Right off the bat, Quarantine Project’s Picky Ricky gets a 10/10 for badass branding. I’m not exactly sure what the animal on the logo is, but I’m going with a Godzilla-like thing.
Now, when any product, not just a hotsauce, goes dramatic with the packaging, it really needs to be able to back it up. Imagine buying a Flying Dog Raging Bitch Belgian Ale and it tastes like… Coors Light. When you put Godzilla on the label, it needs to taste… as dramatic as Godzilla?
You know what I’m trying to say.
Luckily, Picky Ricky does not disappoint. A sauce that boasts a very traditional ingredient list manages to deliver an incredibly complex flavor profile. The main quartet here is roasted jalapenos, toasted onion, roasted garlic, and white vinegar. The roasting of the ingredients works wonders- the final product deliverers a perfect dance between the smokey base, and the heat provided by the roasted jalapenos. Jalapenos can sometimes bring a one-dimensional flavor to the table. Picky Ricky works around this by adding flavor from Guajillo and New Mexico Chiles, albeit via powdered ones. Despite this, there is still the slightest tinge of bitterness left on the tongue. Could a little more Guajillo in the sauce fix this? Who knows.
Somewhere in the mix exists a subtle sweetness. The label claims 0 sugars, so I think that this could possibly be coming from the toasted onion? Between the smokey heat, the vinegar, and whatever kind of sweetness that is, Picky Ricky is a sauce that I want in my fridge. During writing of this post, I think I’ve gone back to sample 8 or 9 times; not on a sandwich or egg, just eaten via a spoon.
The label claims that Picky Ricky is exceptionally good on cheesy or creamy foods, such as mac n cheese or quesadillas. I’m convinced, and will certainly be trying it out on my next quesadilla.
Overall, Picky Ricky doesn’t do anything crazy. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel in terms of ingredients, and I’m sure you could find other sauces that taste similar. However, Picky Ricky knows it’s lane, and kicks ass at what it’s meant to do.
Overall: 78