Hot sauces with more novelty than quality are a dime a dozen, though it can be hard to tell which is which based solely on the label of the bottle.

Take the Ghost Hot Sauce, for example. Based on the label, it seems like the sauce will actually turn me into a ghost.

In my experience, the more hyperbole that is on the hot sauce bottle, the less impressive it actually tends to be, which is why I was surprised at the incredible amount of pain this sauce is able to induce. Continue Reading

Sweet is the key word in Black Swan Sweet Cognac BBQ Sauce‘s name and in its flavor. With a short list of ingredients that include soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, orange juice, brown sugar, garlic, onions, ginger, and cognac. It’s the addition of the sweet brandy that gives this Black Swan barbecue sauce its flavor personality.

My wife and I tried this sauce on steak, ribs, and chicken wings. It worked well on each dish. My wife particularly enjoyed it on the chicken wings. I also scored points with my mother-in-law after she tried the Black Swan barbecue wings. I enjoyed each of the dishes we tried the sauce on as well, although it will never replace some of my more favorite pepper-based sauces. Continue Reading

There are just certain phrases a man never expects to hear himself utter. For me, “I’d like a little Baboon Ass, please,” certainly falls into that category of things I never wanted to hear myself say. These days, I say it often, and I say it with pride. The original Baboon Ass Habanero Hot sauce (as if there have been a lot of Baboon Asses to follow) is on my list of hot sauces to keep in stock.

From the instant you open this bottle, you’re drawn into the world of a masterfully crafted hot sauce. The enticing aroma of Habaneros hits you immediately. Continue Reading

Of all the hot pepper sauces that add carrots for sweetness and color, this just might be my favorite. Iguana XXX Habanero Pepper Sauce has a lot of heat and a lot of flavor, and one never gets sacrificed for the other. It’s fast becoming my preferred brand.

The ingredient list is headlined with the catchy – and true – phrase, “All Killer, No Filler.” Sure enough, there’s nothing here that you need to be a chemist to understand. Fresh ripe habaneros lead the list and the sauce does indeed have a fresh vegetable taste. Then comes carrots, vinegar, onions, lime juice, tomato paste, salt, and garlic. Ascorbic acid (which is simply vitamin C) is used as a preservative. All natural and good for you, too. Continue Reading

You remember that scene from Spinal Tap, where Christopher Guest’s character Nigel Tufnel is showing off his amp that goes to 11? Most amps, of course, only go to 10, but Nigel proudly states that his goes “one louder.” The joke is that the loudest is whatever the top number is, whether it’s 10 or 11; the only reason to make it 11 is to be different. And maybe just a little louder.

That’s kind of what Dave’s Gourmet has done. Its Dave’s Insanity Hot Sauce bills itself as “the hottest sauce in the universe.” So where do you go from there? You guessed it: to 11. Dave’s Ultimate Insanity Hot Sauce also bills itself as “the hottest sauce in the universe.” And guess what? It’s definitely one louder….er, hotter. Actually, it may even be two or three hotter. Continue Reading

This is one of the best barbecue sauces I’ve ever tasted. I opened the bottle and stuck my finger straight in. Fortunately, my wife doesn’t mind this behavior, and I did wash my hands first.

I tasted the Wild-Mild BBQ Sauce by itself and was impressed right away by delicate balance of sweet, smoky elements of the sauce, as well as the light application of cayenne peppers included to give it added flavor. I say “added flavor” because that’s exactly what the peppers do. There’s no real heat to this, which is the point of  the sauce, but there is flavor out of this world. Continue Reading

I should have exercised more caution. Anything that comes in a brown bottle and looks like medicine may be something to be careful about.   The ingredients fooled me, though: soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, raisins, garlic, and cinnamon. It almost sounds like A-1 Steak Sauce, minus the cinnamon.

What I underestimated in Scorpion Xtreme Hot Sauce was the potency of an ingredient I left out — chili extract. We’re not talking about chili peppers here. Continue Reading

Even though the name implies otherwise, you will definitely feel alive after even just the smallest amount of Blair’s Mega Death Hot Sauce. This is one of the hottest sauces on the market but not the spiciest for Blair’s which claims their Ultra Death is even hotter.

The bottle comes in a box and contains Blair’s signature skull keychain, which is proof positive that you survived death. The warning label proclaims, “Be warned: this sauce contains ingredients 500 times hotter than a jalapeno chile. Use sparingly. Not recommended for use without dilution.” Continue Reading

There are stereotypes and then there’s Ass Whoopin’ Redneck Sauce which features the confederate flag emblazoned on a wood patterned label. In keeping with the Dukes of Hazard theme the label is also riddled with bullet holes and written in southern drawl.

The sauce has the consistency of cream and smells like slightly sweet buffalo wings. Even though the bottle claims it to be “some hot shit y’all,” and its first ingredient is habenero peppers, I wasn’t convinced that this was dangerous stuff. The confederacy lost the Civil War, how strong could this sauce be right? Continue Reading

A deep reddish brown sauce in a bottle with an angry looking iguana smoking a cigar and wearing a military uniform must yield an interesting product, right? The tagline reads “Smoky, Savory, & Sort’a Hot”. Is it smoky? Yes. Is it savory? A little. Is it hot? No. Well, my grandma might think it is hot, but she also thinks that bell peppers offer a ‘kick’, so I’m not taking her advice on this one.

The first smell of the Iguana Smoky Chipotle Pepper Sauce makes you smell it again. What is that smell? A few more sniffs reveal hints of a Worcestershire-sauce type smell (methinks it could be the ‘artificial smoke flavoring’ listed in the ingredients). Overtones of oregano are also discernable. Continue Reading

Ashley Foods, makers of award-winning sauces and extracts, introduce the latest addition that’s sure to win over the fiery souls of super hot sauce aficionados everywhere. 357 Mad Dog Silver Collector’s Edition is an all-natural sauce, carefully crafted with 6,000,000 Scoville Pepper Extract, to create blistering heat that hits the 750,000 Scoville Units mark. At 20% hotter than the regular Mad Dog Collector’s Edition, this sauce is a must-have addition for heat seekers who want “the world’s hottest sauce”.

The question of which hot sauce delivers the most heat has been a source of fiery debate among chili-heads for years. Number one with a bullet. Made with 6,000,000 Scoville Pepper Extract. That’s the 357 Mad Dog Silver Collectors Edition packing 750,000 sizzlin’ Scoville units, along with the heavy weight crown of the Worlds Hottest Hot Sauce ever made. Continue Reading

The label on the fire ant juice hot sauce bottle transports you into a scene from a 1950’s sci-fi  flick, portraying a hapless victim & an eight foot fire ant. It might not be a bad idea to keep your local national guard unit and/or haz-mat crew on speed dial, just in case. . .

Ever sat your posterior down on what looked like a nice soft mound of earth in say, south carolina or thereabouts?  You may have soon received a less than hospitable welcome from the local inhabitants ! ! !  An example of the above  mentioned inhabitant is glued to the neck of each bottle of fire ant juice, presumably  to make for easier identification by any first responders or your next of kin, if necessary. Continue Reading

When I was a kid my friends and I used to play a game where we would go into a bathroom, turn off the lights, and chant “Bloody Mary” three times in front of a mirror, testing the legend that a ghastly image would appear in the reflection. Nothing ever happened, and as it turns out the fear was far more potent than the outcome.

“Another Bloody Day in Paradise Hot Sauce” has a similar affect on my taste buds. I want it to scare the crap out of me, but it ends up causing little more than a slow building burn. Continue Reading

Although the label does feature a skull surrounded by fire, compared to most other hot sauces, the design comes off as that of a no-frills sauce that is not interested in overselling itself. Full disclosure: Blair’s Pure Death Hot Sauce comes with a free dangling skull key chain, which is one of the easiest ways to get a positive review from me.

That being said, the smell gives off an acidic, tomatoey essence despite completely lacking the fruit. Instead, the sauce contains Habanero Chili Pods, Naga Jolokia, Vinegar and Hawaiian red salt. Continue Reading

Ashley Foods, maker of 357 Mad Dog collectors hot sauce, “World’s hottest hot sauce” responds to demands for a volcanic wing sauce with 357 Extreme Wing sauce, “World’s hottest wing sauce”. Not for Lily-livered chickens! It possesses EXTREME HEAT from Hell but also EXTREME TASTE, an orgasm for your mouth that will wing you to Heaven, with dynamic Chipotle Chile peppers, smooooth butter flavour, mellow beer buds, aged red peppers and garlic. The explosive heat and fireball of flavour produce monster taste, real taste – not that vinegar-y bite in common wing sauces. The ingredients are fresh, natural and preservative-free. Continue Reading

Bee Sting Mango Passion Pepper Sauce is accurate in placing the two fruits in the sauce’s name before the pepper, as you enjoy the fruity sweetness before you ever get to the extremely mild burn of the habaneros, which account for such a small portion of the sauce that they are listed ninth on the ingredient list.

Based on the label, all I can assume is that a deranged bee was used in the creation of this sauce, which might have made the sauce more interesting. Continue Reading

Blair’s Death Sauce would not ordinarily appear to have anything to do with children. How could incredibly hot sauces make a significant difference for needy kids? Well, Blair Lazar, the creative founder of Blair’s Sauces and Snacks, has found a way to simultaneously spread the heat and create beautiful smiles.

Lazar proudly announces the launch of his all-new, next generation, series of collectible “2am” and “3am” Reserve Bottles. Fifty percent of all proceeds are generously being donated to SmileTrain (www.smiletrain.org), the world’s largest cleft lip and cleft palate charities, and one of Lazar’s favorite causes. Continue Reading

I’d been eagerly eyeballing my bottle of Uncle Brutha’s Fire Sauce No. 9 sauce all week, mapping out what recipes I could brew up to put it to use. It’s packaged in a small, sophisticated looking bottle with a stately illustration of whom I can only imagine is Uncle Brutha himself. He is smiling at me confidently, knowing I will try and love his delicious product. I will cook something very good to use your sauce with, I responded telepathically. Uncle Brutha, I let you down, but you certainly came through for me. Continue Reading

I just discovered a new way to lose weight. It’s called the Da Bomb Diet, and it features Da Bomb Beyond Insanity hot sauce. You see, I read recently that a lot of overweight people eat too fast, and therefore their bodies don’t have a chance to register the sensation of feeling full, which means that fast eaters also tend to eat too much. Da Bomb solves that problem by making a sauce so insanely hot that you can’t help but eat any food touched by it extremely slowly.

Da Bomb makes a couple of varieties of hot sauce; Beyond Insanity likely is a shot at Dave’s Insanity, which can also be used as a weapon of sorts. Continue Reading

The first thing I’ll say about MJ’s Kick Ass Hot Sauce is that it’s made in Somerville, Massachusetts, which is also home to my favorite barbecue restaurant, Redbones. To my knowledge, there’s no connection between the two, but there should be. This is a rich, very full-flavored sauce that is all about making good food better.

The ingredients themselves suggest that MJ is a true foodie. First on the list is green habanero pepper instead of the more typical red and orange ones. That’s followed by white onion (which is distinctly sharper than yellow onion), cilantro, garlic, rice vinegar, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Continue Reading

The sauce is a thin, orangey-red color, similar to how tomato soup looks, yet it coats very well. There is actually no tomatoes in the sauce.

When smelling Ass in Antarctica Hot Sauce, it is easy to detect slight citrus notes, and very little else. There are hints of staleness, much like that of dried, crushed peppers that have been in storage for far too long, but you can’t bring yourself to trash it, since the cayenne, despite the staleness will most likely retain its heat, and really the heat is one of the cayenne peppers few redeeming values. Continue Reading

The Rasta Fire! Hot, Hot, Hot Sauce label features a stereotypical Jamaican man — complete with tie-dye shirt, flip flops and dreads — eyes bulging in shock as he leaps away from a campfire that has lit the seat of his cut-off shorts on fire. The front of the label warns us that the sauce is made with habanero peppers and includes the phrase, “Dis stuff really hot mon!” — presumably the words of our fiery friend.  While it is quite colorful and eye-catching, I give the label a 2, largely because I did not find it to be a very accurate description of what one should expect from this sauce. Continue Reading

I thought Idiot Boyz Habanero Hot Sauce was just another oddly named pepper sauce angling for attention on a crowded store shelf. Then I tasted it and understood that the name is perfectly apt — because you’re an idiot if you underestimate both the flavor and the savage afterburn that this sauce delivers.

I took my customary initial taste by putting a drop on my finger and licking it off. “Ooh, now that’s hot!” was my first reaction. It really is a fiery concoction, featuring not only habaneros but also chile extract (the appearance of any pepper extract ensures a painful experience). Then the flavor came in, thanks to a nice combination of lime juice, onion, and garlic (which were prominent), and evaporated cane juice, which delivered a subtle sweetness that just barely broke through the heat. Continue Reading

Join our Hot Sauce of the Month Club for the Holidays.  As seen on the Food Network show UNWRAPPED our  Hot Sauce of the Month Club is the perfect gift when your friends and familiy members enjoy the heat! Give them the gift that keeps on the recipient thinking of you! Each month a different bottle of hot sauce will arrive on their doorstep.  Continue Reading

If you’re looking at a bottle of Mad Dog 357 Hot Sauce, you’re staring down the barrel of a 357 — literally. That’s what’s on the label, along with a few “bullet holes” and several warning and disclaimers. Not to mention the notification that this sauce reaches 357,000 on the Scoville scale.

As much as I love hot sauce, “This Sauce Is Very Hot — Use It At Your Own Risk” is a warning I take seriously. A quick scan of the ingredients reveals that both habanero and cayenne peppers lurk within — a warning in and of itself. A closer inspection reveals that the cayenne peppers are 160,000 on the Scoville scale. Continue Reading