Redneck Lipstick Hot & Spicy Barbecue Sauce
Background
By day Bobby Wagner is a sales manager, but his true love lays within barbecue, with his appreciation for smoked meats and grilling being passed down by his father. In 2008 Bobby decided to turn his passion into a business by creating a barbecue company called Fatboy Happy. While his start-up found some success, a naming conflict required a change to the current brand of Redneck Lipstick. The new name rang more true to both Bobby and customers and he continued to grow his business that's based out of North Little Rock, Arkansas. Currently he has two different barbecue sauces, one rub, and some additional merch options available to purchase online and in grocery stores throughout Arkansas, Mississippi. and Tennessee.
Aroma
There's no mistaking this sauce as barbecue with an upfront aroma that's a combo of tomato, smoke, and molasses. While not as strong, there's an apparent sweetness that helps keep those primary players, along with a medium vinegar tang, in check and preventing the sauce from venturing into overly "bold" territory. A deeper whiff first brings a slight mustardy sharpness into focused, followed by a minimal oniony note and a stronger presence of earthy peppers. The peppers don't impart a tingle on the nose, so the main hint of heat from the smell alone is from the fact that sauce definitely has multiple components keeping its sweetness at bay.
Thickness & Texture
This semi-glossy sauce has a dark maroon hue that hides most of the spices except for some small red and black specs that can be seen in bright light. Both the thickness and consistency of this sauce land directly in medium territory, with a smooth texture and syrupy quality that combine to have the sauce falling in a fast and even pour from a spoon. After five or six slower drops release, the pour ceases and a thin layer of sauce is left adhered to the spoon and it's at this point you can really see a plethora of small red, orange, and black spice bits.
Out of the Jar
A tomato with a light sweetness starts the flavor profile, but that simple combo very quickly gains depth from molasses and then contrast by way of vinegar. As the sauce settles on the tongue, it's only a second or two more until a smokiness enters the party along with tastes of garlic, onion, and peppers that provide earthy, fruity, and spicy notes. A savory quality then comes in and lingers for a moment until the peppers and vinegar combine to create a tart and spicy profile. These two traits dominate the aftertaste, but there's residual elements of tomato, molasses, and smoke to keep a well defined barbecue profile going.
Slathered & Cooked
The thin and even layer of sauce that brushed onto the chicken baked down like a champ over indirect heat. When moved over the hot fire, there were sections of quick caramelization while other areas of sauce loss, which had the leg benefiting from one final brushing before consuming. The first couple bites brought with them an increased presences of molasses, which, combined with the smokiness, brought the sauce closer to "bold" territory without totally crossing the line. The tomato also had a strong showing out of the gate, but by the third bite in, the peppers began to the steal the show. The bump up in sugar meant the heat never reached the level tasted out of the jar, but the sauce would surely be considered "spicy" by most everyone's standards.
Put to Use
When most people think of barbecue sauce, the flavor that comes out of the jar with Redneck Lipstick Hot & Spicy is going to fulfill on those norms. With a tomato base that's backed up with molasses, vinegar, and smoke, it tows a familiar line, but does so in a manner that's many, many times better than what you're most likely to pull off a standard grocery store self. This sauce also makes good on its spicy promise with a heat that was strong enough to produce hiccups in me out of the jar, and a good tingle on the lips after being cooked. The sauce performed well, if not the best, on the grill, but that was only a minor qualm as the taste continued to impress in the cooked state. Taking all of this together, I can recommend this sauce in just about any scenario and it will undoubtedly deliver on a crowd pleasing barbecue flavor. The strong presence of peppers means this won't go over as well with those not into spicy, but as long as your down with that, this sauce would be very well suited for things like ribs, brisket, burgers, and wings.
