HAB Machismo Reaper
Note: Support video available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuVmaMGcr3E
Sometimes, the direction of this blog surprises me, even after nearly 12 years, more on that in a bit.
With this sauce, I'm reminded of a time, back when I was in my teen years and more fully realizing that chilehead itch, the yearn to burn, if you will, back when heavy metal had a trend with the guitar players to attempt to reach virtuoso heights with a display of guitar pyrotechnics on the fretboard that would surely leave everyone's mouth agape in awe. This mostly meant that they were often trying to play 1/256th notes, which tended to overwhelm most listeners. This also resulted in a backlash from the old guard, who started really pushing the phrase "less is more." If you've seen the ingredient list of this sauce, you probably already know where I'm going here, but if not...
What we have here is sort of what I like to refer to as a kitchen sink sauce, in that it has a grand and great collection of ingredients. To go back to the earlier part of this review, I would not have predicted that I'd have back to back sauces that I think suffered in their attempt to draw on Asian flavor notes and influences and it certainly wasn't planned. Yet, for me, t is that same lasting impression of both this and the Karma Cosmic Disco before it in the prior review. Obviously, the approaches are considerably different and this one takes a strong aim at a number of different fruits, along with various Asian ingredients.
For me, I'm not sure it really works. I don't know what the design of this sauce is meant to be, other than the hottest in the line-up (hence the heat "death" of machismo). It doesn't really fit into an Asian style sauce, given the peaches and pineapple and general fruity nature, but all of those contrasting ingredients, the soy sauce, the lemongrass and basil, lend a sort of confusion, if not oddness, to the palate. The sauce itself is by no means offensively flavored. By itself, it is somewhat interesting and definitely unique, but when pairing it with foods, we get into a lot of flavor cancellation in not necessarily pleasant ways. One of the bigger problems with having a laundry list of ingredients is that the results can suffer a bit from lack of identity and I feel that is the case here. Heat-wise, since the mighty mighty Carolina Reaper is involved, though not the Habanero, for which the company itself is named, we do have a bit of a punch, though I still found it somewhat on the low side. It's not quite to the point where I'd say it's chilehead only, but is perhaps a more progressive step for those chile-curious.
Bottom line: This is another sauce I couldn't really find a place for it to fit in and another that I really wish sauce makers would provide some guidance for what they intended.
Breakdown:
Heat level: 2
Flavor: 5
Flexibility: 2
Enjoyment to dollar factor: 2
Overall: 3
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