Taste-Test Gourmet BBQ Sauces With A Well-Rounded Variety Pack

BBQ sauces are in a league of their own, with so many varieties that can make it difficult to try them all and find a favorite. But, being the opinionated foodie I am, I took on the delicious task of taste-testing the 14 sauces in Smokehouse by Thoughtfully's Gourmet BBQ Sauce Sampler to see if it's worth it.

Despite a few minor hesitations, this product is a total winner. The variety pack includes 14 adorably packaged bottles, each with a different signature flavor, that's designed to introduce newbies and grill masters alike to a world of flavors. The bottles come in pairs with helpful color-coded labels so you can group your favorites together, and the colors indicate a flavor profile so you can easily identify them; for example, red labels are spicy and blue labels are alcohol-infused options. 

The sauces range from a classic sweet BBQ to those with proper heat, making the variety pack a truly great option for all kinds of BBQ lovers. Plus, they're made from vegan recipes so plant-based eaters can enjoy them, too. While some sauces certainly stood out — for better or for worse — this pack is a well-rounded option that should live in your pantry if you love a good BBQ sauce.

The beauty of this sampler is that there is truly something for everyone. I am quite picky about my BBQ and tend to lean towards a more acidic sauce with a robust flavor, hence why my number-one pick from the batch was the Sweet Garlic. The sweetness wasn't overstated and there was a tangy vinegar base, all brought together with a nice garlicky finish. Other top contenders include the Smoky Bourbon and Sweet Mango and Beer (which didn't actually taste like beer, but that was a plus). Each made their own statement, added to the sampler's value, and put the variety in "variety pack." 

In truth, even the middle ground sauces in the sampler are reliable options for good ol'-fashioned BBQ, and they all still had a subtle twist. This contributes to the other main success of the variety pack, which is its versatility. Not only can you use it for different recipes — whether you're cooking BBQ pork ribs or barbecue brisket with cowboy butter — but all kinds of chefs can find something, too. BBQ newcomers can use the pack to find flavors they enjoy and use them for smaller test batches, while veterans of the pit can use the unique bottles to upgrade their signature combinations. 

Of course no product is ever perfect, and there are a few drawbacks to this set. First of all, some of these sauces weren't quite up to par, particularly those in the red label family like the Spicy Sriracha and Honey Chipotle. The Spicy Sriracha option had no spice at all, which felt misleading and disappointing. Meanwhile, Honey Chipotle certainly kept to its peppery namesake — and trust us, we know everything you need to know about chipotle peppers — but the heat was so overwhelming it didn't leave much in true flavor. Granted, everyone has different tastebuds and you may love these two sauces, so don't discount the entire pack on their behalf.

The main thing I would draw attention to is that, in the end, this variety pack is a bit impractical. After further research, I discovered that Smokehouse by Thoughtfully doesn't make full sizes of any of the sample bottles, and you can't buy any of them individually. This means you'd have to repurchase the whole pack just to get another 1.3-ounce bottle of your favorite sauce. 

While this smaller size is perfect for taste-testing or making a single-serving dish, the variety pack doesn't really lend itself to the grandeur of a big BBQ cookout. To counter this, I would suggest using these bottles as dipping sauces for BBQ wings or other small bites, or as inspiration for your own recipes. Yet, what this variety pack lacks in overall quantity, it certainly makes up for in quality and would be a great addition to any BBQ-loving home.