Tara Erickson 
Valentina Hot Sauce is adored by many for its bold chili pepper flavor and thicker consistency, especially compared to other popular “daily driver” mass-market hot sauces. It’s marketed as “The Mexican Hot Sauce” So, does its flavor meet those high expectations? Is the heat well-balanced? …
Don’t let the name and the cayenne chilies on the label scare you — Trappey’s Red Devil Cayenne Pepper Sauce is big on classic pepper sauce flavor and mellower than expected on heat. But how balanced is that spiciness? Is it too mellow to live …
Melinda’s Green Sauce is described right on its web page as, “crafted by blending together a lot of good green stuff.” And that it sure is. It’s chock-full of green things — from jalapeños to spinach and more. There’s a lot to take in on …
There’s a reason Tabasco Original Red Sauce has a place in kitchens and on dining tables across the country. It’s simple, has a tasty tang, and its heat builds well (but isn’t the overwhelming kind.) It gives you that slight tingle on your tongue and …
If you know your monkeys (and who doesn’t, I say), you may have gathered Howler Monkey Hot Sauce is a Panamanian-style sauce. Howler monkeys being the tell here for those in the primate know — a species native to Central America. But enough Nat Geo …
Dawson’s Original Hot Sauce is pretty sneaky. The heat doesn’t get you on first bite. But a few swallows in and WHAM. That habanero heat sneaks up on you and it’s legit. So it packs a surprising punch. But does the sauce’s overall flavor balance it …
Do you love vinegar-forward hot sauces with lots of flavor and a mild heat that you can go ham on all day? Welp, you have a BFF (in hot sauce form) in Trappey’s Louisiana Hot Sauce. Trappy’s is a mild sauce that provides tons of …
“Get back Reaper!”, I screamed, “You’re freakin’ dangerous!” Seriously, Aka Miso Ghost-Reaper by Bravado Spice Company is really hot, particularly for a sauce with no chili pepper extracts. No, this is the real McCoy here — fresh ghost peppers and Carolina Reapers punching hard. But …
Gringo Bandito Original Hot Sauce has always been a go-to for me. It’s a thin, yet creamy red sauce, perfect for Mexican food, and always served with a side of song in my house. “Say what?!”, you say? Well, you need to play some Offspring …
Okay, so no one drinks hot sauces (at least among those I know), but Tabañero will make you want to. This isn’t a fiery hot sauce that will burn your taste buds off. No, it’s a mellow hot sauce that can be enjoyed because of …