« Defcon Deathmatch Championship 2008 Video – Jungle Jim’s Weekend of Fire | Home | Multi-Review: All Spice Cafe – Garlic Chipotle Sauce »
Multi-Review: Off Road Fire Hot Sauces
By DK | August 13, 2008 |
Ok, by now everyone here knows the story about my other passion, mountain biking. Thanks to the Biggest Loser contest here on TTF I’ve gotten back into the swing of things and have been riding pretty regular. Taste The Fear’s Biggest Loser contest has been my only tie to that other passion, until now. Enter Off Road Fire.
Off Road Fire is a hot sauce manufactured by a mountain biker. When I found this sauce I knew right away that not only did I want to try it, but I also wanted to review it. So what we have here is something a little different. I have enlisted a couple of local mountain bikers to help out with the review.
I would like to welcome Donald and Phillip to the TTF review team. I have known Donald for a few years and haven’t known him to be a chilehead, but I’ve always valued and trusted his opinion of topics of common interest. Phillip I recently met while searching for reviewers for this sauce. He’s an avid local mountain biker as well as a lover of hot and spicy foods.
I’ll be reviewing the Off Road forest Fire pepper sauce. Phillip and Donald will be reviewing the Off Road Fire camp Fire pepper sauce. Ok, that’s the setup, now lets get to the reviews.
Off Road forest Fire Pepper Sauce
Ingredients: Organic Apple Cider & White Vinegar, Cayenne Pepper Mash (aged Cayenne Peppers, Salt), Fresh Red Pepper, Fresh White Onion, Garlic, MORE Habanero Pepper.
DK:
My plan for this review was to meet Phillip at a local trailhead for a mountain bike ride, pass off his bottle to him for his review, and then have lunch at the trailhead and review the sauce there. Well, Phillip sprained his ankle and was unable to ride that day, so I rode alone and reviewed the sauce before meeting up with Phillip.
First impression looking at the bottle is very promising. Nice clean clear graphics on what I would call a “brown bag “ label. The simple layout is very easy to read and really brings across that “outdoors” kinda feel to it. A nice touch is the hole in the heat scale on the flame allowing the color of the sauce to add to the graphics of the label. So far I like what I see. So lets open the bottle and see what this stuff really brings to the table.
My choice(s) of food for this review is a handful of trailside snacks that I usually carry with me on my mountain bike outings. Beef Jerky, Vienna Sausages, Pork Cracklin’s, and more Vienna Sausages. Mmmmm! 
Ok, first things first. Looking through the glass the sauce has a fairly thin consistency to it, but there’s pieces of stuff floating around in there. Actually a nice, thin puree look to it. Very nice looking sauce through the glass.
So what’s it smell like? Well, with the very first ingredient being vinegar, that’s exactly what I expected. Sure enough, when the lid was removed, the first thing to hit the nostrils was the vinegar. But wait, that’s not a bad thing here. There’s also a very noticeable odor of fresh peppers, almost a smokiness to it. I’m not a hater of vinegar based sauces, so I’ll hold my opinion of the vinegar for the tasting.
So I pour the sauce out onto a piece of beef jerky. Well, pour/shake may be mor appropriate here. The bottle uses a restrictor cap. In this case it works quite well. The thinness of the sauce almost requires it. The puree texture of the ingredients inside aren’t large enough to restrict the opening, so it doesn’t clog. As you can see from the pic, the sauce actually sticks to the jerky very well. I really love the look of this sauce. Nice color, very little if any separation, and those tiny little pieces floating around.
Instead of taking a bite of the jerky, I decided to just taste the sauce straight off of it, in essence using the piece of jerky as a spoon. Wow! Yep, there’s vinegar there for sure, and it’s the dominate flavor right off the bat, but it’s not strong at all. It’s a really smooth tartness, not a strong bitter taste like with most vinegars. The combination of the organic apple and white vinegar work really well here and aren’t overwhelming at all. This allows for the taste of the peppers to really shine through. That’s what happens next, a really nice fresh almost smoky pepper flavor is what dominates this sauce. Just a hint of salt, but just barely noticeable.
Then the heat comes on. Yep, there’s habs in there! It’s not an extremely hot heat level, but it’s definitely got a sting to it. A tad above a medium, just getting into the hot zone for my tastes. The rating of “hot” on the label is spot on for this sauce in my opinion.
So, I pour it onto the jerky once again and take a bite. Alone the sauce was really good, but on the jerky it just didn’t trip my trigger. But I’m thinking it may work better if I make jerky with it instead of adding it the results may be better. So on to plan “V”.
“V” as in Vienna Sausages. Those little canned treats that you never want to read the ingredients for. In this case, I opted for the plain vanilla unflavored variety. Just the sausage (or whatever parts they actually are) and the sauce. In this case the sauce works really well. It flavors the food really well and it doesn’t take a lot of it to do it. The vinegar pretty much gets lost here. The peppers really shine through and the heat is on the money. By the time I get through the can I’ve actually got a little sweat going. Or is that left over from the ride? Hmm?
Next up, pork cracklins. I start out by pouring the sauce onto the cracklins, but find that it gets soaked up pretty fast. It takes quite a bit of sauce to really flavor the cracklins. But it’s an awesome combination! The sauce in this case reminds me of a really good buffalo wing sauce. So I dump a generous amount of sauce into the bag and shake it up with the cracklins. Boy oh boy, I’ve found nirvana! LOL!! Wow! the cracklins soak the sauce up and it all becomes a slimy mess. PERFECT! Hehehe!!! I’ve got cracklins slipping out of my hands, sauce smearing across my face when I miss my mouth trying to catch a slipping crackling, and I can’t get enough of ‘em! The bag is empty in a matter of a minute or two and all I have left are ten fingers to lick and a couple more cans of sausages. And can you believe it? Only a little more than a half the bottle remains. By the time I finish off the last two cans of Vienna’s, there’s less than half left over. At this point I can’t wait to try the sauce on some real food.
In closing, I highly recommend this sauce, even if you’re not a lover of vinegar based sauces. It’s got a really smooth fresh flavor to it that’s unlike any other I’ve tasted. In the days since I’ve done the initial review, I’ve have this sauce with several different foods and it’s been awesome with each and every one. My two favorites are pork chops and mixing it with butter to make a wing sauce that’s out of this world. This is a true all-around sauce that packs a lot of flavor with just enough heat to satisfy even a knucklehead heat freak like me. To quote from the label, “Off Road Fire’s got flavor, balance, color, texture …….. Everything a good sauce should have and nothing more.”
Kick ass sauce Dave! 
Happy trails bro!
Off Road camp Fire Pepper Sauce
Ingredients: Organic Apple Cider & White Vinegar, Cayenne Pepper Mash (aged Cayenne Peppers, Salt), Fresh Red Pepper, Fresh White Onion, Garlic, Habanero Pepper.
Phillip:
First off, I am a not a hot sauce aficionado. I like hot sauce, and use it often, but usually of the Texas Pete and Tabasco varieties. So, my palate may not be as refined as some. But, I got a hold of a bottle of Off Road Fire for two reasons. One it was free, and two it had something to do with mountain biking. I like both so I figured I would love to give it a try.
First impressions, very nice packing, very visually appealing, my wife even commented on the bottle. Then a very pleasant and inviting spicy and sweet smell came from the bottle. It made me excited to try, not afraid for my taste buds. I would comment on the color, but honestly I am color blind, my wife has to make sure I match every day!
Then I deiced to try it straight. No cracker, no nothing, just the sauce. It was very nice. The spice level on the bottle was labeled as medium. But, I found it a little mild to what I am used to. Not, in a bad way. The problem with hot sauces in my opinion is that they usually mask whatever you put them on. But, this in no way would do that. The first impression was a real pleasantness. The vinegar was a very faint, but gave it a familiar pleasantness. Being from South Carolina, much of our BBQ is done with a vinegar based BBQ sauce. This reminded me of that and for me I like that. The consistency of the sauce was thick enough to hold on to the food, but not to thick as to jam the jar. This was definitely different from the mass produced sauces which I am used to that provide raw heat with out the subtleties found in Off Road Fire. The hint of garlic was also nice as well.
My assumptions proved right as I ate it on burgers, it held up very well, although I had to use quit a bit on them. It was very nice addition to Gold Fish cheese cracker to kick them up a notch, even my 17 month old son liked them, but my wife did not like the little fellow eating them. I tried it on chicken and found that I needed to use a little more than I hoped to kick up the bird. So, as my bottle was running down, I had thoroughly enjoyed the sauce. It is a sauce that I think almost anyone would enjoy. My wife did not mind it and my little boy loved it. I even found myself while riding thinking about what I could put it on when I got home from my ride. Very glad I got to try the sauce and wish Dave the best and look forward to sampling future offerings as well. Over all, Off Road (Camp) Fire is a wonderful, well balanced, everyday usage sauce that I fully recommend. I would love to try Off Road (Forest) Fire as well.
- Phillip
Phillip’s review can also be seen on his blogspot site Pastor Phillip Howle. Very nice looking site Phillip!
Donald:
Being a complete newb to this world of Hot Sauce reviewing…let me provide a bit of background info. I’m a born and raised Suth-ner, born in Georgia and now living in South Carolina. I’m an avid two-wheel nut…riding both bicycles (on and off-road) and motorcycles year round. I met my friend DK when we were both doing work on some MTB trails. I guess that’s a good enough reason for me to review the Off Road Camp Fire sauce (referenced from here out as ORCFM). I get to try out the Medium variety…leaving the Hotter stuff to the real professionals!
I started by reading the label to get the ingredients. I have to say that I wasn’t excited by the first two…both of which are types of vinegar. I’m NOT a big fan of vinegar in any of it’s various varieties. I’m a mustard based BBQ guy and normally avoid any and all exposure to either the taste or the smell of vinegar. It’s hard to avoid vinegar when it comes to hot sauces but, I do try. Oh well, I’ll over look the stuff for my good bud DK (you OWE me BIG time!).
My first taste was straight up just to get a good handle on both the flavor and the taste. To me, it’s not all about how hot a hot sauce is. I like them hot but, they have to have a good flavor. In the flavor department, I’ll give ORCFM some good marks. The vinegar doesn’t over power the rest of the ingredients…which is what I was afraid would be the case. Oh, the vinegar taste is there alright…just not too much so. It’s actually quite good all by itself or on chips or chicken or in chili or…well, you get the picture. I didn’t get to try it on a steak..YET!
As for heat…it’s about what I would expect from a medium sauce. The blend includes both Cayenne and Habanero peppers and is pretty much spot on for a medium sauce. There’s no grabbing for a glass of water…nor any rumblings in the Bronx…if ya know what I mean. It’s the sort of heat that most of my friends (I’ll exclude DK…for him, the medium is like water!) could take. It’s still a bit hot for those among us who ask for “mild” salsa at the local Mexican joint (yes, there are some people like that!).
On my Bald Head Sweat Scale (1-5 with 5 being sweating all over AND fogging up my glasses) it measures about a 1-1.5. It just got top of my head a bit damp.
I’ll close by saying that the bottle of ORCFM I have will get consumed in pretty short order. Unlike the last bottle of hot sauce DK sent me…Blair’s Mega DEATH…this one is actually edible!
ph: 262.524.8426 / email: info@offroadfire.com
www.offroadfire.com
Related Posts
- Multi-Review: Sugar Fire Dessert Sauce by Torchbearer Sauces
- Multi Review: Crazy Mother Pucker’s Habitual Jalapeno
- Multi-Review: 4 Brothers Hot Pepper Sauce…Smokey Garlic Habanero
- Multi-Review: Kato’s Hemi Hot Sauce
- Multi Review: Condiment Man’s “Mango Fireball”
Topics: General, Hot Product Reviews, Reviews | 29 Comments »
Nice review DK. Welcome Phillip and Donald. Sounds great! Something right up our alley..being the off road campers we are.
Donald I love the bald head sweat scale! Bill uses that a lot in his tastings.
Phillip if it’s a sauce that the family can enjoy then I know I would try it. My 6 year old is some what a chili head..but likes good flavor.
Thanks DK for this one. Gonna have to look it up!
Phillip and Donald, a hearty welcome to TTF. It was a nice read, except for DK’s rednek food choices. I watched the deathmatch. Watched all the disgusting, albeit funny Jackass movies. I even survived watching two asssclowns devour a dessert tray all in one sitting. Yet, I actually had my stomach roll a little at some of those food choices with hot sauces. Not sure what exactly got me, but it did.
Seems like a hot sauce I might like because I like vinegar based hot sauces for the most part.
Welcome aboard Phillip and Donald. Thanks for taking the time to put together these reviews, and looking forward to seeing more of you guys in the future.
Cap’n
“My choice(s) of food for this review is a handful of trailside snacks that I usually carry with me on my mountain bike outings. Beef Jerky, Vienna Sausages, Pork Cracklin’s, and more Vienna Sausages. ”
I try not to eat vienna sausages, however almost everytime that I’m on the go I find myself grabbing a can to get me through. Back when we owned a boat we always had a few cans onboard. They’re actually a tasty snack with hot sauce added. Now the cracklin’s you can keep.
So
is this the sauce you were asking which members were mountain bikers on THP?
Wow, great review. Thank you so much DK, Donald and Phillip! I laughed out loud a couple times – especially the part about the cracklin’s.
I am quite happy you all noticed, and liked, the vinegar(s). I made quite a lot of sample batches trying to get the vinegar in check, but still have it be there, and it was real nice to see it was noticed.
Two things I must point out – the ingredients:
Organic Apple Cider & White Vinegar,
It reads as if the white vin is organic because of the &. The white is not organic, and the label has been changed accordingly to read:
Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Distilled White Vinegar,
The thermometer on the label – on both versions the black bar is now slightly shorter. This to leave room for the hottest of the three: Off Road ^wild Fire. That is still in dev…
Nice review guys! I love those labels! Sounds like a tasty sauce, I might have to get some myself…
As for DK’s choice of “snacks”… Jerky and vienna sausages are a backpacking (and mountain biking) staple! At home, the sausages turn my stomach, but after a long day on the trail they are heaven!
The “cracklins”… I’m with the Cap’n on this one, you can keep ‘em!
Great write up guys. Welcome aboard Phillip & Donald. Are cracklins anything like pork grinds?
All I gotta say for you guys talkin’ ’bout my cracklin’s, you better be glad that I left my thermos of fish eye soup at home.
Dave, thanks for the info on the label changes. I’m really looking forward to trying that Wild Fire version!
Donald and Phillip, thank you guys for helping me out on this one.
Ok, I gotta get to work. L8R G8R’s!
Sickmont, yes it was.
correct me if I am wrock, but cracklins are a harder version of pork rinds. I have great pork rinds, but never had good chewable cracklin.
CLICK HERE
AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A SOUTHERNER? WTF?
Cracklin’s are pork rinds, but with the crisy outer skin attached.
Very nice general.
Leroy liked the part about the dog fight. It got him all excited. 
He’s from FL, that’s not a southerner. Calling him a southerner would be like calling you ( a southerner )a redneck. Differnt thangs all to gether.
I’m a poser southerner…I never dated a family member.
And if anyone asks, I’m pleadin’ the 5th.
:angel:
Nice post on the HSB
Your such a
I’m sending you some chapstick with your Banned on the HSB bottle you ordered. 
HA HA HA HA HA-Nice one. Hey WTF are you doing over there anyway?? Someone lift the ban on you?
:freblane: 
Ohhhhhhhh I can see everything and even post they just won’t release them from moderation.
Maybe you should show Bill how that works over at HWL.
You folks are “cracklin” me up!
I must be a “poser southerner” too! I’ve never dated a family memebr, either…not that any of the wemens in my family are date-able!
Hey Donald! Welcome to TTF! Thanks again for the review!
And tell Paula “thanks” for the stomping she put on me (us?) when we went riding. It’s paying off. I’ve been killing it the last few days at Long Cane trails up here. I just got back from riding tonight actually. You guys need to come up soon. I’ll leave the hot sauce at home this time, I promise!
nice reviews, im just now getting to read them because my internet time has been restricted, but better late than never.
How’s Lefty doing?
He’s a little low.
“I would comment on the color, but honestly I am color blind, my wife has to make sure I match every day!”
I feel yer pain Phillip. Almost everything I wear is tan, black, red, or grey. It’s a fool proof method for me of getting dressed without having to ask my wife if the colors work.
Don’t feel too bad…I’m NOT color blind but, I only buy black dress socks for work. I got tired of sitting down at my desk…looking down…seeing a blue/black or a blue/brown or brown/black or a…oh…what ever combo I could manage to put on!
