I get samples of new products on a weekly basis. I always make it a point to thoroughly test and review each product myself. However, it's always helpful to get additional input from other people. With that in mind, I set up a blind taste test with four untested samples and six of our close friends.

I chose four sauces from my stash of products that I have yet to review: Charlie's Original Sticky Sauce, Momma G's Original Cooking Sauce, Sa-Mokin Competition BBQ Sauce and Doomer's "Q" Original. I poured each sauce into several two oz. plastic sample containers and numbered them 1 through 4. Each adult, including Katie and myself took sample cups of each sauce to use on grilled chicken, sausage and pulled pork that I had prepared for the occasion.

All eight adults gave each sauce a 1-5 star rating similar to how The "Q" Review rates BBQ sauces. Additionally, everyone was asked to comment on the attributes of each sauce that stuck out to them. It was a fun and interesting way to compare likes and dislikes. What makes a great BBQ sauce is truly a matter of opinion. As I found out yesterday, opinions can vary a great deal.

While the final scores were all very close, Charlie's Original Sticky Sauce (sauce #1) had the highest cumulative score and was the surprise winner. The interesting thing about Charlie's is that it was the only sauce not to receive a single 5 star rating. However, it was easily the most consistently rated sauce. Everybody scored Charlie's at least 3 stars.

Momma G's Original Cooking Sauce (sauce #2) was easily the most polarizing sauce. My guests either loved it or hated it. For some, the Carolina vinegar tang was too much to handle. I found this interesting considering most of the guests were native North Carolinians. The sauce did, however, earn one 5 star rating and a couple 4s.

Sauce #3, Sa-Mokin Competition Recipe, was the sauce that I expected to be the clear winner. It's a traditional, Kansas City style sauce that tends to be a safe bet for most people. While most of the guests scored Sa-Mokin in the 4 star range, two people felt like it was a bit too familiar. One person compared it to a generic store brand sauce.

The final sauce, Doomer's "Q" Original (#4) was easily the most talked about sauce. Doomer's unique flavor had everyone intrigued and guessing at the ingredients. Doomer's "Q" had the second highest cumulative score. Though the scores varied for Doomer's a great deal, it did earn one 5 star rating and generated plenty of discussion.

After we finished eating, I tallied up the scores (results below) and introduced each product to the participants. Everyone was very surprised to learn that the winning sauce, Charlie's Sticky Sauce, was made in Canada. The other topic that everyone wanted to know about was what ingredients were in Doomer's "Q" Original. Ultimately, it was decided that the tamarind and cloves were the spices that nobody could put their finger on.

The taste test was a fun way to spend time with friends and gather input about some new products. The diverse group of sauces allowed for personal preferences to surface and provided some interesting discussion. As the steady incoming stream of samples continues to flow, I foresee more of these events in the future.

Results: 8 adults scored each sauce 1-5. Total possible points = 40.

1. Charlie's Original Sticky Sauce - 26.5
2. Doomer's "Q" Original - 24.5
3. Sa-Mokin - 24.0
    Momma G's - 24.0

Comprehensive reviews for each sauce will be posted later this week.