Dead Mouth Flavor
8 / 10
Dead Mouth Heat
9 / 10
BRAVADO SPICE CO. BLACK GARLIC CAROLINA REAPER
This sauce starts with a winning scent. Smells of roasted peppers and garlic waft out of the bottle upon opening. The distinct scent of Carolina Reaper cuts through and finishes with the tangy presence of vinegar. For a nanosecond, this hot sauce is sweet and floral, followed by an intense burn from the Reapers. A second taste opens this one up with a healthy amount of vinegar and a pleasant taste of roasted garlic. This garlic flavor shines throughout the tasting, but never becomes overpowering or distracting from the other flavors. The real treat with this sauce comes from the maple syrup on the linger. It carries the sauce well through the burn and finishes with a small amount of sweet relief, leaving the taste buds begging for another dose!
Breakdown: This sauce is where it’s at. Hot as can be, flavorful as any other, and unique enough to be worth reviewing. NOT for low-tolerance taste buds!
Dead Mouth Heat: 9 of 10
Dead Mouth Flavor: 8 of 10
Dead Mouth Heat
4 / 10
Dead Mouth Flavor
6 / 10
BRAVADO SPICE CO. CRIMSON
Open this bottle for a strong smell of smoked chilies with a healthy dose of vinegar. The first taste delivers a vinegar punch up front, while the Arbol chilies take the reigns as soon as the vinegar subsides. Garlic and smoke from the peppers end up rounding out the middle of the bite, and the tail is defined by a bit of vinegar and a lightly salted lick. The aftertaste on this potent sauce tastes a bit sweeter than expected, with a hint of jalapeno.
Breakdown: Not my favorite from Bravado, but their other sauces spoiled me. I’d say this one is a pretty good sauce with decent flavor, but it just lacks the depth that I’ve come to expect from the rest of theBravado lineup.
Dead Mouth Heat: 4 of 10
Dead Mouth Flavor: 6 of 10
Dead Mouth Flavor
7 / 10
Dead Mouth Heat
3 / 10
BRAVADO SPICE CO. JALAPENO & GREEN APPLE
Opening this bottle greets the nose with very sweet and tangy smells, so much so, that it almost makes the mouth pucker with twinges of sour notes on the sides of the tongue. The first taste yields immediate sour flavor from the Granny Smith Apples, which is carried through the finish by the white wine vinegar. Fresh jalapenos begin to surface after the first bite and linger with just the right amount of spice on the
second. This sauce boasts a fresh, bright, and tangy flavor with a light garlic linger throughout.
Breakdown: Awesome pairing with the Granny Smith and the white wine vinegar for a very interesting take on a green sauce. This is perfect for the mild-loving spice enthusiast. Try this on fish tacos for a special new twist!
Dead Mouth Heat: 3 of 10
Dead Mouth Flavor: 7 of 10
Dead Mouth Heat
9 / 10
Dead Mouth Flavor
9 / 10
Dead Mouth Heat
3 / 10
BRAVADO SPICE CO. SERRANO BASIL
This savory sauce smells like an Italian restaurant, bursting with spices, tomato and basil. With a very runny consistency, it’s easy to over-pour this one. My first taste was of fresh peppers and garlic, followed by a delightful twinge of white wine vinegar. There was a strong basil flavor that followed, with some fresh light tomato. This sauce is very similar to a spicy Italian red sauce with fresh bright flavors and a very manageable light heat with a salty sweet finish.
Breakdown: This one kills it with the flavor. Very robust, yet fresh and light. Definitely put it on your next pasta dish. Solid sauce with flavor and heat for everyone.
Dead Mouth Heat: 3 of 10
Dead Mouth Flavor: 9 of 10
Dead Mouth Heat
8 / 10
Dead Mouth Flavor
9 / 10
BRAVADO SPICE CO. GHOST PEPPER & BLUEBERRY
A bit runnier than I expected of a fruit sauce, this one smells like a blueberry pie with the smoky heat of ghost pepper singeing the nostril on the tail end! The first bite starts off tasting like black pepper, which was unexpected. It’s quickly followed by a sweet blueberry flavor, then searing ghost pepper. It’s quite smoky-sweet on the finish. Good on Bravado for excellent use of white wine vinegar, which seems to be used very seldom in hot sauces. It certainly adds a slight tang in this sauce without detracting from the fruit.
Breakdown: An overall excellent hot sauce. It’s very hot, full of flavor, and begs you to suffer through another delicious bite. Try it on lamb or duck, put it on pizza for an interesting kick, or as I love to do, use it in lieu of steak sauce!
Dead Mouth Heat: 8 of 10
Dead Mouth Flavor: 9 of 10
