The Original Hot Sauce Blog — Since 2004
I started Hot Sauce Blog in 2004 because nobody was writing seriously about hot sauce on the internet. There were forums. There were a few brave souls selling sauces online. But there wasn’t a single dedicated blog covering reviews, news, events, and the culture of heat. So I built one.
What started as a personal obsession turned into the internet’s first hot sauce blog. Over the years, I tasted thousands of hot sauces, attended more hot sauce expos than I can count, visited pepper farms, toured sauce production facilities, and met the makers behind the bottles. From superhot extract sauces that made me question my life choices to craft fermented sauces that changed how I think about flavor — I’ve been through it all.
Back From the Shelf
After about 12 years of sitting on the shelf, Hot Sauce Blog is back. Life got busy — career, family, the usual reasons good things go dormant. But the hot sauce world never stopped growing, and neither did my obsession with it. So I’m resurrecting the original blog, dusting off the archive of 2,500+ posts, and picking up right where I left off. Same honest reviews. Same love for the culture. Just a fresh coat of paint and a lot of catching up to do.
What You’ll Find Here
Hot Sauce Blog covers everything in the world of heat:
- Reviews — Honest, detailed reviews of hot sauces, BBQ sauces, salsas, dry rubs, spicy foods, and restaurants. I never accept money for reviews. Period.
- Recipes — Spicy recipes from my kitchen and from fellow chileheads who know their way around a pepper.
- Hot Sauce News — What’s happening in the hot sauce industry, new product launches, events, and trends.
- Peppers — Growing guides, pepper profiles, Scoville ratings, and everything you need to know about the peppers that make it all possible.
About Nick Lindauer
I’m Nick Lindauer — founder of Hot Sauce Blog, chilehead since before that was a word people used, and the guy who’s been writing about hot sauce longer than most hot sauce brands have existed.
By day, I’m VP of AI GTM & Digital Experience at Daxko, where I lead go-to-market strategy at the intersection of AI and digital marketing. That blend of marketing expertise, technology obsession, and an unhealthy relationship with capsaicin is what keeps this blog running.
I’ve been featured in various media outlets for my hot sauce expertise and have built relationships across the industry — from small-batch craft makers to the biggest names in the business. But what matters most is that every review, every recommendation, and every word on this site comes from genuine experience and honest opinion.
The Honest Review Promise
I have never accepted money for a review. Some products I buy myself. Some are sent to me by makers. Either way, my reviews are honest and unbiased. If a sauce is great, I’ll tell you. If it’s not, I’ll tell you that too. That policy hasn’t changed since 2004, and it never will. You can read the full details on my Review Policy page.
Get in Touch
Want to send a sauce for review? Have a tip on hot sauce news? Just want to talk about peppers? Hit me up through the contact page or find me on social media. I read everything.