Green

Coming in to Port

Spicefreak1 Comment

Hey folks, how’s it going? It’s tuesday again and, honestly, things have been a little rough for my blog work lately. I’m doing a lot of other things on the side and it’s been a bit of a struggle to keep up with even my weekly reviews. Let alone all of the weekend recipes and random thursday things which I feel like I aught to be doing.

But, while I might not be able to offer you any of those extras, right now, I can at least provide you with a bit more than the norm in today’s post. Not the usual one or two sauces. Not even three.

No, the full on five of Spice Island Chilli’s entire range:

Each one a different heat and flavour, wrapped in its own tale of maritime history. Yet the whole lot hailing from a single portsmouth company, with a distinctive style throughout. Meaning that I’d probably just say the same things five times if I were to review them all separately, anyway.

Continue reading →

Dew-Over

Spicefreak1 Comment

Welcome back, everyone! This week, I’d like to return to one of our old favourite suppliers, the Chilli Alchemist. Because they, in turn, have returned one of my old favourite items – The 💀Philosopher’s Dew!

Now known simply as their “Dew” and focussing rather more heavily on its citrus content, so I’m eager to see just how much it’s changed. But, same sauce or not, it won’t be alone in today’s review.

Russell, the current company owner, has added another new product to the range, alongside it. And this one appears to be all his own:

A “Gold” sauce which, rather than taking after the old 💀Aurum, promises to be a fruity, pineapple sriracha. Much like the redone Dorset Punch.

Let’s take a closer look at the pair, shall we?

Continue reading →

Beast of Birmingham

Spicefreak1 Comment

Happy tuesday again, everyone! It feels like forever since I’ve said that simple line but here we are, back again with another transparent label item. A growing trend, it would seem, and one which I rather appreciate. Given that it puts an extra focus on the look of the sauce, itself.

Just like last time, however, the company behind today’s sauce use web photos that look quite different to what I see in person. With my own bottle, on the right, appearing far lighter and yellower than the dark green sweet chilli which I’d been led to expect:

Neither looks bad, this time around, but their photo suggests something deep and chlorophyllic, while my in-person shade boasts the potential for a more vibrant and tangy flavour. So I’m very curious as to what Pip’s Fuego del Verde actually tastes like.

Continue reading →

Three Green Kings

Spicefreak3 Comments

Hey folks, I know that it’s the fourth today but it’s still my first review since december. So happy new year!

This time around, the postal service has been a little more on point and I’ve been a little more prepared, as well. Meaning that I’ve got not one, not two but a whopping three different green chilli sauces to show off. Each from a producer who’s work is entirely new to me and who uses a highly unusual ingredient, as well.

For the start of twenty twenty-two, I bring you Great Scott Hot Sauce’s Apple, Gooseberry & Serrano, Orriss & Son’s jalapeño and nettle “Fresh Tendrils” and Mack Chilli’s Jalapearno. Which is an awful portmanteaux but definitely gets its key ingredients across.

Here’s how the lot of them look:

Continue reading →

Chilli Candy

Spicefreak1 Comment

Hey folks, we’ve had a whole bunch of rather hot products, these last two weeks, so today I thought I’d switch it up with something milder: Pure chillies!

No, I haven’t gone insane. Or at least, not any more so than normal. These jars are filled with jalapeños. Mild pepper, potentially made even tamer by being candied.

And, unlike the 📽️caramel flavoured ones📽️ that I got from Daddy Cool’s, they come in two different colours. As well as a most unexpected strawberry jam.

Because, as it turns out, Haynes Gourmet aren’t quite the condiment company that I first took them for. They’re candied chilli specialists and every single of of their creations uses that same, sweet and spicy base.

So let’s try it out, shall we.

Continue reading →

Green Garlic

Spicefreak1 Comment

Hey folks, it’s july already and we’re now well into the middle of summer. So I think that it might be time for a seasonal special, featuring my favourite wild leaf. And I’ll bet you have a pretty good idea of who’s provided it.

This time, though, Foraged Fire aren’t alone in offering up a stunning-sounding, wild garlic product. Their bramley apple salsa verde has some unexpected competition from another of our past partners: The Somerset Chilli Garden.

They’ve created a pale, jalapeño and lime blend with the exact same herb and today, I’m going to find out which sauce uses it better.

Continue reading →

The Cooper Crew

Spicefreak3 Comments

Hello again, my fellow freaks.

Today, we’re going to take a look at another trio of american imports. The new range from rock legend and fellow madman, Alice Cooper:

Though their actual manufacturer turns out to be one of our previous features. The well-known and highly regarded company that is CaJohn’s.

Previously, I was a big fan of their 7-pot primo sauce, until the fakeness of it’s lemon oil came through. So I’m interested to see how CaJohn’s handle the serrano, habanero and reaper in today’s products and whether they’ll taste just that little bit more real.

Continue reading →

Alkemio Yellow

Spicefreak6 Comments

Yo, what’s up, peeps? We’ve been on the rich and dark for a few weeks now and I think it’s time for something bright and fresh, to shake things up.

So, today, we have a couple of vibrant, yellow sauces from Alkemio Kitchen, down in surrey. A highly experimental dinner club restaurant who are pretty new to the hot sauce scene but sure do seem to have some crazy flavours. Like the Jalapeno, Lime, Mustard, Turmeric and Pineapple, Shiso Leaf, Calamansi, Sugar that you see here.

And, while their names are a mouthful, they’re also pretty informative. If you know what all of those ingredients actually are.

For those of you who don’t, however, I’m more than happy to help. Since I am, after all, very excited to get into these two before the launch of their their crowdfunding campaign, later this month.

Continue reading →

Mild and Nerdy

Spicefreak1 Comment

Hey everyone, today we’re looking at some nerd sauce. Because, as a serious sauce nerd, how could I not give the new Nerd Sauce Co. a go?

Just like how Rad Dude Food‘s chilli concoction recently became their main focus, this company was born to help a bunch of chefs weather the chaos of the current pandemic. To bring their business into the online world and keep them employed, in this new, more digital age.

But where Nerd Sauce Co. differs is in what they make – A whopping twelve different sauces, only four of which are chilli, to the Rad Dude’s one. Is their quantity a detriment to their quality? I bought two of the most exciting flavours to find out.

Continue reading →

A Late Start

Spicefreak7 Comments

Happy new year everyone! I know that I’m a whole month late but, well, twenty-twenty wasn’t exactly the best of years and the post hasn’t exactly been the best. Though I certainly can’t blame everything on Royal Mail, either.

As it turns out, the company that I’d hoped to feature in january is very new and still getting used to the workings of their online store. To the point where my purchase went to the wrong email address and only got noticed when I asked them what had happened.

So, if you plan on buying from Ignis, I’d suggest sending a polite “hello” with your order, just to make sure that it’s been seen. But they’ve been very attentive ever since and clearly care about their products, so I’m not going to let that slip up colour my opinion of their sauce.

I am, however, going to use it as a bit of an excuse to turn this post into a comparison. To show their JGA7 off alongside a second, less clinically named green sauce that I found while I was waiting.

Two sauces which look quite different, yet still both put a thai twist on a classic green chilli.

Continue reading →