Matt in Bloggers

Hellfire Hot Sauce Chilimaster’s Reserve

Unique, intriguing, versatile. Chilimaster’s Reserve is probably the “sleeper” hit of the last several months as far as hot sauces go. Definitely one of the most distinctive and flavorful I’ve had in a long time, while, very importantly, also bringing the heat. This is not a “been there; done that” sauce, and rarely is a hot sauce a culinary exploration in and of itself. It is, quite literally, an adventure in flavors and usage. In case you doubt it, check out the ingredients in this bad boy: chocolate habanero scorpion, jolokia, Naga and 7-Pot peppers, black raspberries, black plums, cherry juice, blueberries, premium chocolate, maple syrup, honey, vanilla bean, cinnamon, Kentucky bourbon, Black Death Vodka, salt, vinegar and spices. The ingredients are well blended to a perfect consistency that flows easily, yet holds onto almost any food one would think to put it on. Flavorwise, what stands out most to me are the peppers on the front end, with chocolate and vanilla, laced with hints of fruit and cinnamon, on the back, rounded out with a nice slow-building heat. The heat isn’t for the inexperienced chilehead, and this is one reason I would mainly recommend CR for advanced fire-eaters. The overall flavor being so good, that unless you can handle the heat, you might be distracted from what is a complex and tasty sauce.

And as far as complexity is concerned, some may think that CR contains too many, widely divergent ingredients; and they may have a point. For instance, I honestly can’t taste the Kentucky bourbon or the particulars of Black Death Vodka that make it a favorite of Slash from GN’R. Nor do I have a palate sophisticated enough to pick out the different nuances of flavor and heat that each pepper type brings to the mix. But, the end result should really be the ultimate determiner as to whether this is a sauce worth checking out; and I say, definitely. Awesome on grilled burgers, wings, pizza, macaroni and cheese, as a BBQ sauce, or, that “secret ingredient” to be used in any number of dishes. It does take some getting used to, but this is part of the “adventure” aspect to me, and part of what makes this hot sauce an exciting one. Hellfire Hot Sauce’s products are increasingly showing up on the spicy foods radar precisely because they’re not afraid to push boundaries, experiment, and along the way create some truly groundbreaking sauces.

Chilimaster’s Reserve on Reese’s peanut butter morsel brownies. As a man, the word “scrumptious” isn’t one I use very often; but this was, well, you know…

Chilimaster’s Reserve is a limited edition that I was very fortunate to get to try, BUT, hopefully there’ll be enough clamoring in the chilehead community so that Hellfire will put it in their regular line up. And Chilimaster’s Reserve is by no means their only sauce; Blueberry Hell and Pure Hell are also winners. Check out Hellfire Hot Sauce here.