Rum

Balefire Curry

Spicefreak3 Comments

Hey folks, how’s it going?

For me, life’s been pretty good lately. But, sadly, the same cannot be said for our last few sauces. Since, as much as I liked the taste of rocoto in The Wicked Chilli’s Roco Loco, it still didn’t express the pepper’s unique heat as well as I’d hoped. And the other two that I tried these last couple of weeks were similarly disappointing.

So, this time around, I think I’m going to play it safe with a company who’ve already really impressed me once before: Balefire.

We saw their Get Schwifty a while back and, aside from the name, I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of that sauce. So, today, I’m going to take a look at two more in the hopes that their Tortuga and Critical Masala are just as stunning.

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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.

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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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Piratical Pineapple

Spicefreak1 Comment

Arrr, me hearties, it be talk like a pirate day again* an’ the sun be o’er the yard arm somewhere.

Which spells good winds fer this ‘ere recipe, as we’ll be hittin’ the grog hard in a mo’.

Yer see, today’s bounty hails from the pirate isles an’ were plucked from me hold fer her thematic relevance. She be laden t’ the brim wi’ enough rum an’ pineapple to satiate any sea dog or marooned scallywag!

Aye, they be the mainsails o’ today’s vessel. O’ our golden, spice-glazed cure fer scurvy.

She be a real blossomin’ beauty, this un!

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From Pirate, With Love

Spicefreak1 Comment

Greetings, spice lovers, today is talk like a pirate day again* and I’m sure it’s late enough to drink somewhere in the world.

Which is good news for this particular recipe, since we’ll be using a fair bit of booze.

You see, today’s treat comes from the caribbean and was chosen specially for its connection to today’s theme. Since it features both rum and pineapples – Favourites of pirates and castaways, alike.

Indeed, those are the main ingredients of today’s golden, spice-glazed fruit.

And it’s a face-reddening delight!

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Triple Chocolate

Spicefreak3 Comments

How’s it going, fellow fiery food fans? It’s been three weeks since world chocolate day, making this post quite disappointingly late, but here it is: The promised confection!

PricesChocolates

Not one, not two but three whole bars from Prices Spices, who’s delay in shipping them out to me apparently stems from a chronic inability to keep up with demand. So many people want Michael Price’s chocolate that he just can’t keep it in stock and he seems to have to make each batch to order.

So it would seem that these are some seriously well-liked bars. But is their popularity truly warranted?

Let’s find out!

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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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The Second Spirit

Spicefreak4 Comments

Hey folks, don’t stop me if you’ve heard this one ’cause, today, we’re looking at Chilli of the Valley’s Calypso.

NewCalypso

Now it’s been over a year since we first saw this sauce and a lot has changed in that time. It looks far more enticing in its swanky new, pirate-themed bottle but, more importantly, its makers have informed me that they’ve changed the vinegar to a far more fruit-friendly, white wine variety.

So, since the overpowering nature of spirit vinegar was my only issue with its previous incarnation and I do so like to preach the benefits of picking the right acid for your sauce, I think it’s only fair that I reward the company for taking my feedback on board by giving it a second shot.

Yes, folks, this is a thursday special to re-review Chilli of the Valley’s product. Partially to ensure that the info on my site is up to date and partially because it’s an interesting, real world example of just how much difference vinegar type can make.

It would be unfair of me to let it take the normal tuesday spot away from something newer but I do feel like it deserves this metaphorical air-time, nonetheless.

Here goes!

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Spirit of the Caribbean

Spicefreak3 Comments

Happy tuesday again people, it’s time for us to return to wales and experience a second sauce from Chilli of the Valley. One with the same pineapple and coconut flavours that ruined Saucey Lady’s Fireman’s Watch for me but one that gives them the centre stage, instead of pairing them badly with other, more savoury fruit.

This one is their Calypso – A sauce designed to mimic the classic piña colada cocktail’s flavours, with pineapple, coconut and rum.

Calypso

And this time, I see no reason why they won’t work.

To be truly sure, though, I’m going to have to put this sauce to the test.

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Liquid Gold

Spicefreak4 Comments

Alright, everyone, if you’ve been paying attention to my twitter account (@spicefreakblog) then you might already know that I recently got another bottle free from The Chilli Alchemist.

This time, however, it’s not a review sample. Their latest gift came with any purchase at Reading Chilli Fest because the product in question has been discontinued. They are nolonger making their Elixir Orientem.

So, while I have been enjoying that sauce on my macaroni cheese, it’s not what I’m here to talk to you about today. No, today’s product is the new one that takes its place:

2017-06-21 14.38.50

Their mango and aji amarillo chilli sauce, quite simply named “Aurum” after its golden colour.

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