I get asked this all the time, by people who have not yet tasted Anejo. There are literally a thousand hot sauces out there, and more coming to market all the time, they say. And, they’re right. I must be crazy to jump into the middle of that crowd. Unless, of course, there really is something about this sauce that makes it stand out and speak for itself—and there is.

Pepper sauces all tend to share a few traits. Just about all of them start with vinegar. They all use chiles, either one particular pepper or a blend. And they all have some salt.

Anejo sauces are no exception to the rules above. Now let’s talk about what Anejo doesn’t have that so many of the others do. There are no emulsifiers. There are no colors added, either natural or artificial. Anejo has no preservatives, no stabilizers, no added sugars or sweeteners of any kind. In fact, there are only four ingredients in each version of our sauce: Chiles, imported vinegar, sea salt, fresh garlic. That’s it.

What makes my sauces so different is the emphasis on balanced flavor—heat and smoke, acidity and minerality—that produces a richness and depth of taste that is much more than the typical “hot sauce”. This layer upon layer of flavor changes on the palate as you enjoy it, beginning as sharp, and mellowing into a smile-inducing, lasting accompaniment to whatever food you’re enjoying it with. I developed the Anejo product line for cooks, to make recipes livelier, sandwiches zingier, breakfasts more eye-opening. If intense, searing heat is all that matters in a pepper sauce, then Anejo fails. My customers have come to expect more in a condiment, bless them. They know that it’s worth the trouble to shake it up before they use it, since there’s nothing unnatural in the bottle. They know that slight variations in color from one batch to another is just another sign that nature dictates how Anejo comes out as much as I do.

I like hand-making each small batch myself, tasting and testing for quality each and every time. I like working with friends and with other chefs to make Anejo what it is, and I like the feedback that my customers offer. And I like that Nashville is the home of this wonderful product, and supports us the way it has.

And most of all, I hope that you, too will like all these things about what may become your favorite accompaniment to all the foods you love.