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Hellfire Hot Sauce Private Reserve: Pure Hell

Hellfire Hot Sauce Private Reserve: Pure Hell. Just the name conjures visions of fire, brimstone and eternal torment (Mmmm, tasty, tasty torment). But, this sauce gives the spicy foods connoisseur something else. It gives us something which should be desired more than anything else, and yes, even more than heat (although that’s still important!). This sauce gives us a fresh, vibrant and bold taste that can be used in so many ways on so many foods. Another distinction for this sauce is that it’s all natural, with no capsaicin extracts. The result is a heat from natural sources that imparts taste as well as significant heat, yet with none of the metallic bitterness sometimes associated with extract sauces. And, there’s just enough heat that veteran fire-eaters can enjoy as much of this superb sauce as they want without suffering too much of the pain which normally comes with eternal judgment; but for the novice, “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” The fiery infernos of this sauce are fueled by a cornucopia of hot peppers which include the Bhut Jolokia, Trinidad 7 Pot, Trinidad Scorpion and Red Savina Habanero. Part of thebecame obscured, but I can still make out that the sauce also contains cilantro, garlic and spices.

Hellfire hot sauces really came to my attention when I saw reviews of their Blueberry Hell on I Love it Spicy’s website. I was immediately intrigued and purchased a few different sauces including the Hellfire Private Reserve: Pure Hell. A few days later I saw Brad Bishop’s additional review for Blueberry Hell (which is also a winner that I’ll be commenting on in the near future) for I Love it Spicy, and he had tried it on bean and cheese tacos. Though I usually prefer some kind of charred animal flesh on my tacos and burritos, it immediately brought back memories of going to The Green Burrito across Pacific Coast Highway as a teenager after long mornings of surfing 6-8 foot breakers. The Green Burrito (now a part of Carl’s Jr.) used to have some of the best fast food Mexican/Tex-Mex in southern California, and one of my sentimental favorites was their simple bean and cheese burrito. It weighed about two pounds and gave you all the energy you needed to put in another few hours of wave riding. Though not “authentic,” making your own is quick and easy. I just got some cheap store bought flour tortillas, some Bush’s fat free refried beans, and Sargento’s shredded Mexican 4 cheese blend, along with some chopped white onions, and instead of the Blueberry Hell (which also works remarkably well on this), I poured on a generous helping of the Pure Hell Private Reserve.

The addition of Hellfire Hot Sauce’s Pure Hell makes the basic bean and cheese burrito pure heaven.

Pure Hell Private Reserve is noteworthy on its own, but it did not become apparent to me how well it would work on Mexican fare until I tried it on this, and then it just seemed like a natural for all kinds of Mexican and Tex-Mex. As well as the sauce’s overall vibrancy, it is also savory with a pleasant level of heat, and a slight tartness that’s reminiscent, at least to me, of a hint of lime juice. Peppers and lime are obviously a significant part of Mexican cuisine, but I would also recommend this sauce on almost anything including pizza, burgers, eggs, enchiladas, burritos, tacos, tortilla chips, wings, and even on egg rolls (which I will try soon to see if I’m right). I could also imagine that a generous portion of this on the rim of a can of Tecate, along with some kosher salt, would be a refreshing treat on a hot summer’s day. Hellfire Hot Sauces can be purchased online at www.hellfirehotsauce.com.