Posted September 22, 2006 by clint in Reviews

Review #2: Palmetto Pepper Potions – Trenholm Venom Hot Sauce

Palmetto Pepper Potions – Trenholm Venom

Bottle Description: Trenholm rhymes with venom. The name of a legendary southern shipping captain fits our hottest sauce. Trenhom Venom rages with red habaneros, roasted red peppers, peaches, ginger and herbs. Try it on salmon, oysters, scallops, shrimp, pork, beef lamb, chicken wings, sandwiches, cheeses and vegetables. (Pronounced TREN-um)”

Ingredients: Fire-roasted red peppers, red habanero peppers, fresh onions, peaches, distilled vinegar, fresh garlic, fresh ginger root, fresh herbs, molasses, honey, seasonings, spices, citric acid, xanthan gum, kosher salt

Container: I really enjoy the Palmetto Pepper Potion’s signature (kind of) flask style bottle. It’s a great break from the regular 5 oz bottle. The graphics convey heat but in a very island/Caribbean way.

Appearance: Looks a bit like chili broth. Red and brown but with seeds and pepper suspended among the sauce.

Smell: The initial volley of tart fruit can be alarming to sauce enthusiasts but soon settles into a familiar chile, garlic and salt trifecta.

Consistency: This sauce is thick enough so it won’t run all over your food and thin enough to not clog the opening.

Taste: Trenholm Venom first assaults you with a heavy combination of tart fruit (the peaches) and vinegar first. The sourness of the sauce was pretty alarming to me. The rest of the ingredients are a mere footnote to the mouth puckering fruit and vinegar but are strong enough that their presence is known. This foundation of pepper, salt and vinegar is a little better than adequate. I can understand the need for honey and molasses as Palmetto Potions probable found their first batch too sour.

Heat: 7.6/10 Not a beginner sauce. The heat will be casual for veterans like you guys.

Field Test: Trenholm Venom is extremely finicky. I too tried this sauce on wings and I’ve decided to stick to Defcon sauces. However, this sauce is great on seafood. The sourness goes great with fish so you can forgo the lemon. For the most part you can follow the bottle description recommendations but I would steer clear of beef and lamb. This sauce would ruin beef and lamb.

Final Word: Trenholm Venom is like that friend you certainly have in your group. You know the one that is ok to hang out with on limited occasions. He can be annoying at parties or loud in movies and you end up hating him for a couple weeks. Ultimately, you can understand that he’s a good guy”¦..but there are some social situations you could do without him.

Overall: 7.0/10 This is a specific application sauce which I will personally be using for seafood.