Review Submission Pause

Friends,

I will not be reviewing sauces here for a short time. I order most of the sauces you see here and until the scourge of COVID-19 is not an imminent threat, I don't want to put the mail carriers, the workers at sauce production areas, or heck anyone, at more risk than they need to have in their lives. I hope that you understand and we'll be together again soon!

Wicked Tickle The Defibrillator

We're together again and that should be a cause for joy in itself! In these times of uncertainty and anxiety we can try to find comfort in each other and in our favorite spicy condiment. This week we'll take a gander at Wicked Tickle's The Defibrillator. This is a ghost pepper sauce that I'm excited to explore.
Wicked Tickle is a line of sauces from Electric Pepper Company. According to their site they organically grow hot chili peppers on a Pennsylvania farm. They also appear to act sustainably as they employ wind power and solar energy in the production of their products. It should be noted here that the label of The Defibrillator has a stamp reading "All Natural" next to the Wicked Tickle logo.
The label truly excites me here. The featured art of a character wearing hospital scrubs and a surgical mask is reminiscent of Iron Maiden album art. The "doctor" appears to be undead and electricity is emanating from its hands. The figure is grinning ferociously and appears to have glowing eyes. The consistency of the sauce appears thin, thinner than I normally favor. There is also no pour guard so proceed with caution upon application. The sediment upon swirling the sauce in its bottle is heavy, however.
The flavor begins with a vegetable taste touched with a sweetness, both presumably from the various peppers in the blend. This is followed by the garlic, which is very present and satisfying. The garlic mixed with a touch of onion, giving it a nice bit of complexity. It's layered but not overly convoluted.
The heat here begins quite acutely, biting the tip of the tongue and spreading the burn to the sides. The lip burn is notable in its longevity and severity; the burn remains hot for quite a while. Upon repeated samplings the roof of the mouth starts to feel the effects. All in all quite a present heat.
This is a nice sauce. Not a particularly jaw dropping one but a nice addition to one's collection. At $8.99, it's not going to be an unreasonable purchase. I think this will make a nice table sauce for someone that might be looking for a little more bite than the standard fare offers.

Ghost Scream Original Hot Sauce

Hello again! Today we're going to take a taste of Ghost Scream Original Hot Sauce. I honestly picked it out because I really liked the name when I first read it. That and I infer from the name that this is a ghost pepper sauce, and of those I'm particularly fond. Let's check it out!
Ghost Scream is owned by Chef Matthew Sisson and his partner Deandra. They combined Matthew's skill in the kitchen with Deandra's considerable design skills to bring to life the Ghost Scream brand. They both have a taste for the spicy foods and peppers and wanted a way to bring bold and spicy flavors to the fore. Matthew said in a Saute Magazine interview that the skills gained in working in some of the finest food establishments in the world enabled himself and Deandra to take an idea and transform it into pure flavor.
The label is fun. It features a depiction of a bearded man with his mouth open, presumably screaming. Surrounding the face is a lace-like design with skulls dotting the image. "Ghost Scream" is along the top and "Hot Sauce" is over the faces chin. To the right side of the face is the word "Hot" as if to reinforce the fact that this is a hot sauce. I have to admit that this excites me a bit. This has a nice red color to it with a feeling of yellow and brown mixed in. The consistency isn't remarkably thick but it isn't thin like a Louisiana sauce either. It has a nice peppery sediment as well. It should be noted that there is no pour protector here, so pour with care.
This tastes slightly sweet at the front, Upon lingering longer in the mouth the garlic comes alive. It finishes with a definite pepper/garden taste, working well with the garlic. I like the layers being tasted individually, and then swirling together. This has a well crafted flavor profile.
Ghost Scream Original Hot Sauce has a bite to it, but it's not off the charts. With that said, watch out if it hits the back of the throat. I got surprised that way. The lip burn is notable in that it stays tingling the lips for a surprisingly long amount of time. The heat on the tongue stayed mostly in the center and not, to my surprise, on  the tip.
Ghost Scream Original Hot Sauce has a great flavor and an enjoyable heat. And at $8.00 for 5.5 ounces of product I can see this becoming a frequently used table sauce in my household. I definitely recommend it. Until next time!

Brine Damage

At it again folks! This week I have a very special sauce to review. This was a limited edition sauce only for sale at a Louisville Gore Club meetup on March 1, 2020. I apologize in advance for not delivering the goods on a sauce that's publicly available. This one is just near and dear to my heart.
Our feature this week is a sauce called Brine Damage from the nice folks at Peril Hot Sauce. Those fine humans have shown this review site a lot of love and now they've shown Louisville Gore Club some too, which warms me to the bones. This sauce is a Louisville Gore Club exclusive, so it may be difficult to get your paws on. In the past, I've heaped the praises on Peril Hot Sauce (and will continue to do so) but today I'd like to introduce you to an organization of which I'm a part and means a great deal to me.
Louisville Gore Club is a group of like-minded individuals that share a love for horror of all varieties. We meet on Sundays in Louisville, KY at a pub named Seidenfaden's to watch horror movies, some obscure, some not so much, and enjoy libations together. We often cook food to share in a potluck manner. From Louisville Gore Club's own self description: "Every Sunday night at 9pm the ghoulish and the grave turn up to enjoy the best and worst in horror/sci-fi/ fantasy cinema! 9pm-4am every Sunday night. You have been warned." I look forward to our meetups and enjoy them very much.
The label is very fun. It has "Brine Damage" at the center top in ominous red letters. Below is an illustration of a man screaming with both hands on either side of his head. Below him is a (presumably) human brain with a cherry on the top and a straw sticking out of it, a la milkshake-style. The lower right corner labels it a "special edition" with Louisville Gore Club's logo above. The color of the sauce is a rich and dark red. This sauce has very heavy sediment. You can see seeds and pepper bits aplenty. The consistency is quite thick and the pour is slow. No pour guard is present here, nor is it needed.
The flavor begins with sweet notes, very shortly followed by a vegetable taste. Presumably the latter is from the peppers, which this sauce is full of a large variety. The comfortable presence of garlic is warming and, while I can detect vinegar, the strong influence of the peppers softens the bitterness.
This is a sauce not skimping at all in the heat department. It lights up the tip of the tongue as expected but quickly spreads to the roof of the mouth. In fact the burn is surprisingly acute here and the tip of the tongue remains being affected for a considerable time. Of course there is a presence of lip burn but it's surprisingly strong and long lasting.
My friends at Peril Hot Sauce have done it again with this one. I suggest that you sample their wares in the store that's now up. At $6.66 for each bottle, you can be ready for a good time while not draining the resources too badly. Until next time!