I always approach one of CaJohns’ hot sauces with a sense of anticipation because they have always been good. That said, this sauce given to me by CaJohn was one I really wanted to try out because I have had pretty good tasting experience with chocolate habanero sauces. For those who may not know, the ‘chocolate’ designation is merely due to their color, not a reference to any of the confectons that originate from the bean of the tropical cacao tree. In fact, Dave DeWitt has info that indicates that the ‘Chocolate Habanero’ variety that rated the highest on the heat scale of all chiles tested in 2001 at New Mexico State University. Looking at that those Scoville test results, you can see this:

Scotch Bonnet 75496
Red Savina 256341
Orange Habanero 295529
Chocolate Brown Habanero 301065

More recent Scoville test numbers have ranked the Red Savina much higher (and the new Nagas may put them all to shame), but that doesn’t change the fact that the chocolate habanero is one hot capsicum chinense. If you got it, flaunt it…right? Looking at the recipe for this sauce, this one has:

Ingredients: vinegar, chocolate habanero chiles, habanero powder, sugar, salt, garlic, xantham gum

Not a gourmet shopping list by any stretch, but one that looks pretty straightforward. Not everyone has the best of luck incorporating a spice powder into a hot sauce because of issues with it settling out over time, but if anyone can do it…CaJohn can.

First impression: For one thing, I really like the label graphics. This sauce will look good on the shelf for as long as you like, although opening it leads to a lot more fun. Shaking the bottle, it’s pretty obvious that it is a very liquid sauce. You can see some granules floating within the sauce, although I wasn’t sure if those might be the garlic or the hab powder. The aroma is pure habanero with strong vinegar overtones as well. Pouring some out to get a better look, I saw this:

Not the most aesthetically-pleasing looking sauce compared to some, but it definitely matters a lot more how it tastes rather than how it looks. It poured our quickly and easily from the spout, which gave me some ideas of how I might want to try this sauce out.

Taste: Wow, this one has great habanero taste! Due to the high vinegar content, it reminded me a little of what I thought of the Tabasco sauce when I tried it…but the braintrust at McIlhenny could never create a habanero sauce like this. Despite the acidity, you can still taste the garlic undertones aside from the habanero heat. Did I mention heat? This one has it in abundance, and I’d give this sauce a 9.6/10 on the heat scale. The chocolate hab taste is not a unique one to my humble tastebuds compared to some other varieties of habaneros, but it is no less good in taste either.

For one thing, my tasting adventures reminded me of one salient lesson about the habanero: respect the heat. By shaking out some of this sauce will-nilly over my food, I quickly realized how little it takes to completely pollute about anything you like with capsaicin-laden heat. Soups & stews seemed to benefit the most, as the liquidity of the sauce blends right into the format of the food. That said, I even tried it out over my tossed salad…mixing the dressing in along with it to make my rabbit-food tolerable for any chilehead. I liked using it as an adjunct to steak sauce, and it made any meat I tried with more pleasurable to heat…even if I was sucking a little wind three or four bites into my meal.

Overall recommendation: CaJohn has not re-created the wheel with this sauce, but he has made a “Louisiana-style” chocolate habanero sauce that all the heat lovers should definitely make an effort to try. Abundant with both heat and flavor, this one has got more utility than you might think. It’s a little bit thin to use in everything, but you will have fun testing it out our your entree items. Simplicity can be good in a hot sauce, and this one revels in its simplicity. Try it out and see for yourself. Just don’t tell the Red Savina that it ever came in second place (or even third place?) to a chocolate-colored pepper. It might cause it to develop a grudge. Enjoy!

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