I got my first-ever bottle of HP sauce.
I of course tried some the moment I opened the shipping box. Having never had HP sauce before, and having heard so many Brits swear by it, I needed to see what was so revolutionary that it would inspire the loyalty of a former empire. When I took my first whiff after breaking the seal, I noticed that the sauce smelled distinctly different from ketchup and also different from American steak sauce, but when I tasted the HP, I could see there was a deeper difference in terms of how spicy and tangy the sauce is. The flavor of ketchup is quieter and blander by comparison, so I can sort of see why the Brits are so fanatical about this sauce. As common condiments go, HP has character, arguably more character than ketchup.
HP does, however, have the same problem as most store-bought ketchup in that you can definitely taste the huge amount of sugar syrup (the ingredients list calls this "glucose-fructose syrup"); the sauce has about the same carbs per 100 g as Heinz ketchup does. I'd guess that HP works in at least 90% of the same situations where you'd use ketchup. But HP, being so vinegar-forward, has a sharper, tangier flavor to it. I like that, but other Americans might not.
Anyway, after I go to the doc on May 15, I'll be curious to try HP out on several different dishes. The bottle itself suggests adding it to your meat when you're making cottage pie, the beef answer to shepherd's pie (lamb).
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