Puckerbutt Peach Habanero Hot Sauce Review

Puckerbutt Peach Habanero

For the review of the Puckerbutt Peach Super Hot Blend (reviewed elsewhere here), the idea struck me that Smokin’ Ed Currie, architect of the sauce, had “forgotten” to add salt to it, essentially making the end result a pepper-flavored vinegar. Perhaps by the time it was discovered, the batch was just bottled, shipped, and sent out anyway, as it was done. I have now observed this phenomenon once again with this sauce, strongly suggesting to me that it weren’t a forgetful error of omission on Ed’s part, but an inaction with direct intention.

I can’t say that I have the time (or interest) to comb through a bunch of Ed Currie interviews, of which there are many, to see if this disdain for salt is real or imagined on my part, nor did a cursory online search reveal much more information than rampant speculation, along with observations from a few other parties matching mine, that this is, in fact, a tendency of Ed’s, at least in regards to Puckerbutt sauces, and is possibly (likely?) related to purported health benefits by the lack of this ingredient. If that rationale is true, this is another point of departure of agreement between himself and I.

In that other review, I went over the basic components, the elements, that I think a condiment needs to be considered a hot sauce. Because that, and now this, are lacking one of those elements, they do not really constitute a hot sauce in my mind, despite the label insisting otherwise. These two are, in fact, more accurately pepper-flavored vinegars. However, as I will approach whatever sauce based on how a maker portrays it, this one, like the other, will be rated as a hot sauce and, also like that other, will suffer slightly for it. 

So, heat-wise, we have a fairly low charge. There are 16 different Habanero varieties, according to the label, and you get a good sense of the flavor there, both the slightly bitter aspect, but also some of the inherent pepper fruitiness. There is obviously a high vinegar charge to it, as well, not to mention a very thin and watery nature, that benefits from repeated agitation. The back end has a subtle fruity sweetness, which brushes towards peach here and there. Once I discovered the lack of salt, I decided to try and “fix” the sauce, with the simple addition of some kosher salt, which not only made the experience better, on the whole, but also brought forth the peach flavor considerably. This is not rating the sauce as-is, however, and the ratings will reflect what is actually in the bottle.

Bottom line: While I think this comes off a bit better than the other “sauce” I mentioned in this review, the lack of salt is a bit detrimental to this overall. It does make a very interestingly sweet-ish pepper-flavored vinegar, but fails as an actual hot sauce.

Breakdown:

            Heat level: 1
            Flavor: 4
            Flexibility: 2
            Enjoyment to dollar factor: 4

Overall: 3