Old Mule Mustard
Background
Old Mule barbecue sauce got its start when Steve Modlin began to craft his original recipe back in college and it then became a standard gift that him and his wife Cheryl gave out at Christmas in the 1980's. After some nudging from friends and family, the duo brought their sauce to market in the mid-90's under the brand name "Old Mule," which was a nod to the working mules they grew up with on their family farms. The business is run out of their farm north of Columbus in Western North Carolina by themselves along with some of their children. Old Mule currently has seven unique sauces along with two rubs and some merch.
Aroma
A very subdued mustard aroma greets you upon first whiff of this sauce. There is a definite vinegar tang to go along with the mustard pungency, but the smell overall is so understated that it's hard to pinpoint much else. Taking in some deeper nosefuls though did release faint notes of black pepper, Worcestershire, and a molasses sweetness.
Thickness & Texture
While this burnt orange sauce is pretty opaque, the somewhat light hue makes it possible to see some large spice specks that come in black and red. The sauce's thickness sits just a notch north of medium and its consistency is very smooth with a medium syrupiness. The sauce initially releases in a large drop from a suspended spoon, then switches to a lot of smaller fast drips before changing to a few slower, larger ones and ceasing, leaving a medium layer of sauce adhered to the silverware.
Out of the Jar
The first taste is a balance between tomato and mustard with just a touch of sweetness. A fleeting taste of molasses then enters before the mustard pungency and vinegar harshness take over and creates the two primary traits from then on. As the sauce settles on the tongue, complexity grows first with Worcestershire, then an increased heat brought on by multiple peppers and a dial up of the mustard. These are the dominant flavors in the aftertaste but with vinegar and pepper both getting a little boost after the sauce has made its exit from the mouth.
Slathered & Cooked
The sauce brushed onto the chicken in an even, medium layer that set very well over indirect heat. Despite looking solidly ahered, there was some spotty sauce loss when the leg was moved to direct heat, along with some attractive caramelization in spots. The first few bites were a very good balance between mustard and tomato and also sweet and tangy. The increased presence of sweet tomato took the edge off the mustard a bit, but that primary ingredient was still accounted for and gained more presence a few more bites in when the vinegar tang also came into focus. By the time the chicken was done being consumed, a nice mellow heat had built up, but it too was more diminished than out of the jar due to the bump up in the contrasting sugar.
Put to Use
Delving deeper into the Old Mule brand has been something I've wanted to do ever since their Original Half Kick sauce left a good impression on me back in 2017. For some reason though, I've never seen any of their other varieties on store shelves until recently when I found a local shop that carried the entire line. So I picked up a couple more bottles and was glad I did because this mustard recipe made me pretty happy. This sauce doesn't shy away from mustard pungency, but it has enough other barbecue underpinnings that it solidly tastes like a sauce for grilling. Out of the jar I thought the sauce was more successful since I was able to taste the full depth of flavor that included Worcestershire, molasses, and a variety of peppers. After being grilled, the sauce venture more into standard barbecue territory with a sweet tomato profile that still retained its mustardy roots, but lost some of the other layers that drew me in initially. This makes this a solid finishing sauce or condiment in my mind then, waiting to do wonders on a pile of pulled pork, burgers, wings, and the like.
