distinct notes of garlic and chipotle, which also brings with it a very light smokiness.

Thickness & Texture

This orange-red sauce weighs in right below the medium line. It has a textured look that isn't chunky, yet not smooth either, reminiscent of a smooth restaurant salsa. A few specks of black pepper and chili seeds can seen, but otherwise there are few visible spices. Drizzled from a suspended spoon, the sauce falls off quickly in chunks with just a thin coating of sauce left clinging to the silverware.

Out of the Jar

Just as with the aroma, the first taste is of sweet chili. This gives way to a mild vinegar tang, which then fades into a pleasing heat that leaves a little kick on the tongue. Beyond the main contenders, Worcestershire and garlic pop out the most, mainly at the same time the vinegar starts to kick in. The sauce has a textured feel on the tongue, with a few little chunky pieces that add just a bit of crunch here and there.

Slathered & Cooked

The medium-thin sauce coated the chicken lightly, but baked in well over indirect heat. There was a little burn off over direct heat, which was fixed by a final brushing of sauce once the chicken was finished cooking. The flavors were all very bright and fresh. A sweet and tangy chili and tomato dominated, while a slight kick at the end left a trace of heat lingering. Overall, this sauce created an exemplary pice of barbecue chicken, hitting the right notes of sweet, spicy, tangy, and smoky.

Put to Use

Standing somewhere between bold and mild, Cochon Volant Sonoma BBQ Sauce is an all around great standard barbecue sauce. It traverses all the flavors you want from a barbecue, and does it with a very fresh feel. These properties held up both on and off the grill, making the sauce perfect for both basting and dipping. It did the chicken great justice, and would easily be a top choice of mine for coating even more birds. A good all-purpose solution, this sauce would pretty much work well anyway you'd want to use barbecue sauce—topped on burgers, slathered over pulled pork, a dip for fried chicken, and so much more.

Giveaway

Meatwavers, give thanks to Rob Larman, who was generous enough to send a second bottle of sauce just for you. A great opportunity to get your hands on this excellent sauce, I'll be giving the second bottle away in a giveaway. To enter the giveaway, comment on this post with how'd you'd use this sauce on or off your grill. Deadline for entries is 11:59pm on Tuesday July 10, 2012. Read the official rules for more details. One entry only per individual. Good luck!

Published on Thu Jul 5, 2012 by Joshua Bousel

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