The next time that you’re hanging out around the Dollar General Store, check out their “house brand”, Clover Valley Original BBQ Sauce. They have a Honey version that I haven’t tried.
If you don’t particularly like sweeter BBQ sauces, you might not like this one. If you are a fan of a strong hit of vinegar, it won’t be up your alley.
I’m an ole Memphis boy and I find the blend of spices very compatible with what I’m familiar with. I find that it has just the right amount of vinegar balanced with a nice sweetness. It’s not a real hot and chili-spiced sauce, but that’s easily taken care of by some user-adulteration. To me, it’s got the “right” flavor profile, although it could be a little “hotter”. I’ve tasted a lot of BBQ sauces and this comes as close as any that I’ve tried. I’ve also added some of my “secret rub sauce” to it to great effect. With all of the hot sauces and chili extracts out there, you can beef this one up as much or as little as you like.
I even let the chef at my restaurant taste is and about a month later, I found a bottle of it in dry storage. At the time, I asked him what he thought and he said that he liked it. I guess the later discovery showed that he wasn’t just humoring me.
No, it didn’t paint the Sistine Chapel. No, Carolina BBQ fans probably won’t like it. No, it’s not the Holy Grail. But I think that tomato-based BBQ sauce fans will find it pretty damned good.
For $1.15 for a 20 oz. bottle, it’s worth you taking a chance to see if you find it as good as I do. I found one thread online where it was bashed, so you take your chances.
But if you like it, feel free to validate by commenting on it. Hell, if you don’t like it, feel free to comment as well. That’s only fair, right?
GIF courtesy of http://leonponcede.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html and www.tovx.com
