After a major spate of envy after reading Nick’s review of Defcon’s Habby Horse, I jumped at the opportunity to pick up a jar of my own. I have a love of horseradish rivaling my love of hot sauce, and the though of the Creator’s demented mingling of those two burns was something that I’ve been eagerly anticipating since I first caught wind that such a project was in the works, many months ago.
The Habby Horse arrived at my doorstep nestled amid bottles of Defcon 1, 2 and 3, in an old fashioned canning jar. I could almost smell the vapors through the jar.
In my feverish rush to break open the Habby Horse, I thoroughly destroyed the handwritten message from the Creator, and instead got a healthy dose of silver marker all over my hands. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture until after I tore into it. Oh, well, this baby was meant to be an eater and not a collector.
On First Taste
I took my first taste of Habby Horse on a cracker, half expecting combustion to occur in my nasal cavities. Instead, I found a mellow, pleasant horseradish burn that was up front, clean, and crisp. Initially surprised at the mellowness, I quickly got a heavy punch in the back of the throat that took me by surprise, courtesy of the habaneros. The heat came on quickly and intensely, lighting a nice sized blaze all the way down my throat that I could feel clean into my stomach. It kept a healthy burn going for several minutes. Habby Horse won’t ignite your nose hair, but the burn sure won’t leave you lacking for burn. The flavor is great, a perfect blend of freshly ground horseradish and quality habanero flavor.
On Food
Habby Horse practically begs for a good steak. Fortunately, I had just the thing on hand – a half a Delmonico steak left over from my anniversary dinner at the Capitol Grille in Troy the day before. If only I’d had this stuff in time for the first go round!
The Habby Horse was quite simply perfect. It’s hands down the best horseradish sauce I’ve ever had. With the level of anticipation I had coming into this trial, I seriously risked disappointment simply by expectation. Instead, Defcon’s Habby Horse exceeded all my elevated expectations. Creator, please, please bring this to market!!! I won’t have this jar for long.
Conclusion:
Defcon’s Habby Horse is a truly exceptional product. With good fresh horseradish taste and habanero burn to spare, it’s a must try for any horseradish lover. Even though the burn is significant, I would actually love to see even more heat – mixing this with a vial of Defcon Zero would be even better.
Packaging – I dig the retro look and personal signature. 9.5 out of 10.0
Aroma- Horseradish and Hab, aka heaven. 9.9 out of 10.0
Appearance – Interesting salmon color, great texture. 9.0 out of 10.0
Taste – Pure decadence. 9.9 out of 10.0
Heat – Minor nasal burn, major heat. 9.0 out of 10.0
Overall Rating: 9.5 out of 10.0