Sucklebuster's Inc. was officially born in 2006, but it's origins date back much further. Dan Arnold (owner and operator) started blending spices at a young age. As a young adult, he cooked for friends and family and even began catering events. As Dan progressed in the world of food and BBQ, he began noticing a need for quality, healthy products. In response to all the MSG and hydrogenated oil stuffed products filling the market, Dan launched Sucklebusters.

The Sucklebusters' line currently features 3 different spice rubs and 4 varieties of BBQ sauce. Each is used by competition teams and home cooks all over the country. Sucklebusters' products have received numerous awards from the top contests in the country. In fact, their original BBQ sauce recently won 1st prize at the prestigious American Royale competition.

The first Sucklebusters' product that I sampled was their Competition BBQ Rub. I used the rub on a couple racks of spare ribs from Tender Grass Farm. Sucklebusters' Competition BBQ Rub is a mild, versatile rub that works great for most types of BBQ. Sucklebusters' recommends customizing their rub with your own creative touches, but I wanted to get a sense of the product "as is." I seasoned the ribs heavily with the rub about 30 minutes before they hit the smoker. Normally, I rub down ribs the night before, but I'm always cautious about using a new rub for the first time if it contains salt. High salt rubs should not be applied until just before smoking the meat. Otherwise, you'll end up with ribs that taste something like cured ham.

It turns out that Sucklebusters' Competition BBQ Rub had just the right amount of salt. The flavors were relatively mild, but they accented the pork very well. Each ingredient in the Competition BBQ Rub worked in balance with one another. This balance is the key to any good rub. The sugars from the rub caramelized nicely giving the ribs turning the ribs a gorgeous deep red color.

This rub was really versatile. It had enough flavor to be used as the lone seasoning element on smoked meat, but also allowed for customization. By design, the flavors also paired well with the Sucklebusters' Chipotle BBQ sauce that I glazed some of the ribs with.

Sucklebusters' Competition BBQ Rub is an excellent option for pork or chicken. I'm not sure the flavors would hold up on beef, but it's definitely a product that I will continue to experiment with. To learn more about Sucklebusters' products, click the title of this review. See how their Competition BBQ Rub compares with other spice blends on the "Product Reviews" page.