Phantom Gourmet: Honey Barbecue Taste Test

BOSTON (CBS) -- Phantom recently purchased four bottles of honey barbecue sauce from a local supermarket. The sweet and sticky contenders were KC Masterpiece, Kraft, Newman's Own, and Sweet Baby Ray's. See if you can guess which brand ended up at the Top of the Food Chain.

Kraft Sweet Honey Barbecue Sauce finished in last place. Obviously Phantom is looking for some sweetness in a honey barbecue sauce, but this bottle delivered way too much. This stuff is so sugary, it tasted more like a candy than a condiment. The only other discernible flavor here is vinegar, making Kraft more like sweet and sour sauce than barbecue.

A huge step up from there is KC Masterpiece. This thick and dark kettle-cooked sauce is made with honey and molasses, and Phantom could taste layers of the deeply-developed flavor right away. It's got a smoky aroma and pleasant burst of heat, proving this is one serious sauce. Unfortunately, it's just not all that sweet, which hurts its score in this particular taste test.

The runner-up is Sweet Baby Ray's. This honey barbecue sauce made from a secret family recipe is quite tasty. There's a well-crafted balance of sweet and heat, along with some pleasant fruit notes, and just the right amount of vinegar to round things out. Adding to the appeal, Sweet Baby Ray's squeeze-bottle top provides superior control of the product flow.

At the Top of the Food Chain is Newman's Own. Made with cane sugar, honey, and blackstrap molasses, this sauce is the real deal. It might take a little extra effort to coax this reddish blend from its glass bottle, but your hard work will be rewarded with one superior sauce. With a perfect marriage of sweet and spicy, this stuff will pair well with any meat you want to eat. That's why Newman's Own Honey Barbecue Sauce is at the Top of the Food Chain.

Watch Phantom Gourmet on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on myTV38.