Straight from the Arctic Circle comes a line of hot sauces that you will be hanging up your stockings for. But what? It’s only June. Yes, Virginia, but now is the time to stock up on Santa’s best: a line of hot sauces that could melt the polar ice cap and send Santa’s workshop south for the winter. Until now, only Mrs. Claus knew that Santa liked it hot.

This is Blazing Blitzen, the latest in the line of Santa-based hot sauces straight from the Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska. Along with Blizten, there is Screaming Santa, Red Hot Rudolph, and Santa’s Special Blend Extra Reserve.

OK, enough ballyhoo; let’s get down to business. The initial reaction I had when receiving my Blazing Blitzen was a big eye-roll. I figured it was just a marketing gimmick for the Santa Clause House in Alaska. The label is kind of crudely designed, and it looks like it was printed on an ink jet printer.

Ooo, that smell
I have found that the first time you open a bottle of hot sauce, the initial smell is going to be strong with vinegar. Blitzen was no different. I was really suspicious of this vinegar smell because it just reeked of low quality, something I would expect from a marketing gimmick.

But the shocking vinegar scent died down after a little while of breathing. Who knew that a bottle of hot sauce would react the same way as a bottle of wine.

Sights and Taste
The color of Blazing Blitzen is a bright orange-red from the carrots in the bottle. Interestingly enough, the ingredients list is short and does not contain any synthetic product.

I was not prepared for the wallop that Blitzen packed. It packs a huge punch. It is hot … very very hot. And the ingredients list does not give away the exact heat-producing method. It just says “fresh, hot peppers.” I’m guessing that Santa can get the best stuff.

I tried Blazing Blitzen on all sorts of foods: chips, pizza, burgers, eggs, macaroni, steak, chicken, and egg rolls. It was all good. The flavor was typical for a simple sauce such as this: vinegary with a hint of carrot and pepper. But it wasn’t overpowering, which allowed me to pour it on to my mouth’s desire.

I wouldn’t consider this to be an outstanding award-winning masterpiece of culinary creation, but it is good. It’s a sauce that I would love to keep handy in the fridge whenever I need a blast of heat on my food.

Overall rating: 6.5 out of 10