The Hands-Down Best Worcestershire Sauce Brand Is None Other Than The Old-School Original

Sometimes in life, you just can't beat the original. In Chowhound's official taste test ranking of six Worcestershire sauces, that couldn't be more true, with the honor going decisively to Lea & Perrins. This wasn't some nostalgic bias either — our tester evaluated each sauce plain and then with a neutral burger bite to see how the condiment performs in real-world use. Lea & Perrins stood out as the product that reminded them of why Worcestershire sauce is the sauce everyone loves so much — whether it's going on a juicy burger or in a spicy bloody mary.

Lea & Perrins came through because it has a lot of balance in its taste. Even the aroma itself is perfect, with a rounded, molasses-forward scent that has just enough acidity to stay sharp. So when those dark liquid drops hit our reviewer's burger, it didn't flatten or fade away — it simply amplified the taste of everything else, just as it's supposed to.

As you read through the ranking's more lower positions, a clear pattern emerges. Some sauces, like Great Value, were surprisingly thin and overly sweet, which pushed them far from classic Worcestershire territory. Whilst others, like O Organics, were thick and intensely vinegar-forward, bordering on tasting like a different condiment altogether. The middle-of-the-pack options struggled too: Heinz had a bold aroma but an unexpectedly quiet flavor, Stop & Shop tasted pleasant but vanished completely on food, and Signature Select — while closest in taste — lacked any distinct finish.

Part of what makes Lea & Perrins' victory so satisfying is the brand's own very unusual backstory — the inventors of Worcestershire sauce didn't even like it at first. The creators initially set the recipe aside because the early batches were considered basically undrinkable, and only after the mixture fermented over time did the flavors settle into the condiment we now love today. This freak discovery ended up shaping every Worcestershire imitation that would follow, so it's no surprise that tasting through modern versions makes the original's appeal even more blatant. So if you want Worcestershire sauce that tastes unmistakably like the real thing, our ranking makes it pretty clear: Nothing beats the original.