http://davesgourmet.com
One of the very first hot sauce experiences I have ever had in my life was back in the late 90s. While in the Air Force and stationed in Japan, a friend came back from the US with a bottle of Dave's Insanity hot sauce. I already considered myself a hot food concessioner but was a complete rookie when it came to sauces. At the time, there weren't near as many sauces on the market as there are today. Dave's Insanity was a well-known sauce back then, however, and I have heard about it before actually getting to try it. When my friend handed me the bottle, his giggles were frightening but I wasn't scared (much). I tried some on a cracker, burnt my tongue and instantly knew this was something special. As a gag, we secretly put some on a slice of pizza for a friend who cannot handle anything spicy. After a few bites, it hit him, hard. We laughed our tails off when his face turned fire red and sweat started pouring off his head. It was a frightening sight and we actually became concerned for his health. Cruel? Yes, of course, but he lived and I became a fan of insane hot sauces.
Fast forward 15 years and Dave's Gourmet has expanded well beyond the Insanity sauce. As time progresses and new peppers are discovered, hot sauces get hotter. Tolerances go up. Recipes and varieties increase. The fad in the hot sauce world over the past few years has been bhut jolokia ghost pepper sauces and it seems like every well-known manufacturer of sauces has their own version. Dave's Gourmet is no exception. Their ghost sauce is simply labeled "Ghost Pepper Naga Jolokia Hot Sauce". Considering the experience 15 years ago, I had to get my hands on a bottle of the latest crave.
On the eve of the day the package came in, I tried a good dab on my usual testing platform: a fried chicken sandwich. The sauce’s orange consistency was marveling and appealing. I took a bite and the heat hit me instantly, tasting rather good. It appeared to have a vinegar flavor although none is present within the listed ingredients. The pepper extract and roasted garlic were evident. Normally extract kills the flavor of sauces but it was a very light flavor in this particular blend. There isn't a whole lot of ghost flavor within the sauce, however, which is a deep, smoky taste normally. After a few bites, my mouth was on fire. I was impressed with the flavor which was a perfect blend of oils, extract, garlic and ghost peppers. I have had others try it who really enjoyed the flavor as well as the massive heat it produces. I noticed on the label that it is also great for a cleaner and degreaser. I would suggest to anyone using it as such to wear gloves and a respirator! To conclude, I would recommend this sauce to any chili head out there who loves Dave's Insanity or any other ghost pepper sauces. You would be insane to pass it up!
