This weeks review is of Sauce Crafters’ “Satan’s Rage”. The label depicts what seems like a particularly peeved Beelzebub bust on an infernal backdrop. It actually eerily reminds me of a very bad night in college. The obligatory description does its’ best to scare the crap out of you with words like ‘overpowered” and phrases like “evil intrusion”. The ingredient list is pretty standard with Fire Roasted Habaneros, Vinegar, Ghost Chili’s, salt, and Xanthan Gum…..Xanthan Gum? I don’t really ever see the need for gums and starches in hot sauce. You can usually get the texture and consistency you’re looking for by adjusting the puree and ratio. Anyway, the color is a deep red bordering on brown, with a good amount of seeds and black flecks from the roasted habaneros. The bottle shape is what I call the “flask” shape, which I typically don’t prefer because they take up more room in the fridge and on my wall o’ hot sauce.
One quick question before I crack it open. Wouldn’t the title “Satan’s Ghost” imply that Satan is/was mortal? I mean, in order to become a ghost, you have to at some point die, right? My brain hurts. Let’s open the bottle.
The odor is that of a classic puree: mash and vinegar, and that’s it. The texture is relatively smooth for a puree, but is also thick like barbeque sauce. I find most sauces with this odor are chunkier, lighter in color, and inconsistent. A half a teaspoon on a baked Tostito gives me an immediate blast of vinegar which quickly gives way to charred pepper flavor which is soon joined by fresh pepper. These flavors hang on for a few beats but eventually give way to a mellow spreading heat. The type of heat is unmistakable. It’s the even, unrelenting, and consistent heat that can’t be achieved through the use of extract. There’s no one hot spot where the sauce hit my tongue, and there’s no spike of heat which hits hard and fades quickly. It’s the kind of heat I feel in my cheeks, across the back of my tongue, and down my throat to my stomach. Several minutes after my last sample and I am still warm. The heat is lingering so long I’ve begun to ponder what life would be like in a state of perpetual burn. I guess it would be a like an old friend who comes to visit and never leaves. You might have a great time for a few days, but eventually you want your house back.
My overall impression of this sauce is certainly positive. The smokiness from the charred peppers limits its’ versatility a bit, but the heat level is absolutely perfect for everyday use by the heat seeker. It’s hot enough to get the endorphins going, but mild enough to use liberally. The flavor is that of a standard puree, but the fire roasted peppers separate it from the crowd. A good ratio of salt and vinegar create a very well balanced and utilitarian sauce.
Heat: 4 Flavor: 4.5 Bottle: 3.5
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