Dorset Naga

One Two Punch

Spicefreak3 Comments

Hey folks, welcome back to another of my rare thursday reviews. Reviews that I do specifically when I have an exciting item not sold in the UK, something which is claimed to be inedible or something that has undergone a major recipe change.

Today, I believe that what I have for you falls into the third category. Though the situation is a little weird, this time, because our new, fruit-based “Punch” doesn’t quite share its name with Dorset Chilli Shop’s old one. And the ingredients and design are so vastly different from that 💀“Dorset Punch”💀 that it could easily be considered a whole new product. Even if it doesn’t seem like its makers actually see it that way.

To show you what I mean, here’s a brief look at the bottle before I get into what’s changed:

And I should probably also mention The Chilli Alchemist‘s new Gold, which seems like it very may well be the same sauce in a bigger, prettier bottle.

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Another Piña Pair

Spicefreak2 Comments

Attention: This is an old post reviewing a pair of products, one of which has since received significant updates. It will remain on my site, for posterity, and is still relevant to anyone interested in the Cornish Chilli Company’s Barracuda. However it does not reflect the latest version of Dorset Chilli Shop’s Dorset Punch. For up to date information on that sauce, please refer to this new post, instead.

Hello again, everyone, it’s tuesday and, while we did recently look at a piña colada sauce, it wasn’t a new one. It was a re-review of an updated product.

So, today, I’d like to take a look at a couple of similar items that we haven’t seen before, from our old friends Dorset Chilli Shop and the Cornish Chilli Company:

PinaBottles

Both claiming caribbean influence – As one might expect of such pineapple, coconut and rum-based sauces – yet appearing quite different from one another.

Through the necks of their bottles, our view of the sauce is altered slightly by glass but we can still see that the Dorset punch is a rather paler, peachier shade than the earthy, golden-brown Barracuda. And its thinner, almost watery appearance shows a fair few pinkish-red chilli shreds that would be much harder to spot in the Cornish Chilli Co.’s creation.

I’m very curious to see how they’ll differ, outside of the bottle. Especially having seen their wildly different ingredients lists.

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Tri-Ginger Tournament

Spicefreak7 Comments

Happy tuesday everyone, this week, I’m wanting to look at some ginger chilli sauces. Three rather different ones, all with a bit of asian inspiration and all from companies that we know well:

TriGinger

To start, we have The Upton Cheyney Chilli Company’s Roast Garlic & Ginger. A dark brown, almost black sauce from the makers of both Megalodon and a great Red Habanero, Mango & Lime concoction.

They’ve been pestering me to try today’s for quite a while but, before I do, allow me to at least introduce the others that are going to feature alongside it. We have:

A similarly-named Ginger & Garlic sauce from Kent Chilli Shop’s Hot Face brand, coming in hot on the heels of their unexpectedly amazing 📽️ Reaper Extreme 📽️ sauce.

And, from the Queen Majesty, who brought us the sophisticated yet unapologetic Red Habanero & Black Coffee, a simple Scotch Bonnet and Ginger number that I’m sure will be a lot less ordinary than its name implies.

Three solid makers and three equally solid-sounding flavours but how will they hold up in today’s comparison review?

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Irish Legends

Spicefreak2 Comments

Hey folks, this week we’re exploring the far reaches of the UK with a couple of sauces from northern irish producer, Rock A Doodle Do. A company built on classic metal music puns.

If that’s what you’re after, though, you’re going to have to be patient because I’m not featuring their Can I Play with Mangos quite yet. Instead, I’m focussing on their “Irish Legends” bundle, designed to shine a light on the local mythology. Because, what can I say? I’m a sucker for fantasy themes done well.

IrishLegends2

It doesn’t take a real fantasy fan to know the one on the left, though. The banshee, famous for its bone-chilling, soul-piercing shriek, is definitely a part of popular culture. Albeit a tad less so than your dragons, unicorns and vampires.

It’s the second sauce – The one on the right – where we see something that I’d consider genuinely obscure.

The Pooka, according to Rock A Doodle Do, is “a Malevolent Spirit and a shape-shifter that can take any form it chooses”. Unlikely to do humans any harm but always eager to be their horse for a wild and death-defying night’s ride, taking delight in their terror.

What they don’t say, however, is that this dark creature is also the steed of the more well-known dullahan – The headless horseman – and that it, like the banshee, can be a deathly omen.

You’d think that that would be a selling point for these sauces.

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Dorset Berries

Spicefreak2 Comments

What’s up my fellow chilli lovers? This week, we’re looking at the fourth and final product that I picked up from Saucey Lady in reading.

NagaBoth

It has the exact same label as her other three so, much as I find Kaz’ logo amusing, I won’t be talking about it again today. And nor, for that matter, will I be mentioning the bottles that you can buy it in, since they were also discussed previously.

This week’s post is going to be all about the flavour, texture, heat and aroma of the sauce inside. The bit that matters most.

So let’s get on with it, shall we?

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Pineapple Joy

Spicefreak3 Comments

Welcome back, everyone.

Last week we looked at 🔥 a german sauce brand 🔥 imported into the UK by my friend Russell at Grim Reaper Foods. So, following on from that, I’d like to show you another of his recommendations. One that, this time, he isn’t the one selling:

joywala

Prices Spices’ fabulous Pineapple & Dorset Naga Chilli Chutney. Their “India Joywala”.

Apparently a great taste award winner back in 2014 and definitely a great taste, it’s one of the best items that I picked up from Reading but there is something about it that I’m not as fond of and I’d like to get into that first.

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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Naga

Spicefreak5 Comments

Merry christmas everyone!

I know it’s a day late but, well, christmas was a monday this year. One that I spent having a good time with good food and all of my immediate family. As well as just lazing around and taking the day off.

Today, though, I’m back to celebrate the holiday season with another spicy review.

No, not one that’s tackily themed to the occassion. One that was specially requested by a reader. Because what better way is there to celebrate such a gift giving festival than to give something back to one of you?

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The Holy Hot Sauce Trinity

Spicefreak6 Comments

Hello again everyone, today we’re taking a look at The Ribman’s sauces. All of them.

Because he doesn’t really make three different sauces, just the same one with slightly differing chilli content. And that chilli content doesn’t change the flavour anywhere near as massively as it did for the Melliculus Popping Candy.

But, while it is just three heats of one sauce, it’s a very interesting one that showcases a recent trend, allows me to explain some flavour science and provides an experience like little else.

If you don’t mind a bit of strong language, click that Continue Reading button and I’ll show you what I’m talking about.

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