Some of the most delicious barbecue sauces aren’t even available on national supermarket shelves. They’re regional specialties, created by local pit masters and chefs who may not have the inclination — or resources — to distribute their products across the country. Happily, many of these sauces are available by mail order.

Abe’s Bar-B-Q Sauce, $19.80 for three 18.5-ounce bottles, www.abesbbq.com

This bold, pumped-up ketchup-and-Worcestershire blend (shown) from Clarksdale, Mississippi, could double as a steak sauce, says David Howard Gelin, author of BBQ Joints: Stories and Secret Recipes from the Barbeque Belt (Gibbs Smith).

Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q Original White Sauce, $4.75, www.bigbobgibsonbbq.com

Made with mayo, cider vinegar, and lemon for zing, this legendary sauce from Decatur, Alabama, is “downright magical on chicken,” says Gelin.

Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q, $12 for two bottles, www.bobsykes.com

This not-too-sweet tomato-based sauce from Bessemer, Alabama, has a hint of vinegar, says Gelin. Thinner than most store-bought brands, which contain corn syrup (a thickener), the blend will enhance almost any kind of grilled meat.

Memphis Barbecue Championship Original Barbecue Sauce, $4 for 20 ounces, www. memphis-bbq.com

Made in Murphysboro, Illinois, by Mike Mills, a three-time winner of the prestigious Memphis in May barbecue competition, this golden sauce has lots of great barbecue flavors. That’s because it’s packed with ingredients like apple cider vinegar, fresh grated apples, yellow mustard, and brown sugar. “And since it’s not as thick as some other sauces, it really seeps down into the meat,” says Elizabeth Karmel, author of Taming the Flame (John Wiley & Sons), who recommends using it in conjunction with Mills’s Magic Dust spice rub.

Virginia Gentleman Bourbon BBQ Sauce, $6.50 for 12 ounces, www.thevirginiatouch.com

“Everything tastes better with bourbon,” says Karmel. This sauce, made with the famous southern spirit, is delicious proof. “The sweet vanilla notes come together with the tomatoes, brown sugar, and molasses to create a wonderful sauce for pork and chicken,” says Karmel.

Willingham W’ham Sauce Original Mild, $5.50 for 19 ounces, www.willinghams.com

Produced by John Willingham, another legend on the barbecue circuit, “this blend is redolent of tamarind — the main ingredient in Worcestershire sauce and the wonderful flavor we associate with barbecue,” says Karmel. “A dark, burnished red sauce, it has the perfect amount of heat.” Use it with Willingham W’ham BBQ rub on pork shoulder, butt, or chops.