JL Roberson's World Famous Slather Sauce
Background
The Savannah Sauce Company is helmed by Michael Roberson, whose brand started after purchasing a distributorship for a Caribbean sauce that he found a liking for while visiting Jekyll Island, Georgia. He helped that brand get on shelves in Whole Foods, but after some quality decline, it got pulled. Out of a job and in some desperate circumstances, he begged his buyer to allow him a couple weeks to develop his own sauces, which was the birth of the Savannah Sauce Company. Michael's cooking chops were passed down by his grandmother Henrietta Smith, and this particular sauce is named for his late father, JL Roberson. Currently the Savannah Sauce Company has seven unique barbecue sauces along with many other types of sauces, jams, jellies, etc. Part of the profits from the company are donated to a program called Tiny Homes for Big Heroes, which provides housing for homeless veterans.
Aroma
A hallmark barbecue aroma greets you at first whiff with an ubiquitous mixture of sweet tomato, molasses, and tangy vinegar. A deeper noseful adds nuances to that with touches of honey and a slight mustard sharpness. Garlic has a decent showing as well, while pepper is in the mix, but pretty subdued by the mainly sweet profile.
Thickness & Texture
This glossy maroon sauce has a very smooth texture with a thick and syrupy consistency. You can see some large specs of white and black spices, while any smaller pieces are likely masked by the dark and opaque hue. From a suspended spoon, the sauce falls first in one large drip followed by only one or two smaller, slow ones before stopping and leaving a thick layer of sauce left clinging to the silverware.
Out of the Jar
A honey sweetness starts the flavor profile which gains depth by tomato first, creating a ketchup-like taste. Molasses enters next and begins to define the sauce as barbecue, and that label is then solidified as complexity builds with garlicky and oniony notes. The tartness holds off longer than the average, but it joins the party next along with the bite of mustard whose light spiciness is intensified by a black pepper kick right as the sauce begins to make its exit. All the flavors that came before are still present, creating a full bodied barbecue aftertaste.
Slathered & Cooked
This sauce brushed onto the chicken in a medium, even layer that set in a slightly uneven fashion. This led to some sauce loss when the leg was transferred to direct heat, while the sauce that stayed put caramelized quickly and blackened in spots, mainly where the leg touched the grates. The first bite brought along a clean and straightforward barbecue taste. The sweet tomato and molasses was upfront, while tang and pepper was tasted about halfway through eating the chicken. By the time the leg was done, there were whispers of garlic and onion, while the sweetness veered more into honey territory.
Put to Use
The Savannah Sauce Company has some really interesting sounding barbecue sauce flavors, and I was having trouble deciding which one I wanted to start with, and I think decision fatigue led to just going with what sounded like the backbone of their lineup instead of something more unique. I felt like my decision was a bit of a mixed bag because this sauce undoubtedly let me know that Michael Roberson knows what he's doing when crafting a sauce, but also rested on such a standard barbecue footing that I felt like it's probably not the standout in all the offerings. The barbecue flavor it delivered was well crafted, layered, and had a quality feel to it. It did lean into the sweet side of things, but there was enough tangy and sharp contrast too that it never felt overboard with the sugar. My only real qualm was the very fast blackening on the grill, which is common for a sauce with honey in it, but those dark spots never tasted burnt at all. Mostly this sauce left me with a strong desire to see how some of the other sauces taste since I have a hunch that some of the others might really make heads turn.
