I’m always skeptical of retail products and franchises promising to burn your mouth. Attorneys and other corporate wimps are generally too shy to sell something that could lead to an angry customer yelling, “This is too spicy!”
High five to Frito-Lay for boldness on the spicy Doritos series. In particular, 3rd Degree Burn. They lack a little in flavor, but not so much that they’re boring. A piece of advice: keep these out of the hands of kids.
Fire Rating: 7/10
Flavor Rating: 6/10
Food Rating: 8/10
A friend of mine picked up a can of this fantastic spice while ordering other paella 
ingredients. Interestingly, we found it spicy when added to soup, or other saucy/liquid foods…but not so spicy when applied directly to, say, tortilla chips.
It has a wonderful smoky, almost chipotle aroma.
You can order it here. Plenty of recipe suggestions there, too.
Fire Rating: 4/10
Flavor Rating: 7/10
Food Rating: 6/10
Ok, today’s sauce is probably familiar to you. That might be an understatement, even. Cholula is a favorite at Mexican restaurants worldwide, with that unique wooden cap (which is nothing more than a wood cover on a regular old plastic cap..shhh, don’t tell). Here’s the deal, though: it’s just that good. It’s fraternal twin sauce, Tapatio, matches on a lot of points, while they differ just slightly in flavor. I find Cholula has more flavor of the two.
Find Cholula leading the charge on sandwiches, subs, and pizza. Or better yet — put a little in a spray bottle and mist a bowl of chips.
Fire Rating: 4/10
Flavor Rating: 7/10
Food Rating: 9/10
Today, we sampled the new Subway Buffalo Chicken sub. While the nutrition facts aren’t horrible on the calories front, the taste left us a little disappointed.
Buffalo sauce is supposed to be thick, butter based. We find this sauce too runny. Barely enough to stick to the chicken.
Also, it’s not as spicy as we’d expect for legitimate buffalo taste.
Fire Rating: 3/10
Flavor Rating: 5/10
Food Rating: 5/10
In 2000, a friend of mine picked up a bottle of this sauce along the Texas-Mexico border. When I smelle
d it, I was shocked. It had a strange odor. I put the cap back on.
The next day, I decided to add it to my lunch. I found out it was pretty warm. Better, it had absolutely fantastic flavor. You won’t find many hot sauces with a carrot base, and that’s unfortunate. For two reasons.
1) Carrot based sauces are outstanding.
2) Pico Picante is no longer available anywhere. Believe me, I’ve tried.
It was the Pico Picante loss that inspired me to purchase at minimum, a case of any cause that I enjoy. Never take a good hot sauce for granted.
I found the archive of their website here. It brings a tear to my eye.
Fire Rating: 9/10
Flavor Rating: 8/10
Food Rating: 8/10
Another tip of the hat to Firehouse Subs.
Ring of Fire (X-Tra Hot) isn’t as fiery as the claim on the label – HOWEVER, it is one of the tastiest sauces since we reviewed Virginia Gentleman earlier this year. A thicker sauce, it sticks nicely to pizza and other dipping foods. I find myself removing the cap and taking a whiff every now and again for the pure enjoyment it brings.
Fire Rating: 6/10
Flavor Rating: 9/10
Food Rating: 8/10
