Endorphin Rush and HazMat Hot Sauces have been stalwarts in the semi-hot sauce realm for years. Under the shadow of the big boys they have consistently proven the longevity of their simple ingredients and roaring heat.

I am reviewing both of these at the same time to differentiate the tastes and heat levels of these extract sauces who, on paper, are quite similar.

Endorphin Rush Ingredients: Tomato paste, water, pepper extract, vinegar, sugar, molasses and soy sauce.

Endorphin Rush is rated at 33,900 Scoville Units. At one point it was the closest sauce you could get to Dave’s. By today’s standards it deserves the respect it has garnered but is no where close to today’s super hots. As it goes for tastes I think it is quite good. Personally I don’t like the molasses but the tomato base helps take that edge away. The initial heat is sharp and intense but does not last very long. I actually had it with some pizza the other night and I didn’t even notice the heat. Perhaps this is a sign I have burned my tastes my buds off?

Endorphin Rush
Packaging – 8/10
Aroma – 5/10
Appearance – 6/10
Taste – 6.5/10
Heat – 7/10

Overall – 6.5/10

HazMat has been one of those sauces that you always see but for some reason always passed by. I tried to find the Scoville Rating for it but to no avail. My best guess is that it is in the 100,000 range. This sauce is hot – but not killer hot. One of the great things about the bottle is that it has one of those stoppers in it that lets you add it one drop at a time. You need it for this sauce. I wouldn’t use HazMat as a sauce though. The extract taste is simply overpowering and the capsaicin taste is very strong. They do warn you though that it should be used as an additive and I agree with them there. Other extract sauces can be used as a condiment but I just mix this in bigger dishes.

HazMat
Packaging – 7/10
Aroma – 4/10
Appearance – 4/10
Taste – 4/10
Heat – 9/10

Overall – 5/10