Spicefreak

So you may have noticed that I recently got my hands on something rather unique, from Hop’t. A dark and herbal, stout-inspired sauce which was actually part of a three pack.

So expect to see a little more of their range, in the coming weeks but, for now, I’d like to feature an old favourite that their hop-forward flavour reminded me of: Ginger Beard’s Preserves.

In the past, I thoroughly enjoyed a few of their products but it was their use of Electric Bear Brewing Co.’s pale ale, with its yuzu-like tropical fruit and citra-hop flavour, inparticular, that really won me over. It simply made the most amazing piccalilli.

So, today, I’d like to take a look at another of their beer-based collaborations and see if it holds up just as well. Specifically, this Chipotle Ketchup, infused with The Moor Beer Co.’s Porter:

We see the Moor Beer Co.’s logo right there on the label, beneath Ginger Beard’s own. Their white name surrounded by an ornate, greyscale rendition of the hop plant, then set aflame by the anthropomorphic chilli that represents this sauce.

A generic red chilli, sadly, rather than the smoke-shrivelled chipotle which actually goes into it. But at least the image of a sweaty, fire-walking pepper is a fun one. And we can, at least, get a good idea of the contents from the text.

But let’s see what they’re really like, shall we?

On my spoon, the sauce appears thick and pulpy, with a fine grain and the occasional small seed. It piles high above the lip and will clearly stick well to all kinds of food, including the usual meat, egg and chips. However, that isn’t all I notice.

There’s also a strong aroma to this one. Rich and full of tomato, like you’d expect, yet also dark and slightly volatile, from the chilli and alcohol.

It’s surprisingly similar to wiltshire chilli farm’s 🔥extract sauces🔥, to the point where it reminds me and my family of that same chemical heat. But it doesn’t taste artificial in the slightest.

It tastes like rich, slow cooked tomatoes. Sweet and slightly tangy, yet not nearly as much of either as most mass-market brands.

It carries a strong undercurrent of smoke, from the chipotle, and a subtler one of its adobo spices – Replacing the usual nutmeg and allspice. The alcohol, itself – Moor Beer Co.’s Porter – is even subtler still and will likely go unnoticed, yet its extra touch of darkness helps to bridge the gap between the tomato and the chilli. Making for a smooth transition from the savoury fruit to a smoky, low

fire.

A pleasant, long-lingering tingle in the back of my throat.

Really, though, it’s that simple, well-executed blend of rich and smoky flavours that I love about this one. The taste which will go over pretty much anything that you’d normally put ketchup on but, as its makers say, is going to be at its best over eggs, meats and fry-ups. I’ve already thrown half a bottle over my burgers and I’m only going to keep on doing so.

It’s going to disappear fast because it’s delicious and highly usable. It contains:

chopped tomatoes (citric acid), beer (water, malted barley, wheat, hops, yeast), tomato concentrate, white wine vinegar (sulphur dioxide), chipotle chillies in adobo sauce (tomato paste, spices, vinegar, garlic, water) (sulphur dioxide) (8%), sugar, onion, mustard, garlic, unrefined cane sugar

I’d strongly recommend giving this one a try. And, if you enjoy the chipotle that it uses, you can always find more of it on my encyclopedia page.