Legal Hot Sauce

This week's hot sauce is Legal Hot Sauce, brought to us by the Legal Hot Sauce company. Their recipe originates in Brazil and they use a pepper called Malagueta. This pepper has reportedly been used for thousands of years by Brazilian natives for food and medicinal purposes. The name of the sauce itself means "cool" in Portuguese.
The label is interesting, not due to the background color (a boring white) but for the logo in the center. Two stylized pepper border a crown in similar style over the name of the sauce. The drawing context reminds me very of graffiti art, of which I am a big fan. There is a heat level on the side of the bottle purports 3 out of 5 as indicated by three fully colored flame symbols aside two only partially colored flame symbols. The truth of this is something that I intend to explore.
The liquid's color is a decent off red color which wouldn't be a red letter day in my diary anyway. But the constancy is less than impressive. This is a VERY thin sauce. Admirably the bottle comes with a drip spout, but not a standard one. This one is of such design than one must shake the bottle to get its contents to emerge from it. That being said, this sauce might even be thinner than a Louisiana style condiment.
The flavor is not bad by definition, but a little one-dimensional. The taste of vegetable is clearly there and, to its credit, has no sweet notes. Obviously missing is garlic, which makes me frown. A positive thing that I tasted was the flavor of salt is present but not overdone as with many of this sauce's competitors. But really, veggies and salt were all that I really noticed in the concoction.
The heat of Legal Hot Sauce seems a bit more than its self-rated "3 out of 5". There is an immediate tip of the tongue burn but not so much any other part of the tongue or inside of the mouth. There is a lasting lip burn which intensifies upon repeated samplings. This is definitely something that can accentuate a dish already expected to be served spicy.
In summation, this will not go down as one of the favorites in my collection. The consistency immediately put it on my naughty list and the lack of garlic in a sauce recipe will almost always elicit frowns. I am going to try and pair it with something already possessing garlic notes to see if that improves my outlook here.

Dirty Dick's Hot Pepper Sauce

Today I want to put Dirty Dick's Hot Sauce under a microscope. You may have heard of Dirty Dick's from the YouTube show Hot Ones. Specifically we'll examine the Hot Pepper Sauce with a Tropical Twist (I link to an Amazon site for this because Dirty Dick's site adds it to your site shopping cart if you click on it).
The label is kind of color appropriate for this, the first day of Spring; bright red with a yellow background sets the tone for warmth. The logo appears to be a cow drinking moonshine with a toothy grin and a thumbs up. I like all of these variables. Tip of the hat to you Dirty Dick's. There is what I assume is a motto at the bottom of the label reading "World's Greatest Hot Sauce... No Brag, Just Fact" We'll have to see together if this is simple boasting or accurate reporting.
The consistency is relatively thin, although there is a definite sediment present. The color is a nice deep reddish with a brown tone. This bottle doesn't come equipped with a drip spout and the pour suggests that one would be of good use.  It's not TOO runny, but just enough that I'd recommend pouring carefully, especially if one is not familiar with the pour of the sauce already.
The big take away from the sauce's flavor is sweetness. It is probably the sweetest hot sauce that I remember trying. It's a fruit sweetness for the most part, though there is a rich sweetness discernible that is probably due to the brown sugar in the mix. Other tastes that I get out of this are my old friend garlic and a definite onion presence. This does a bit to break up the fruity sweetness that permeates the product.
The heat level of this sauce is high. I can see why it was a part of Hot Ones. A mostly front/tip of the tongue burn with little going to the esophagus or gut. The lip fire is palpable and lasts for a surprisingly long time. I'd suggest not going guns a-blazin' with this guy. I choked a bit upon repeated tastings and that's pretty rare for me.
At $6.99 for a 5 oz. bottle, it's a good deal if you like sweet and fiery (6.99 from Dirty Dick's site directly, $7.85 from Amazon). I think that it'll be a good addition to my collection and I'm going to try it with tacos tonight as I feel that the sweetness will play well with the dish. Plus the internet fame of the sauce implies an ownership necessity, right you all? ....right?

Kumana Avocado Hot Sauce

I recently discovered a sauce after a brief exploration of the internet for products that had an alluring sound to them. This sauce was one that I had an initial gut reaction against as I don't much care for avocados. I second guessed myself reasoning that, not only should I broaden my taste horizons, but that others might have real interest in a hot condiment with an avocado theme. The result is the subject of our examination today.
Kumana Avocado Hot Sauce is a product of Kumana Foods. This company appears to have, as their sole product, avocado sauces in three main variations: Be Original, Be Sweet, and Be Hot (our focus today). According to their website, Kumana sauces are inspired by a Venezuelan staple that is traditionally "drizzled on grilled meats, sauteed vegetables, and regional sandwiches". Also it is the assertion of Kumana that Be Original is the closest to said staple. Another important thing to note is that their sauces are all plant based and gluten free.
The logo is interesting as it has an Aztec feel to it. I also enjoy the theme names to the different sauces, this one with "Be Hot" in the lower center of the label. The word "Kumana" itself is dotted with black specks and kind of gives it an aged feel. It seems that cultural origins are a theme played out in not just the recipes, but also in appearances.
The color doesn't sit quite right with me but that's mostly due to the knowing of its main ingredient and my aforementioned aversion to it. What does look appealing the that it is speckled with flakes of slightly varied hues indicating a sauce not wholly liquefied. As an aside, I recommend shaking the bottle before use as the oil within seems to separate from the rest of the mixture fairly quickly. The consistency is a nice thick pour. An interesting fact about this is that it doesn't come with a normal hot sauce spout or even bottle but instead in a squeeze bottle.
The flavor is quite diverse and layered. This is truly one of the best flavors in a sauce that I've come across. The avocado definitely comes through but with traces of fruit sweetness and, my old friend, garlic. Onion is the other ingredient that makes a stark impression (and a quite pleasant one). As we are drifting into the subject of Be Hot's makeup, I looked at the ingredient list to discover cilantro. I know that some are stricken with the unfortunate malady of abhorring the taste of cilantro (which I am thankfully not a victim of), so proceed with caution if you are.
The heat is, well, not actually there. I will admit that upon repeated tastings an almost unnoticed tingle appeared on the tongue, there were no other signs of the leavings or experience of a burn present. This is disappointing as I am, of course, a collector and lover of hot sauces. There unfortunately is little else to say about this aspect.
While the heat factor was kind of a let down, the flavor of this really shines here. I believe that this would be stellar as a topping on a hot dog or hamburger. Possibly on nachos too. Really any hot foods that one could purchase at a live sporting event. Also at a price of $7.11 for a 13.1 ounce bottle, the value here is good if you like the taste as much as I. Not a must-have for all but a good buy if one is an avocado aficionado.

Pineapple and Habanero Hot Sauce

Hello all! I apologize about the lateness of this post. For some reason the review I wrote last week was appearing partially in a black font which, over this background was nigh unreadable. So I'm rewriting it to suit the finicky web software upon which I produce reviews and you consume them.
We are going to check out Pineapple and Habanero Hot Sauce by Bravado Spice Company. Bravado makes hot sauces, spice mixes, and even a margarita mix! How festive! Their main focus seems to be hot sauces, though, as suggested in their Mission section: "Our mission is to craft incredible hot sauces that are undeniably bold and delicious". I'm sure that idea is something that we can all get behind.
The label is fine but somewhat unimpressive. Their logo appears to be a simple drawing of three peppers attached to a leaf on the side. The words and color scheme seem intentionally simple. A thing that did catch my eye was what looks like a heat scale. In this case it is five designs of peppers, the first three filled in with black, the last two left hollow. The word "Medium" is below it, apparently describing the heat of the sauce.
The color and consistency of Pineapple and Habanero Hot Sauce does not tantalize me. The hue is a rather sickly yellow which might (and kind of did) make me hesitant. Keeping that in mind, however, this is obviously a pineapple-themed sauce so I'll give the color a pass this time. The texture is very thin and indicates a filtered sauce. It's so thin, in fact, that a drip spout isn't included with the bottle but, in my opinion, should be. However, there does appear to be sediment on the inside surface of the bottle that previously touched the sauce, so that's a plus to me.
The flavor here lives up to its name. A definite fruity sweetness greets the taste buds upon first interaction. This is followed by a hint of a garden-ish taste, like a taste of green leafy vegetables. A zing of garlic is present and perhaps a touch too much salt. I feel that this flavor combination would pair well with food, so I won't completely discount the salt tinge.
The heat is interesting. At first, I was inclined to agree with the rating on the bottle and rank this of "medium" heat. However after multiple subsequent tastings (I'll admit it: I love fruit tastes) a distinct lip burn grew and also left a lasting tongue tingle. So I think this may fly a little above a "medium" sauce.
I think that this would be a good addition to any collection. I think that it would be used well as an ingredient or atop many dishes cooked up in ones kitchen. As a matter of fact Pineapple and Habanero Hot Sauce would work well in fish tacos. And at $5.99 this won't break the bank. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Technical Difficulties

Apologies in advance, all. I wrote a review this week but it's appearing incorrectly when I publish it. I'll try to tinker with it to resolve the issues and will post on social media when they are.

Fresco Sauce Chipotle & Habanero Hot Sauce

Hello again chiliheads! I hope that everyone is well and making it through the doldrums of winter. I myself am counting the minutes until some respite from the cold and dreariness. Perhaps we can all warm ourselves in the interim with some delicious hot sauce. To ring in that hope, lets look at another addition to our ever-growing archives, shall we?
I want to examine the Chipotle & Habanero Hot Sauce by the kind folks at Fresco Sauce today. Fresco Sauce evidently started out by making a sauce to be served alongside dishes at the restaurant Rosemary Grill in 2012. This was with their seminal hot sauce but the company started bottling that sauce and some new ones (including the Chipotle & Habanero Hot Sauce) in 2018 due to customer demand.
The label is simple but one I find appealing. I like the cursive-like quality of the company name as well as the color scheme. I also really enjoy the cubist portrayal of a hot sauce bottle with a drop escaping from the mouth. The sauce color is interesting in that it isn't quite yellow and isn't quite orange but some offspring of the two. It's also dotted with black pepper flakes (presumably). I approve of the initial visual impression given to me.
The pour surprised me somewhat: a relatively slow and controlled pour. This is due to its fairly thick consistency. I thought that it might be a thinner sauce due to it's color (a developed assumption that is obviously unwarranted). It was a pleasant revelation.
The taste is not terribly complex, though by no means unpleasant. The generous amount of garlic comes through as well as a nice pepper flavor, but not a lot past this. It's nice and the addition of carrots to the mix does add a certain undefinable something, but nothing to rent a billboard about. I think it might benefit for the addition of a little more salt.
The heat crept up on me. At first I was disappointed in the apparent lack of burn but, upon further tasting, I discovered that a decent heat is actually present. It hits the tip of the tongue first and provides a pleasant sear there and as it travels to the back of the tongue/entrance to the throat it creates a hot tingling. Also, upon said repeated tastings, expect a lip burn to catch up with you.
Though not a particularly intricate taste, it's still pleasant with a good amount of heat packed within. The $5.99 price tag reveals not a bad deal at all. Plus I like supporting our independent hot sauce-making friends out there and showing a little solidarity. Happy tastings all and I'll see you next week!

Tabanero Extra Hot Hot Sauce

Happy Valentine's Day all! I hope that you're keeping warm today, whether it be via special someone or a special spicy condiment that I know you share my passion for. I know that this day isn't up everyone's alley but even if it is not, I hope that you're enjoying today.
I want to run Tabanero Extra Hot Hot Sauce through its paces (known simply as Tabanero from here on). Made by Tabanero company,  it's a nice sauce to have on standby for many uses. They state on their site in the Vision section that they seek to provide a sauce that's a more pleasurable and sensational option rather than one that's just hot for the sake of hotness. On another note, this evidently is the official hot sauce of AMC's The Walking Dead.
The label is nothing to mark a red letter day in one's calendar about. Simple rather than particularly memorable, it is to the point. I like the unobtrusive royalty hat logo but I could leave the font reading "Flavor & Fire" at the door. The color of the sauce is a little too pale for my tastes. It almost resembles a dark yellow or light orange, leaving an almost sickly impression.
 The consistency is fairly runny but, coupled with the dripper insert included on the bottle, the pour is quite controllable if one uses a shake pour or a bottom tap pour. Also it contains sediment from the ingredients forming the makeup of the contents. Bits of (presumably) seed and pepper flakes can be discerned within.
The flavor of the sauce is quite well done. The garlic is plentiful and enough to add depth without evoking a tiresome amount of richness, leading to a fresher taste. There are subtle fruit notes present with an emphasis on citrus. I also detected a bit of salt; it's not too much but rather acts as an enhancer.
The heat took me by surprise a bit. They may not have intended to make it hot for heat's sake but it does pack somewhat of a punch. It may not seem so upon first entering the palette but as it travels across the tongue, it begins to act. It has more of a back and sides of the tongue burn, the back burn jolting me a bit. This fire will grow considerably upon repeated tastings and for me led to a fairly substantial lip tingle. This isn't a "burn the house down" heat but it's not something to underestimate either.
This sauce will go well as an enhancer to existing heat while adding a well rounded flavor to a dish or snack. I plan on adding just a taste to some vindaloo I made for dinner. For the affordability factor, this works well. At the time of this writing, a 5 ounce bottle is running at $5.99 (on sale from $6.99). This sauce will be a decent yet not 100% necessary, addition to anyone's collection.