BBQ SAUCE OF THE WEEK: Bone Suckin' Sauce

Bone Suckin' Sauce. I'll tell you right off the bat that this sauce gets an 'A'. This is one is special. It's one of those sauces that from the first taste is just right on. It's a Western Carolina-style sauce, and based on the last few Western Carolina sauces I've tried, I'm beginning to think that they're onto something over there.

True to form, one is thin - just barely coating a spoon. It's got an unassuming, slightly sweet aroma. The flavor is just a little bit sweeter than you think it will be, for a sauce this thin. But of course there's a lot of vinegar flavor, too. In fact, it's perhaps the most perfect blend of sweet and tangy that I've yet encountered. It's the golden ratio, baby! And there's more great flavors just below the surface - notes of bright citrus, tingly pepper, and mellow onion. Really, the only way it could be better is if it was a little bit spicier. But hey, they make a hot version, so maybe that's the ticket.

Grade: A