All 3 of Blair’s newest products are now on Sweat ‘N Spice! You can also get the 3-Pack if you are looking to try them all.

Blair’s XXX Hot Fire Roasted Cheddar Cheese Sauce – This is the hottest queso dip ever made – XXX HOT! Made with plenty of fresh red habaneros this queso dip is great on nachos, tacos or as a cracked spread. Pick yourself up a jar today and wow your friends with the heat.
Heat Scale: 10
Scoville Units: ?
Size: 16 oz.
Ingredients: Water, Tomatoes, Cheese Mix, Whey Modified Food Starch, Malodextrin, Dextrose, Salt, Xanthan Gum, Natural Flavoring, Soybean Oil, Onions, Cheese Enhancer, Fire Roasted Habanero, Modified Food Starch, Green Chiles, Salt, Pimentos, Spices and Jalapeno Seasonings.

Blair’s Fire Roasted Tomato Habanero Salsa – Medium – Blair’s Medium Heat Fire Roasted Tomato Habanero Salsa is on of the best shelf stable salsas ever created. Each jar is jam packed with tomatoes and just enough red habanero chili pods to rock your taste buds.
Heat Scale: 5
Scoville Units: ?
Size: 16 oz.
Ingredients: Fresh Diced Tomatoes, Yellow Onions, Red Habanero Chili Pods, Green Bell Peppers, White Vinegar, Water, Fresh Jalapenos, Garlic, Cilantro and Spices.

Blair’s XXX HOT Fire Roasted Tomato Habanero Salsa- Blair has done it again – this time he’s created one of the hottest salsas ever available (with no extracts). The first ingredient in this is Red Habanero Chili Pods – that tells you just how hot it is. Be sure to read the review of Blair’s XXX Hot Salsa on the Hot Sauce Blog. This salsa has enough heat to make you sweat but not enough to make you stop eating.
Heat Scale: 10
Scoville Units: ?
Size: 16 oz.
Ingredients: Red Habanero Chili Pods, Fresh Diced Tomatoes, Yellow Onions, Green Bell Peppers, White Vinegar, Water, Fresh Jalapenos, Garlic, Cilantro and Spices.

Click to Enlarge

The final winners of the first Pimp Your Sauce Contest have been determined. I spent a few hours going over all the data and in the end came out with numbers that really didn’t reflect the final votes you may have saw. I also took into account the # of registered users that voted for each entry and cast my final vote as well.

The Winners:
1 – Entry 4 by eman
2 – Entry 7 by Jim c
3 – Entry 6 by huvason
4 – Entry 15 by Wendy & Vic
5 – Entry 12 by Ryan
6 – Entry 3 by DK
7 – Entry 1 by Adam G
8 – Entry 2 by Chile Chef
9 – Entry 14 by TTP
10 – Entry 13 by Tracy

If you are on the list above, please contact me and we will get your bottle shipped out ASAP. If your on the list and do not contact me within 5 days, your prize will be sent to the next in line. If your on the list and do not want the bottle, let me know and I’ll pass it on to the next in line again.

If I see any of these bottles on eBay or hear about them being sold for a major profit (remeber these are free to you) you will not be allowed in any future contests and will be removed from all collectors lists and updates. This contest was about having fun as a chilehead and set up just for that purpose.

Just an update on the Father-in-law.
He had emergency brain surgery last night and things came out as good as possible. The tumor is most likely cancer but tests are still being done. He is still with us and should be for a while. The biggest thing is he will be here to see his grand child and hopefuly a couple of birthdays. Thanks to all for the e-mails and for everyone being so great, thank you so very much!!!!!!

Also…May is when the now famous baby e-man will be born. When we get back from Atlanta we will have a contest on “guess the b-day and time”. The prize will be something special!!!!

The TEAM HSB shirts are in process!!!!!yeah!! I should have pics of the prototypes next week. I think everyone will be pleased!!

CAPTIAN CAPSICUM will be making another appearance shortly so stay tuned!!!!!

the eman’s

Below is the first round of entries that didn’t make it into the final 15 for the Pimp Your Sauce Contest.

More to come as I process all the images this weekend.

The Blair’s Q Line has been reviewed quite extensively on the HSB. So I thought I would take it a step further and put it into some serious culinary action.

Today’s Menu is Roast Pork Tenderloin marinated in Blair’s Chipotle Slam. The extras will include some mini red potatoes covered in olive oil and Montreal Steak Spice.

Now this is a pretty easy recipe which takes very little prep time and is simple to cook.

Step 1
Defrost Pork Tenderloin (if frozen)

Step 2
Put tenderloin into a dish and cover\smother with Blair’s Chipotle Slam. Cover within Saran Wrap and marinate for at least 1 hour in the fridge. I do this in morning so it gets a good 8 hours of marinating.

Step 3
Take tenderloin out of the fridge about ½ hour before cooking.

Step 5
Place tenderloin in baking dish (along with potatoes) and roast for ½ hour.

Step 6
Enjoy!

I try to be as honest as I can in my reviews. Truth be told, I have been lucky in receiving some incredible sauces to review. And here comes another one. Just opening up my box from www.sweatnspice.com I wish I had some real Jack here to go along with this Jack Daniels 151 Proof BBQ Sauce. The bottle is the same as a bottle of Jack and as soon I opened it I could smell that unmistakable aroma emanating within. I let my fiance try some right off the bat and she was quick to give her nod of approval. This sauce has the perfect consistency, the perfect sweetness and perfect heat.

Ingredients: Tomato concentrate made from red ripe tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, molasses, salt, spices, onion, garlic, green peppers, Worcestershire sauce (including anchovies and tamarinds), lemon juice, natural hickory smoke and other flavours, Jack Daniel’s Black label Whiskey and sodium benzoate.

It turns out my arch nemesis ingredient is in this sauce…molasses. Thankfully it was used more for the sauces consistency then for the taste.

Not only does this sauce taste great, it looks cool too. It would make a nice addition to any BBQ decor (sitting beside a beer) or on the table in front of some ribs and steaks. It is a generous size bottle clocking in at a nice 16oz. So you can feel free to use it liberally.

I wasn’t too impressed by the heat level in this BBQ sauce. I thought it would be a little hotter than most standard BBQ sauces but the heat was pretty much non existent. I will say the creators of this sauce knew what they were doing and promised what they claim, albeit the label is a little misleading with the 151 Proof. I guess I was biased as I have the 151 Proof Habanero Hot Sauce and was expecting the same type of heat level. Heat levels aside I will say its nice to see the amount of work that went into making this sauce.

My field test wasn’t really appropriate for this. The good old chicken strip. I used this as a dip rather than an actual sauce being basted on meat as the instructions said to do on the label. So I am actually going to give this a try with some nice ribs shortly. Come back for the 2^nd part of this review.

This is also one of those sauces that is fun to get all messy with. As Nick showed us his food shrapnel incident at the Defcon Day, this sauce is going to get everywhere. And that is good thing. A real finger licking, ruin your shirt and stain the patio kind of sauce.

I would give this BBQ sauce a try. It just may be more suited to your palate than mine. For the size and price point of this sauce I would definitely say give it a try.

Packaging – 10/10
Aroma - 8/10
Appearance – 7/10
Taste - 7.5/10
Heat - 3/10
Overall – 7.5/10

Historic Lynchburg Tennessee Whiskey Barbeque Sauce – 151 Proof
Simmered and Bottled by Lynchburg Merchandise Co.
P.O. Box 8007, Lynchburg TN 37352
1-800-YUMM-911

Oh me oh my, what a month it has been! I feel like I’ve been on a roller coaster of busy and there’s no station to pull into and slow down. And you know what? I like it! But I wanted to drop in and let you, the die hard HSBers, know what has been happening behind the scenes.

April always starts rough, first April Fools & then the birthday – and this year was no different. I think I still have emails to follow up from March, so if you are one of those waiting for a response, please be patient – or send me a nice reminder.

So April started with a bang, then taxes and then… I broke my right hand. Yep, talk about dumb, I fought a wall and the wall won. It’s not a bad break, but for about a week I’ve had it wrapped and have been hen-pecking at the keyboard, hence the fewer then normal posts – and almost no reviews by me. Thank you to the reviewers for continuing to supply the readers with the fodder they so desire.

The HSB has grown into quite a successful empire of heat and because of that, I want to inform you that the HSB is proud to introduce ChrisK as our latest reviewer. But, beyond being a reviewer, ChrisK also has the power of moderation and will be acting as my eyes and ears when I’m not “on duty”. We are now receiving over 200+ comments a day, and since I want to have a life with the wife, I decided to get help and turn to one of the folks who I know is on the HSB just as much as me. And down the road, if the workload becomes too much for the two of us, we’ll bring in more help. Look for Chris’s introduction in the upcoming week or so.

And on top of all the busy HSB items, Sweat ‘N Spice is going stronger then ever and my 9-5 job is really working me over.

The Ultimate Blog Sauce labels are nearing their final round of international signers, then they will be coming back to me and w I will organize the sending lists and get them moving within a week of arrival. Two sets will be mailed out, so please keep that in mind.

Spice for Soldiers – Once my hand is 100%, I’ll begin the final touches on the design. The layout mockups and of course the logo are complete.

In other news, the brother-in-law is in town for the Tribeca Film Festival – screening two movies: Boy Culture & Alone with Her. We’re going to one of the premiers next week.

So that’s whats happening behind the scenes here on the HSB. I’ve got a ton of messages to return & a collector’s corner to organize by this weekend, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Oh yeah, still haven’t eaten a single hot wing since the Defcon Contest.

Source – It just got a lot hotter on Capitol Hill. Half a block from Eastern Market, the newly opened Uncle Brutha’s Hot Sauce Emporium stocks more than 300 hot sauces on shelves along its exposed red brick walls. “From mild to wild” is how founder Brennan Proctor describes his selection of small bottles, most with brightly colored labels and not a few off-color names.

Novelty and adult-themed sauces, many with names unprintable in a family newspaper, are on hand for “the young in mind,” joked Colette Proctor, Brennan’s mother and the store’s official owner.

Looking for jerk seasoning? Choose from imported Jamaican brands such as Walkerswood ($4.89 for a 10-ounce bottle) or Baltimore-made Gracie’s Gotcha Ginger Jerk Sauce ($9.79 for 10-ounce bottle). Or, for something mild and unique, try Nor’Easter’s sweet, no-burn blend of apples and habanero chili peppers ($5.89 for a five-ounce bottle).

After slipping on a pair of protective latex gloves, Colette Proctor offered samples and guidance to a couple from Cambridge, New Zealand. Nigel Townsend likes his sauces hot; his wife Kathy favors milder flavors. They happily settle on the sweet heat of Georgia Peach and Vidalia Onion Hot Sauce ($5.39 for a five-ounce bottle), made by Peppers, a firm based in Rehoboth Beach, Del.

Amid the vast selection, Brennan Proctor’s own sauces are standouts. Uncle Brutha’s Fire Sauce No. 10, a smoky, scorching blend of four chili peppers — habaneros, red and green jalapeños and serranos — took Proctor 10 years to perfect (hence the “No. 10″). His Fire Sauce No. 9 — a serrano-based chili verde laced with ginger, scallions and cilantro — sets off fewer alarms but still burns nicely (both are $4.99 for a five-ounce bottle).

The District native, 42, began bottling and selling the multi-award winning sauces at Eastern Market two years ago. His success led to the new store, which he runs with help from his mother and his sister, Brigette. Coming soon: eight more Uncle Brutha’s sauces — an eagerly anticipated heat wave.

Uncle Brutha’s Hot Sauce Emporium, 323 Seventh St. SE. Open Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Monday. Call 202-546-3473. – Make sure to tell the you saw it on the HSB!

It took some time, but I was finally available to grab a moment of Canada’s Largest Producer of hot sauces time. The venerable Greg Brooks and his wife Tina Brooks were kind enough to shed some light on their unique products and their constant quest to fire up the palates of the Great White North and Beyond.

Questions:
1. Why hot sauce? Where did the idea come from for you to get involved doing this??
GB: It’s the closest legal thing to a near-death experience that I’ve been able to achieve. I liken it to swimming in Hurricanes. The feeling I get when I’m underwater and I’m about to come up for a breath. It’s the same feeling. I’m sure that mountain climbers, sky-divers and other seekers of the juice of life experience a similar thing.
TB: The idea originally comes from Greg’s head. He moved to the Bahamas as a young boy, and that’s where he learned about the food enhancing qualities of hot peppers. He made his first hot sauce, by crushing Bahamian goat peppers in lime juice when he was 8. As he grew up, he was all about creating great food. Even during his Duke of Edinburgh Gold Scheme, rather than figure out survival food, like everyone else, Greg’s team was eating 3 and 5 course meals. After graduating university, he opened a restaurant, the Apple Tree Landing, in Canning Nova Scotia. After a few years, he started canning his sauces and selling them under the name, Constant Creation. He enjoyed a modicum of success but went out of business when he broke up with his ex-wife. About two and a half years ago, Greg and I discussed his getting back into the sauce business and it began. It’s been very busy around here ever since. I managed to convince Greg to focus on pure hot sauces and to not worry about whether or not non-chiliheads could eat them because nobody else focuses on us. We’ve since become the largest dedicated hot sauce manufacturer in Canada.

2. If you had to pick a favourite sauce yours, which would it be??
GB: Fusion Fire.
TB: I’d pick the Jerked Curry. It’s a Madras Curry spiked with Bahamian Jerk spice; allspice and fresh organic thyme. I can easily say it’s the best curry in the entire world!

3. Any new products we should be ready for from your line?
GB: Fire Roasted Peppered Oils

4. Where do you see the future of hot sauce in Canada 5 years from now?
GB: In Albuquerque. For any hot sauce product manufactuerd in Canada to become successful, it must penetrate the US market. which is more fully developed than in Canada, probably because of the more southern connections in Florida, Texas, New Mexico, California; etc. So to see the future of hot sauce in Canada, I just have to look to the US market, as it is now.

5. What is your favourite sauce that you don’t make?
GB: Conch’d Out. It comes from Nassau. It’s made with fresh peppers, and fresh papaya and is low in vinegar.

6. Do you eat the sauce you make?
GB: 2 or three of them every day as I’m working on a cookbook and must document my use. When I’m not working on the cookbook, I’ll usually use at least one a day. I used two at lunch today.
TB: Greg does most of the cooking in our house, it’s hard not to eat his sauces; besides, they’re soooooo good, I even carry them with me when we go out to eat.

7. What’s a typical day for you?
GB: It depends on what mode I’m in. Whether I’m in development, writing the cookbook, or in the kitchen, in production or in the office doing administrative functions.

8. What sets you aside from the other hot sauce producers out there today?
GB: Experience: I have over 43 years of experience making and eating hot sauces, I have owned and operated an international style dining room and written two best-selling cookbooks. I have prepared a huge number of different ethnic or regional cooking styles that over the years. My ability to manipulate the background flavours in the presence of extreme hot peppers, and my exceptional sense of balance. Ultimately, I take it back to my mother feeding me scotch by the tablespoonful when I was an infant; I think it cracked open my tastebuds making me open to all of the essences, nuances and flavours of food that escape others’ palates. Like a chess-master, I can anticipate the final outcome before I begin.

9. What is your inspiration before you embark on a new concoction?
GB: It’s usually a series of apparent coincidences that drive me towards a new product or idea. One concoction I put together was the Chili Chocolate Passion. My wife asked me to make a mole sauce. I didn’t think the North American palate was really ready for it, so I took the idea of chocolate and pepper and turned it into something that I believed would be acceptable to the American palate.

10. Outside of creating hot products, what else keeps you occupied or out of trouble?
GB: My family and my six children are a huge drain on my energies. Mountain biking, swimming in hurricanes (although I don’t get to do that very often anymore), reef diving (when we’re in the islands — there aren’t many reefs in Rigaud, Quebec), any time left is consumed by sleep which is the only thing that keeps me completely out of trouble.

11. Any weird stories or uses for your hot sauce that you would like to share?
GB: I gave a couple of samples of our hot sauces to my lawyer. He discovered that he had a pre-existing ulcer and it put him into the hospital. He threatened to sue. I guess, on occasion, it can be used for medical diagnosis of ulcers.
TB: We have a group of hunters who go out hunting game in the fall. They come in for a dozen Fusion Fire before they go. They’re using it to field dress their game while in the field. I guess it works really well, because they keep coming back.

12. How much sauce do you make in a week?
GB: Sometimes zero, sometimes 10,000 jars. It depends on the orders. With our new renovations completed, I am capable of making over 70,000 jars a week.

13. How many different recipes do you go through when developing a new sauce?
GB: Usually no more than two. The Chocolate took on the first try, but the Cajun went through five evolutions.

14. How did you get started in the industry?
GB: We started by introducing the sauces on the Canadian Craft Show circuit.

15. What is your biggest challenge?
GB: Balancing the insistent demands of rapid growth with cash flow.

Brooks Pepperfire Foods Inc.
26 St-Jean Baptiste, East
Rigaud, Quebec
J0P 1P0
Phone 1-866-451-6770
www.peppermaster.com