It’s officially spring and not long after that is the start of summer. Since I’ve made the commitment to eat healthier and lose the weight I re-gained since getting sick last year, I joined Weight Watchers (again) and have successfully counted points and made healthy decisions for the last week and a half – and, as soon as I find a scale I will weigh myself to see just how all of that counting has paid off. As part of getting healthy, I have had to re-focus on eating the right things, including increasing my protein intake and decreasing my carbohydrate intake. My husband and I even bought propane for the grill this year, and we have been grilling out for the last few meals. So, it seemed like the perfect time to roll out my Summer Hot Sauce Review.

My show-stopper was the grilled lamb I made the other night with grilled poblano peppers and even grilled Naan Bread. My husband said he liked the flavor of the pepper so much, it is his new favorite one.

I also really enjoyed the flavor. Poblano’s are not overly spicy (they are classified as mild), but have a rich, almost what I would describe as an earthly flavor with just the right amount of spice to make them good.

As you know, I have a serious hot sauce addiction and no summer would be complete without the addition of hot sauce into my refrigerator, which is already packed full of hot sauce, but we won’t go there….really….

There’s more on the shelves and most visitors think it’s ridiculous. They reach for water and they get hot sauce. I just noticed my favorite is not even in the above picture, which is Sambal Oelek. I would like to own stock in your company (or jut more of your chili paste), please and thank you. And, yes, I know all of my hot sauces/spices and which one goes with what food and if one is ever missing, bad, bad things can happen!

My friends (the real ones, anyway) also know about my love for hot sauce and the do things like visit the Pepper Palace on their family vacations to the Smoky Mountains just to bring me back a present.

Sitting in their kitchen on the night they bestowed these beautiful gifts upon me, I could not wait to try at least one thing, Ghost Pepper Nuts-

If you recall, Naga Jolokia (or ghost chilies) are some of the hottest peppers in the world and they are fantastic in chili, I might add. These. Were. Amazing. I say were because they are gone now, but I am seriously considering ordering some. They took my breath away a little bit, they were that hot. Once I brought them home, they only lasted about a week. So, ten stars out of five for Da Bomb Ghost Pepper Nuts. I’m addicted. They’re so good. If you can handle extreme heat, get some (or get some and try them and if you don’t like them, I accept gifts).

Here is the rest of my review (ranked in order from least to most favorite, excluding the coveted Ghost Pepper Nuts):

#6 Maker’s Mark Gourmet Sauce

This has no heat (and this is a hot sauce review) so it ranks the lowest, however, it does have a good, rich flavor that would be nice for barbecuing or dipping steak/chicken (as my husband does). It is a thick sauce, which I like for grilling.

#5 Panola Clearly Hot Sauce Salsa 

This caught me off guard because it tastes exactly like salsa, mild salsa, that is. It would be great in a gumbo or on fajitas/burritos/tacos. I prefer hot salsa so I would use this in cooking gumbo or crawfish etouffee and people can add their own heat later.

#4 Tennessee Heat

This hot sauce reminds me of Tabasco and it will be a good staple to have – it goes with anything and provides jut the right amount of heat and flavor. My sister even tried it with chicken and rice (she is not a huge hot sauce fan) and liked it. It would be good with seafood, chicken, steak and eggs. I like this as a good alternative to Tabasco. I took it to my Dad’s to keep at his house because I really do need hot sauce no matter where I go (and not everyone has a supply, I am told).

#3 Scorpion Stinger

Scorpion peppers are apparently a new “breed” of peppers and rival the heat in ghost chilies. This hot sauce was just really good and packs a good punch of fiery heat. I still would argue that the ghost pepper is hotter, thought. Maybe it depends on what you eat it with.

#2/#1 Mountain Q Honey Habanero Hot Barbecue

This BBQ sauce is phenomenal! Habaneros are one of my favorite peppers (I have been known to eat them right out of the garden) and this sauce is deliciously hot with habanero heat. The BBQ has a sweet smoky taste that makes this sauce perfect for dipping. I grilled wings in it and it was so good. I might have to order this one too as it is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. This sauce is simply made with all natural ingredients, no preservatives and nothing I can’t pronounce, which inches it that much closer to a #1 in my book!

#1/#2 The Hottest Sauce in the Universe

I’ll give it to Pepper Palace, this just might be one of the hottest sauces in the universe and the warning is more than fair-

I used a couple more drops than recommended, of course, but you can taste the ghost pepper right away. That pepper is hot and I think is my second favorite next to habanero. Yum! This sauce is for those who are looking for pure heat.

I promptly labeled all of my hot sauces with Cuties stickers, which made me smile – what better use for a Cuties sticker than put it on a hot sauce lid? Both make me smile.

What about you? Do you like hot Are you obsessed with hot sauce like me? Do you have a favorite pepper? Do you cook with hot sauce or put it on your food? Is there any hot sauce I just have to try? Tell me in the comments!

Until the next mile marker,

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