Memphis Jack's is more than a name. It's an identity tied to a city considered by many to be the BBQ capital of the United States. The restaurant and sauce were born of a Memphis native that relocated to Colorado. In the late 90s, the Denver area wasn't exactly a hot bed for BBQ. As a result, Memphis Jack brought a taste of the South to Rocky Mountain country.

The rich, dark mahogany sauce is packaged in 16 oz. glass bottles. The label is simple and even a little retro. I could easily picture that logo painted on wall of a Memphis BBQ joint. The sauce is fairly thick and pours pretty slowly.

Everything about Memphis Jack's BBQ sauce screams MEMPHIS. It's a tomato (ketchup) based sauce that is loaded with savory ingredients like Worcestershire sauce and cumin. It also has a nice biting tang thanks to apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. These flavors are all pulled together with the requisite amount of sugar. Being a true Memphis sauce, it also finishes with a touch of cayenne heat. The result is a rich, bold sauce that manages to balance a variety of flavors.

Though I'm sure the sauce would go well with just about anything, I felt compelled to pour it over smokey pulled pork. After all, the true measure of any Memphis sauce is how it holds up on a pulled pork sandwich. The result was just as I suspected. The flavors were perfect with the mild, yet smokey pork. Memphis Jack's is a little thicker than what I would normally use on pulled pork, but that's more a matter of preference. I only wish I had whipped up a creamy coleslaw to finish off my sandwiches.

After discovering that Memphis Jack's was very good right out of the bottle, I was anxious to try it as a grilling glaze. I wanted to see how the heat of a charcoal fire would affect the flavor and texture of the sauce. Thanks to a good friend and prominent area pig farmer, my freezer is well stocked with thick cut pork chops. With beautiful spring weather finally upon us, I decided to throw some chops on the charcoal grill and brush them with Memphis Jack's.

Like so many sauces that I've reviewed, heat only made it better. As is often the case, the sweetness was enhanced while the spice and tang were mellowed. The sauce also thinned out a bit under the intense heat of the charcoal fire. The sweet, sticky sauce proved to be an excellent grilling glaze and a fine compliment to multiple cuts of pork. After polishing off the last pork chop, I examined the bottle of Memphis Jack's. I'm hoping that I've got just enough remaining in the bottle for a rack of ribs next weekend.

Visit http://www.memphisjacks.net/ to learn more about Memphis Jack's or to place your order.