The Rambler

For many years I have been on a quest to find sardines in mustard to match the ones that Underwood once made (Wikipedia article). I have tried many different brands and flavors, sometimes more than once, and decided that I would do a more formal review of my findings for all flavors, not just mustard. I will capture my findings here, and update whenever I try something new.

Item	Purchased	Frank's Shop-Rite Grass Lake, MI	Appearance	looks a bit slimy and gross, sauce is thin and runny, can is not packed full
Bulldog Sardines in Mustard Sauce Product of Thailand	Date	Aug 1, 2024	Size	large
	Price	$2.50	Quantity	3
	Test Date	Aug 7, 2024	Smell	mild mustardy scent, light vinegar
	Score	4	Flavor	good flavor, slight vinegar, mild mustard
	Buy Again?	yes	Mouth Feel	fish is firm, generally pleasant texture, slight mealiness in one piece
Comments	could have stronger mustard flavor, a firmer sauce, more tightly packed can; overall appearance could be better

Item	Purchased	Global Mart Coralville, MI	Appearance
Sultan Sardines in Tomato Suace and Hot Peppers Product of Morocco	Date	Jun 13, 2024	Size
	Price	$1.75	Quantity
	Test Date		Smell
	Score		Flavor
	Buy Again?	yes	Mouth Feel
Comments	Pretty good. Need to try again and give them a proper review.

Item	Purchased	Global Mart Coralville, MI	Appearance
Sultan Sardines in Olive Oil with Chili Peppers Product of Morocco	Date	Jun 13, 2024	Size
	Price	$2.25	Quantity
	Test Date		Smell
	Score		Flavor
	Buy Again?	yes	Mouth Feel
Comments	Pretty good. Need to try again and give them a proper review.

Item	Purchased	Marquette Food Coop Marquette, MI	Appearance	looks good, can is packed full
Fishwife Sardines with Hot Pepper Product of Spain	Date	Aug 26, 2024	Size	large
	Price	$9.99	Quantity	5
	Test Date	Aug 28, 2024	Smell	light fishy
	Score	5	Flavor	excellent flavor
	Buy Again?	yes	Mouth Feel	fish is firm with a pleasant texture, no mealiness
Comments	This is a very good product

Item	Purchased	Woodman's LaCrosse, WI	Appearance	good color, sauce is wet and runny, fish is a bit loosely packed
Crown Prince Brisling Sardines In Mustard Product of Scotland	Date	Sep 4, 2024	Size	medium
	Price	$2.49	Quantity	about 10
	Test Date	Sep 11, 2024	Smell	mustard, fishy, very light vinegar
	Score	4	Flavor	strong but pleasant vinegar, salty but not too much, mild mustard flavor
	Buy Again?	no	Mouth Feel	a bit cardboardy, overcooked
Comments	It's not a bad fish, but as a mustard based product, I'm giving it a "no" rating for buy again, because I know that there are others that are better.

Item	Purchased	Aldi Ottawa, IL	Appearance	Nice yellow color, pretty well packed, sauce is a bit gooey, fish are falling apart a bit
Northern Catch Sardines In Mustard Sauce Product of Poland	Date	Sep 19, 2024	Size	medium
	Price	$0.99	Quantity	about 10
	Test Date	Sep 25, 2024	Smell	Light mustard, stronger fishy smell
	Score	4	Flavor	Good mustard and fish flavor, not vinegary
	Buy Again?	yes	Mouth Feel	Good - well-cooked, not mealy, and the sauce is smooth and not gooey feeling
Comments	This is a pretty good product, with good flavor and appearance. The fish tend to fall apart when you stab them with a fork, and seem a bit overcooked.

Item	Purchased	Woodman's LaCrosse, WI	Appearance	Very attractive. Fish are neatly packed in an alternating pattern, in two layers.
Brunswick Gourmet Sardines in Olive Oil Product of Latvia	Date	Sep 4, 2024	Size	small
	Price	$2.79	Quantity	19 fish, 11 on top layer
	Test Date	October 4, 2024	Smell	Pleasant fishy, smoky smell
	Score	5	Flavor	Very good. Very lightly salted, smokiness comes through. Yummy!
	Buy Again?	yes	Mouth Feel	Very good. Excellent texture, not overcooked. Few bones.
Comments	Definitely a treat! Highly recommended.

Item	Purchased	Woodman's LaCrosse, WI	Appearance	Very attractive. Packed vertically in 9.52oz jar. Fish are neatly packed, about the same size
Polar Smoked Brisling Sardines in Olive Oil Product of Latvia	Date	Sep 4, 2024	Size	small
	Price		Quantity	25-30
	Test Date	October 14, 2024	Smell	Very smoky, nice rich fish smell
	Score	5	Flavor	Good smokiness, and salt. Reminds me of kippered herring but not as strongly flavored. Tasty.
	Buy Again?	yes	Mouth Feel	Fish are firm and meaty, not mealy. Nice texture.
Comments	These are very good. I ate them plain, but they'd be great on a cracker or on a sandwich.