It’s been somewhat astounding to see the portfolio of recognition and awards that Intensity Academy’s ^[1] Chai Chipotle Chup ^[2] has been getting over the past year or so. From the Scovie Awards to The Hot Pepper Awards and beyond, this version of ketchup (a.k.a. chup) has been an ongoing phenomenon.

For one thing, we really like what this product represents. In a world of pre-processed, mass-marketed crap with all sorts of bad chemicals like high fructose corn syrup ^[3] in it, the Intensity Academy products are a breath of fresh air. Being people who grew up really liking ketchup, we have always been on the lookout for new product that has offered a spicy twist on an reliable standard.

Ingredients: tomato concentrate (water, tomato paste), corn syrup, distilled vinegar, salt, onion powder, habanero pepper, chipotle pepper, Organic Chai tea extract and natural spices

We have actually had this bottle open for quite some time now and just realized it was time to put some thoughts in print about it, so here they are!

First impression: This product comes in a big ol’ 12 ounce jar. Now if you’re used to buying your catsup by the quart, this may seem like a paltry amount to have, but it will just be a reminder to buy a lot more if you like it. Opinions here were split on the consistency. Joe felt is was a little too thin for catsup, but Linda (our resident catsup fanatic) thought it was absolutely perfect. Suffice to say, you certainly don’t need to whap the bottle to get an amount of this to emerge. Simple yet effective pastel-ish label that looks great on the shelf as well.

The one thing we can say that puts this product head and tails above the competition is the quality of ingredients. While it does have corn syrup as a sweetening agent, it is not the dreaded high fructose corn syrup that is in nearly every other catsup on the market. The rest of it is all-natural as well, and kudos to Intensity Academy for thinking outside the box with the addition of Chai tea. Definitely sets this product apart from others like it.

Taste: Just to show you how subjective that taste really is, Linda and I both got something different from the straight taste of this product. Linda really like the flavor of the habanero in this sauce and thought the chipotle was somewhat muted, and Joe thought the reverse! Both of us truly enjoyed the sweet meets spicy flavor that made this catsup a joy to use. The Chai taste is nice (especially if you dig the taste of the tea itself,) but it can get a little lost depending on what you use this condiment upon. We could call it “spicy,” but that’s a relative term. Is it spicy compared to regular catsup? Absolutely. Is it spicy compared to other spicy catsups? Not so much. We gave it a 3/10 for heat, and not much accumulation with more consumption.

Whatever you might use catsup with, use the product with it! It’s really simple as that. Our pictures showed us using it with some grilled turkey sausage we made, and it was a nice alternative to our usual usage of mustard. We also tried it with hot dogs, fries, and other catsup-friendly foods, and were quite satisfied with the flavor.

Overall recommendation: This catsup offers a lot to the spicy-food consumer. While just a little bit spicy, it is a whole lot tasty. It offers quality in ingredients not seen in many products, and you’ll find that it goes so well with a variety of foods. You may not want to ever eat regular ol’ ketchup ever again. We definitely liked it. Try some for yourself. Enjoy!

Intensity Academy, LLC
13176 North Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 448
Tampa, FL 33618
http://www.intensityacademy.com ^[1]