[This is the first in a series of “mini-reviews” of sauces by Peppermaster. I call these “mini” because the bottles I have are sample-sized…only 45mL, to be precise. It’s enough for a good tasting once or twice, then maybe use on one meal before they’re gone. Definitely enough, though, to get a good idea on what to say about each of them.]

I have been reading the merits of the Hurricane Mash for quite a while, usually on the Hot Pepper Discussion forum. Consistently, the word “hot” is a running theme. Very hot. Habanero-ish hot. Inferno-like hot. Non-extract inferno hot and the like. Does it live up to its reputation? Seeing the 10+/10 flames indicator and with jar in hand, I set out to find out for myself.

Ingredients: Scotch bonnets and habaneros, fresh persian lime juice, fresh key lime juice, sea salt, citric acid

Taste: The disclaimer on the website says, “you can’t get any hotter than this without using additives!” Just one whiff will tell you that this sauce is one to be reckoned with, as the freshness of the capsicum almost assaults your nasal hairs. Just trying a dab on the tip of my finger lights up my heat sensors, but not before getting a really good taste of the habanero/scotch bonnet mixture. For a sauce which has this upper-limit sorta heat, you can really appreciate the taste of the peppers…particularly how fresh they seem. I tried this as an addition to some chili and as a condiment for grilled chicken, and both were made fiery good using this sauce. The heat level is actually a bit insidious, and builds the more you eat. After a while, it more than matches its 10/10 heat level.

Recommendation: There’s a lot to like about this sauce. It’s has great taste of pure chinense peppers, mammoth amounts of heat, and no frilly additives or preservatives. I might wish for it to be a tad bit thicker, but no matter how you slice it…this sauce just rocks. If you like it mega-hot, then this is one sauce that you should have in your stable of home sauces. 45mL of it probably isn’t enough.