Samfuego Onyx Reaper Hot Sauce Review

Samfuego Habitual Special Edition Onyx Reaper Sauce

UPDATE: Video available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSYyOSqK2Cs

I had not heard of Peach Reaper prior to picking up this sauce. I had heard of the Butch T, but not in relation to a Reaper. Evidently, there is not a Butch T Scorpion Reaper. The bumper paragraph on the side also mentioned some sweetness from black garlic, an ingredient apparently now the new "in thing,", and a touch of Meso Chipotle for smoke. It almost reminds of a holistic approach to health, where various ingredients are meant to have an anti-oxidant effect and when used in conjunction with others, etc. etc. They also added, to make it "interesting," things like daikon and black cherry tomatoes. There are also purple carrots. And dark chocolate. And prickly pears. That is not even the entire list...

I think this approach is successful to a degree. The flavor is, indeed, interesting and unique. I think it may have gone a bit too far, as it also strikes me as being without identity. I'm not clear on where they were trying to go with this. You have a superhot aspect, but this really comes across, particularly with how thick it is and the smooth-ish consistency of the sauce, as a stab towards a mole'. I'm not hugely a fan of those and am very particular as well about which I will consider, so this is not a particularly resonant sauce for me.

It leads with cider vinegar, so this, despite using the current hottest superhot, is not, itself, particularly overly hot. Indeed, it is not until the seventh ingredient that we see an actual pepper. Since I have it stuck in my mind as primarily in relation to a mole, I used it on various Mexican dishes. Prior to that, as a chicken strip dipping sauces and on pizza as well. On the Mexican food, it did somewhat better, as long as there was not a strong flavor. If there was, it became a struggle for supremacy and instant clashing. I don't find this sauce wonderful by itself, but it does not play very nicely with other foods, either, so I don't know where it fits. I'm loathe to call it badly flavored or anything, but the best use, for me, was in a black bean soup, a dish I rarely have.

Bottom line: If you like unique sauces with unique ingredients bringing unique flavors, this is worth a try. I'm not sorry I bought it, but I have little use for it, probably will not use the bottle nor buy again.

Breakdown:

            Heat level: 3
            Flavor: 3
            Flexibility: 1
            Enjoyment to dollar factor: 2

Overall: 2