Here we go folks, the last part of the two part review of Devil Duck’s (aka Lynn Duck) homemade sauces. If you didn’t catch the first part, be sure to check it out right here

Devil Duck: Nuclear Scurvy Ingredients: Habaneros, Jalapeños, Distilled White Vinegar, Onion, Garlic, Spices, Olive Oil.

This last one continues his Sea theme, caring the name “Nuclear Scurvy”. For those that don’t know, Scurvy results from a lack of Vitamin C, thus causing lots of problems for the body. Why is this related to the sea, you might ask? Well, in the long distance sea fairing days, Scurvy would afflict most crewmembers because of the lack of fruits and fresh food on board. By adding the word “nuclear” in the title, it gives one a sense that this sauce is from the future. When Depleted Uranium poisoning, and nuclear bombs have devastated the earth, making Scurvy even more prevalent due to the lack of viable citrus seeds and trees. Lynn, high marks for the name my friend.

Like his other sauce, this has one of the weirdest colors I’ve ever seen in a hot sauce. It’s almost a putrid green with small, pin head sized dots of spices and chunks of peppers suspended in the liquid. The green color probably comes from unrippened Jalapenos (typically used in the industry, even though red, ripened ones have more flavor and heat) and a combination of spices. The red Habaneros that are suspended are an awesome contrast to the main color of the sauce. They almost glow in comparison. Maybe this sauce is nuclear and that’s the result of it being irradiated…eek!

When poured out onto a spoon, one notices that it is a mixture of smooth and some chunks. When you look at the liquid in the bottle (which separates oddly due to the use of Olive Oil) you notice it appears quite viscous, but when poured out, it becomes a little thick. The vinegar separates from the mixture within a minute of sitting which means that too much was used.

The first tasting of this sauce hits you like a nuclear blast. It’s a big boom of heat mixed with the bitterness of vinegar. I was a bit disappointed by this, I must say. My suggestion would be to lessen the amount of vinegar and add some citrus juice. Not only would it eliminate the bitter taste of the vinegar, it would fit with the Scurvy theme and also compliment the fruity taste of the Habaneros.

Once you get past the initial blast and try it a second time, the flavors really start to shine. Upfront is the fruity taste of Habaneros with the sweet taste of Jalapenos floating in the background waiting to fall on your tongue like radioactive fallout in the first rain after the bomb was dropped. I also detect a bit of onion,, which also lends its sweetness to the first two ingredients. Rounding off the bend is cumin. I can taste that one from a mile away. A little bit too much has been added though, because when you use too much, the bitter taste of it really starts to come out.

There is also a nice aromatic and thick taste floating around the taste buds. Having much experience with sage, I’m going to have to say that’s one of the secret “spices”. Although you can also get that thick taste from rosemary, I’m still going to have to go with sage. It adds a very nice finishing texture and flavor to the whole shebang. I half expected to be scolding Lynn for the use of Olive Oil, but it actually works wonderfully as a thickener in this sauce. Olive Oil tends to have a nasty habit of leaving a greasy film on the tongue, bit not in this case. The only way you’ll be able to detect it is if you either look at the bottle when it’s separated or take a peak at the ingredients.

Now that all the tasting is done, we get to my favorite part; the heat. Like the name states, this thing is nuclear! It knocked my socks off the first time I tried it three months ago at Lynn’s house, and it still does now. Even the smallest amount will set off an endorphin rush. Heck, I’m feeling very dizzy as I am typing this review. I guess that’s what I get for downing a whole spoonful. This has a big hit with a beautiful linger that will rival most extract sauces.

In closing, I have one bit of advice for Lynn when he makes the labels for this product. Put the following on the label, “Consume sauce while cold”. I tried this sauce warm a little bit ago before I refrigerated it and was regretting that I would have to give a negative review. The vinegar and cumin really gagged me and the tastes were way off from what they should be. But once I refrigerated it and tried some, it’s was a whole other ballgame and resulted in the above review.

Taste: 7.9, Heat: 9.6

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post.