“Scotch bonnets and sweet peppers are slowly fermented with a touch of garlic to develop an intense fruity flavour. It’s a deceptively simple sauce with medium heat and maximum flavour. From soups and stews to eggs and oysters, it’s our perfect everyday sauce”OK! Fermented … check! Garlic … check! Medium heat … check!
It’s quite runny sauce, but then for most things I wasn’t adding it too liberally; drops here and there rather than slathering it all over.
Flavour starts with that “fermented” umaminess, growing into a rich peppery punch, with a sweet edge, before fading to a relatively short tail of heat. It’s certainly very flavoursome, though for me I could take it a touch hotter.
“Day of The Dead is a Mexican holiday observed throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private alters called ofrendas, honouring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds and the favourite books and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased. Scholars trace the origin of the modern Mexican holiday to the indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to the Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl”
Nice introduction … tells me nothing about the sauce, though!
This one’s pretty straight-up; ingredients are water, habaneros, vinegar, carrots, salt, xanthan, garlic and spices. You get the habanero flavour from the start, which subsides a little to let the garlic and spices through, then has a pretty long tail of heat to finish. It’s slightly on the runny side, but not inconveniently so.
7/10 – Tasty, all-rounder sauce, but without anything to make it stand out from the pack.
On the left side we have Flaming Strike .. “Set you taste buds ablaze with Ken’s Flaming Strike sauce. Inspired by his fierce fighting style, this blend combines the fiery hear of habanero peppers with the zing of pineapple and ginger. A dynamic fusion of heat and sweetness, this sauce adds a bold kick to your meals. Ignite your culinary creations and unleash the fiery passion within”
… and on the right side we have Iron Muscle .. “Infuse your meals with the power of Zangief’s Iron Muscle sauce. A mighty blend of Scotch bonnet peppers and savoury spices, this creation embodies strength and robustness Just like Zangief’s prowess, this sauce leaves an impression with its bold flavour profile. Elevate your culinary strength and revel in the hearty warmth of every bite.”
And now …. fight!
Flaming Strike is relatively viscous with visible (small) chunks of red chilli and (presumably) apples and pineapple; slightly jammy! Iron Muscle’s a more typical puree-type sauce; not too runny, not too thick.
Flaming Strike starts out with quite an intense sweetness, followed a hit of the fruit & then backed up with a relatively gentle burst of heat. Not too hot, but quite tasty & nice with cheese.
Iron Muscle starts with quite a bold garlicy fennel flavour, fading to a gentle heat. It’s probably a more general-purpose sauce than Flaming Strike, but you do need to like fennel!
…. and he’s down for the count!
Flaming Strike – 5/10 – Nice, but a bit on the sweet side for me
Iron Muscle – 3/10 – Not all that keen in the spicing & insufficient heat
Consistency is quite thick & it has a bit of a tendency to separate meaning that giving it a good shake before pouring is a must to stop the sauce getting progressively thicker and thicker as you pour of the runnier sauce on the top each time.
Definitely delivers on the chipotle; unmistakably smoky aroma as soon as you open the bottle & the flavour matches. Not too much heat, but relatively sweet (ingredients list yields high fructose corn syrup and honey) compared to many other sauces.
Spicing plays a good supporting role to the smoke leading to an pleasant, though very dominating flavour.
Perrona Hot Sauce – Roasted With Chiltepin Peppers
As would probably be expected, this is very similar to the original in terms of consistency, heat & ingredients. The roasted peppers give a bit of added richness and depth to the flavour which for me, gives it the edge over its brother, though I wouldn’t say that it was smoky.
7/10 – Tasty, not overly hot, good with many things. Would buy again!
On the left side we have Patriot Inferno .. “March to the beat of boldness with Guile’s Patriot Inferno sauce. As powerful as his fighting spirit, this blend showcases the robust heat or cayenne peppers harmonising with the tang of mustard. A fusion of strength and tanginess, this sauce adds a patriotic punch to your meals. Unleash the warrior within and dive into a new level of culinary adventure.
… and on the right side we have Dragon’s Blaze .. “Embodied in this fiery hot sauce is Ryu’s unwavering determination and relentless training. With every drop, feel the power of his Dragon Punch ignite your tase buts. The intense heat of habanero chilli, infused with the smoky essence of chipotle delivers an explosive flavour that reflects Ryu’s indomitable spirit.
And with that introduction …. fight!
Patriot Inferno has the runnier consistency of the two, but there’s not much in it. Patriot’s certainly tangy … I feel that the mustard combines to give it an almost ginger-like edge to the flavour. Very pleasant and complements the cayenne. Doesn’t pack all that much of a punch, though!
Dragon’s Blaze telegraphs the chipotle the moment the top is off the bottle, combining with the soy sauce to give a rich earth aroma. The smoke, soy and garlic are up-front in the taste before the habanero pops up and announces it’s presence. Nice fade down to a slow burn. A little on the sweet side, but not overly so.
… and it’s a knock-out blow!
Patriot Inferno – 5/10 – Nice, but somewhat forgettable & I wouldn’t rush to get more.
Dragon’s Blaze – 7/10 – Good, solid sauce, but I feel it may be vulnerable in later round!
“Red Belly’s unique smoky flavour stems from the Cobanero pepper. This dark red and wrinkly pepper comes from the cloud forests of Guatemala, where Mayan communities have been harvesting and smoking peppers for millennia. We have paired the fiery Cobanero with fire roasted tomatoes and garlic to give the sauce a fresh body packed with flavour. Share your love for this sauce and enjoy!”
Picked this up on a recent trip to Arizona, in Whole Food Market, I think.
Man, do I like this sauce. It’s smoky, but not too smoky, and a beautiful rich savoury flavour. It’s not very hot (there’s a little punch of heat after the up-front flavour, which fades down nicely), which I’d have to say is my only mild criticism; a bit more pep would have elevated it even further for me. I’ve had it spread on toast and crumpets
8/10 – Amazing! Seems difficult to get hold of in the UK, which is a shame!
“The Caribbean classic but with even more of that fiery heat. Hotter than Hot. Taste that takes you places … to the port of Kingston, with Scotch Bonnet & Habanero petters boosted by the big old Bhut Jolokia Chill”
Consistency is nice, slightly jammy. Ingredients indicate that it’s based on a mash, which is detectable in the flavour.
Nice rich, garlicy taste up-front which is quickly overtaken by a punch of heat when then subsides into lingering slow burn. Really nice flavour, with the savoury elements of the mash complemented by the garlic and mustard. Good balance between sweetness and acidity, too.
OK! Fermented … check! Garlic … check! Medium heat … check!
