Defcon, how I love thee, let me count the ways…well that might take a while, so I’ll do that later. Today, I’ll be reviewing the definitive Defcon collection, which consists of Conditions 3 through 0. Let me start this off by saying I am a huge fan of Defcon’s stuff and these are THE best wing sauces money can buy. They increase in heat as the Condition numbers drop and you can definitely tell that this is a family of sauces. Going from 3 to 0, you will notice the similarities that these sauces share, and some subtle differences.

We’ll start off with the lowest heat level, Condition 3 (Ingredients: Peppers, Vinegar, Butter, Salt, Spices). It comes in a large, 10 fl. ounce bottle with a bold statement of, “You are the proud owner of the best all-around culinary masterpiece the world has ever known”. Bold indeed, but this sauce actually lives up to its own hype. The taste of peppers and salt are right up front with the vinegar and various spices filling in the background. Now what’s really interesting is the use of butter in these sauces (excluding Condition 0). It is as if the butter helps to spread the various flavors all over your tongue, hitting each taste bud and lighting them up like a pinball machine at an arcade. This sauce is rich AND creamy making it the perfect mild wing sauce.

There really is not much heat here, so if you have friends that are heat-wimps, then this is for them. The only problem with this sauce is the vinegar. There is a little bit too much used and when the sauce is poured on a plate, the vinegar tends to separate.

Defcon Condition 2 is the next one up (Ingredients: Peppers, Vinegar, Butter, Salt, Spices). This one comes in an 8 fl. ounce medicine bottle and also has a bold statement of, “This IS the ultimate in culinary perfection”. With a 1st place Scovie Award for wing sauce and a 2007 2nd place Fiery Foods Challenge for best medium wing sauce, I just might have to agree with that claim.

Like Condition 3, the peppers and salt are up front but this time with a nice kick of heat. I find myself using this one much more than Condition 3 due to the increased heat level. Once again, the butter complements the pallet of flavors. This sauce also sufferers from the vinegar separation problem, but with taste and flavor like this…who cares!

Now we’re getting to my favorite of the collection, Condition 1 (Ingredients: Peppers, Vinegar, Butter, Spices). This little ditty comes in a 4 fl. ounce medicine bottle carrying a warning, “This is an extreme sauce, made with special extracts which can be very dangerous if misused! Please use with caution! Sample a small amount before use! Keep out of reach from small children, preferably next to the refrigerated insecticides”. One of the things that I love about Defcon Creator, John, he has a really twisted sense of humor.

Having won the 2006 3rd Place Scovie Award for Wing Sauces and the 2007 Golden Chili Award for Best Wing Sauce, you can see why I love this sauce. The peppers and extract hit you right away and the heat builds slowly. Having a slow build heat like this is fun because you can down about 5 wings until the heat just completely takes over.

The amazing thing with this sauce is that is an extract sauce and you know from previous reviews ^[1] how extract can ruin a perfectly good sauce. But, luckily, that does not happen here. The Defcon Creator uses an ancient technique that his grandmother taught him for extracting the heat out of peppers. Whatever that process is (I’m thinking alcohol extraction), it works because there is absolutely no bitter taste.

I use this sauce the most and not just on wings. I usually end up mixing it in with my eggs and then scrabbling them for breakfast for a wake me up that coffee could never give bring. My only complaint with this is that it does not come in a large enough bottle and it could be a little hotter…but wait! The Creator has heard this before and that is why he is now offering it in an 8 ounce bottle and 25% hotter than it was before!

Are you ready for pain? If so, then Zero Batch #3 is for you (Ingredients: The essential oils and crystals of the orange habanero)! This extremely limited edition release comes in a 1/2 fl. ounce medicine bottle and is worth every penny you pay for it! I’ve been eagerly awaiting (probably driving John nuts) for this batch to complete my collection of his sauces and now I can safely say this is a mind-blowing extract. Hardly any bitterness and nothing but heat, this blood red sauce will transport your tongue to the lowest bowels of hell and torture it for a good 5-10 minutes.

I was foolish enough to dribble some on a spoon to try. I was about a millimeter away from the sauce when I heard my tongue scream. I licked the spoon and it felt as if I had just licked a hot griddle! There is definitely more pain then heat in this extract and is like no other extract sauce that I’ve had before.

When using this sauce as an additive, be sure to let it soak for a while. For example, when mixed with tomato paste for pizzas, it will be much hotter in three days then right after you mix it. It is as if the heat needs time to settle into the sauce. Two thumbs waaaaaaaaayyyy up on this puppy.

So there you have it, the Defcon MEGA Review. Now stop by Defcon’s website ^[2], buy the collection and tell him Passow from TheHotZoneOnline sent ya! Without this sauce, wing parties just aren’t worth going to.

Condition 3 Taste:10, Heat: 3

Condition 2 Taste:10, Heat: 6

Condition 1 Taste:10, Heat: 8

Condition 0 Taste: Can’t taste anything but heat, Heat: 178,760.98778216