Three to go (I thought it was two, but there was a bonus 25th box too!).
And those three were:
Jalapeno Sauce. It’s Jalapeno Sauce, but it’s SOOOO smoky with it. A delicious variation on a common sauce, and it works.
Jalapeno Slices. Much, much nicer than the shop bought ones. And you wouldn’t think that sort of thing would be very noticeable. But this is another product that I’ll be exploring further.
Craken. It’s just incredibly dangerous. Like Hydrofluoric Acid, but in Chili form. I literally can’t manage more than the tiniest amount. And even that hurts. Lethal.
Too much for me, but if you’re a hot sauce connoisseur, you might want to test yourself against this one.
As I mentioned before, it’s been a really interesting experience trying out these products that I would never usually dip into. The idea of one a day, and the little tester size vials and jars is a real winner.
Yeah, I’m going to admit it. I’m a bit chilli sauced out, and so I’m cheating a bit with my SmokedOke chilli sauce advent calendar review. Two days still to go (I haven’t opened today’s yet), and we’ll surely get to them at some stage, but wow – I’m actually a bit overwhelmed.
No. I’m not sure why they are on a piano either. I just needed somewhere to ‘tog them on and the rest of the house seems to be in some sort of pre-Christmas chaos. Weird.
So: what news?
First off: nothing has topped the Cowboy Candy. This was the one, and it remains the one.
But that doesn’t mean that there have been other highlights. Reaper’s Breath was fairly terrifying. Grim Reaper was even more scary. And the Honey Chipotle was delicious. The Chilli Crunch was very nice, and the Piccalilli Relish was unusual and tangy, and begged for some cheese, ham and maybe a pork pie.
Less good: the chilli gherkins. I’m not sure that they were supposed to be fizzy. I gave them a go anyway – what’s the worst that could happen? Microbiologist readers don’t need to answer that.
But this has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. A lot of the sauces have been too strong for me, but I just use less and so even these sample vials are going to last for ages.
I can only imagine that we are going to finish with the showstopper: The Kraken, but honestly, it’s just been great trying some different stuff that I would never have dared buy in any sort of reasonable volume for retail.
If you have a chilli lover in your life, then you need to give this a go for them next year. It’s been great.
Olive Chili Tapenade – I’m glad that this said “chili”, because I wasn’t 100% sure. A salty, smoked olive tapenade with just the slightest hint of heat, allowing that full olive roundness to work its way through your mouth. Needs something suitably bland to give it a decent partner – I’d pair this one with some boerekaas and some crusty sourdough. 7/10, because it’s far more olive than chili (which might seem unfair, but I’m more of a chili fan than an olive fan).
Plasma – this is in the 4 sauce caddy with the Hot Sauce mentioned in the second link above. And it’s described as Hot to Very Hot. And this one was very warm. It’s not plasma like you get in the blood, it’s clearly named after the ultra high temperature state of matter of ionised atoms. With good reason. There are two more sauces in that set. I’m slightly scared. 8/10, but only in very small amounts.
Garlic Pesto – I’m presuming that this is it. It’s the closest that I can find. This one had its work cut out. I’m not a fan of garlic (overt garlic, at least) or pesto. But actually, this had an almost p…p…p…prego feel to it. Not too garlicky, not too hot, tonnes (both metric and imperial) of smokiness, and actually really palatable. 7/10 (amazing considering the nomenclature).
Cowboy Candy – Not the long-awaited Netflix spin-off of Brokeback Mountain. It’s this. Yes, yes, yes! I LOVED this. Definitely my favourite so far. The Cowboy is a rich, smoky BBQ style sauce with big pieces of jalapeno; the Candy is the chunks of smoked pineapple offering a tangy, almost electric buzz around your tastebuds. This disappeared all too quickly. I’ll be arranging my post-advent order around a large jar of this and then heading home via the local World of Cheese store. 10/10 would recommend.
“Peaches” – Sounds innocuous enough. Actually not innocuous at all. NOT ONE BIT!
Ingredients: Habanero Peppers, Carolina Reaper Peppers, Peach, Vinegar, Salt, Spices. Warning: Extremely Hot! Handle with care. Use sparingly and avoid contact with eyes or sensitive skin. Keep out of reach of children.
Absolutely lethal.
And actually quite sore at first, but given 5 minutes and a glass of milk, a more gentle, ongoing burn persists. The peach is probably there – there’s a hint of sweetness from somewhere. But wow. This is serious stuff. Maybe too much for me? 2/10 until I understood what was going on there (there was no warning with the advent calendar vial). But as a hot sauce (a very hot sauce), I’ll give it a full 9/10. Heat. Much, much heat. The longevity of the burn is quite something…
Caribbean Ghost – I can’t find this on the website, but I was at least able to take some heed of the second half of the name and not do anything foolish. Yes, the usual smoked chili – I’m understanding that an advent calendar is very unusual way to go through this sauces, which are largely tweaks around the same base, and that you’d usually just choose a favourite and stick with it – but HOT and with a rampant fruity component.
Mango. Citrus. Something else?
This one might be another that’s a bit too spicy for me, but the tanginess of the fruit is very enjoyable in the background. 7/10.
There will now be a(nother) short break in chili sauce reviews – watch this space for more news and – next week – more tales of spicy sauces. T&Cs apply.
Day 1: Chimichurri – I’m new to the smokiness of these products, but this was exactly what it said on the tin: a smoky Argentinian-style chimichurri. Strong flavours. Lovely. But not as good as it would have been after 6:45am. I chose to open the boxes in the evenings from now on. 7/10 before breakfast. 9/10 in the evening.
Day 2: “Brinjal” – brinjal = aubergine = egg-plant, depending on where you are in the world. This was a mild relish, which allowed for a lot of smoke without too much chili. Very flavoursome, and impressive to make brinjal taste of… well, anything really. 7/10.
Day 3: “Hot Sauce” – described on their website as “Medium/Hot”, but…
And yes, that is actual footage. Eina fok! This was a warm one. I’ve learned in my time on this earth to take it easy with things of unknown spiciness, but even with a tiny amount (neat, to be fair) this was right up there for HEAT! I think it may well have been the acidity of the lime that added to the effect, but either way, treat this one with caution. Still absolutely amazing on a cheese sandwich this lunchtime though. 8/10.
Day 4: Smoky Barbeque Sauce – oh wow! A flavour explosion. All the smoke, all the herbs and spices, and a real tomato/onion kick. Also not hugely hot, but just a hint of kick. It’s got everything. Definitely my favourite so far. And it’s going to be hard to beat. 10/10.
I’m not promising to review ALL 25 of the products, but I’ll try to keep you up to date with at least the best ones.
