Bitter: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰
Salty: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Sour/Tangy: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰
Sweet: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Umami: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰
Heat: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐✰✰
Quick Flavor Notes: Earthy, smoky, fruity, umami
Recommended: Yes
Texture: Medium-thin and mostly smooth
Ingredients: Chili peppers* (serranos, reapers, ghosts), vinegar, butternut squash*, tomato*, smoked onion juice*, ground reaper pepper, ground pepper x. *All produce is grown on small farms within 200 miles of our Vermont kitchen.
This is Butterfly Bakery of Vermont’s fourth entry into Hot Ones and their first sauce to include the currently recognized hottest pepper in the world, Pepper X. This sauce is debuting in the current Hot One season, number twenty-nine at the number nine position. Butterfly Bakery of Vermont mentioned that the inspiration for this sauce came from one of their best sellers, their Maple Wood Smoked Onion Hot Sauce (which is delicious), and from their hot sauce collaboration with the band Guster, Ooh La La (which i have but haven’t gotten around to opening yet). Given how much I loved their previous Hot Ones number nine sauce, Taco Vibes Only, I was excited to give this one a try. Full disclosure this bottle was provided to me by Butterfly Bakery of Vermont. It did not come with any condition of review and all of the opinions here are my own.
The fresh pepper blend in Smoked Serrano Squash Reaper X is similar to that used in Taco Vibes Only – red serrano pepperes, Carolina Reapers, and ghost peppers. The difference here is that the serrano peppers have been smoked. Roasted butternut squash is added to give the sauce more texture and as a natural source of sweetness to offset some of the heat. Instead of full smoked onions this has smoked onion juice. Claire from Butterfly Bakery of Vermont mentions that many people think their Smoked Onion Hot Sauce contains tomatoes, which it doesn’t, but tomatoes are added here. Finally this sauce ends on a one-two punch of Carolina Reaper powder, also used in Taco Vibes Only, and Smokin’ Ed’s Pepper X powder. Obviously the Pepper X hot sauce market is dominated by Ed Currie himself through his Puckerbutt Pepper Company line and the The Last Dab series of sauces he produces for Hot Ones. There have been others who have used it, including High River Sauces, but Ed Currie seems intent on maintaining a particularly firm stranglehold on its use. I’m also not aware of anyone outside of Puckerbutt having gained access to fresh Pepper X, which is a shame because it is a delicious pepper and I’d love to see what others could do with it. Smoked Serrano Squash Reaper X is medium-thin in texture and mostly smooth, though you can see a few small bits inside. The aroma is complex with some sweetness as well as smoky notes mingling with the unmistakable nasal sting of super hot peppers.
When it comes to flavor this sauce is even more complex than the aroma. I love serranos, and Butterfly Bakery of Vermont has some of my favorite serrano sauces. I’ve never had them smoked before but much like their Maple Wood Smoked Onion Hot Sauce, and my personal favorite their Rum Barrel Fermented Smoked Jalapeno Hot Sauce, the level of smoke here is present but subtle. It adds a depth and richness to the sauce without ever getting close to campfire territory. The initial flavors are of that hint of smoke with a little fruit from the serranos and sweetness from the roasted squash. Between the roasted squash, smoke, and the ghost peppers, which also have a smoky earthy flavor, the initial flavors of this sauce trend towards the earthier side. The flavor of the reapers sneaks in right after that initial wave with the characteristic reaper bright fruitiness but also comes with more than a hint of the reaper astringent superhot bitterness. There’s a fresh tangy finish from the tomatoes and then a lingering earthy smoky undertone from the Pepper X. Between the smoked serranos, smoked onion juice, and the roasted squash there’s also a meaty umami character to this sauce. Even though there are a variety of flavors in this sauce each one of them comes through both individually and as part of the cohesive whole. In terms of heat this is hotter than Taco Vibes Only and comparable with the hottest sauce I’ve tried from Butterfly Bakery of Vermont, Red Ghost Reaper. The way the heat presents is different from Red Ghost Reaper however. While Red Ghost Reaper has a very front-loaded heat profile that hits hard from the beginning Smoked Serrano Squash Reaper X eases in gently but once the reaper flavor starts to hit the heat builds and builds over time. Both ghost peppers and Pepper X have delayed onset heat with a long building tail so after the initial hit from the reaper heat they take over giving this sauce one of the longest tails of intense burn that I can recall.
Despite a lot going on in this sauce I did find it to be very flexible. I’ll get the one failed pairing out of the way in the beginning – this doesn’t work with tomato-sauce based Italian food. I assumed with the tomatoes in the sauce it might meld well but it’s a bit too acidic to work well with acidic tomato-sauce based foods. Other than that I found this easy to love with a variety of things – it’s perfect on a chicken salad sandwich, helping to cut through the fatty mayonnaise and the smoky heat adding something special. I also really loved this with some fried ham steaks and eggs, the hint of sweet in the sauce from the butternut squash making it a great breakfast pairing. Finally even though this one isn’t Mexican inspired I found it to be great with tacos and burritos.
Butterfly Bakery of Vermont Smoked Serrano Squash Reaper X Hot Sauce gets my recommendation. Not only is it delicious and very hot it’s also quite flexible so you’ll be wanting to feel the burn on all of your food. This sauce is also all natural with no artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, or thickeners.
by MagnusAlbusPater
1 Comment
Bitter: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰
Salty: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Sour/Tangy: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰
Sweet: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Umami: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰
Heat: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐✰✰
Quick Flavor Notes: Earthy, smoky, fruity, umami
Recommended: Yes
Texture: Medium-thin and mostly smooth
Ingredients: Chili peppers* (serranos, reapers, ghosts), vinegar, butternut squash*, tomato*, smoked onion juice*, ground reaper pepper, ground pepper x. *All produce is grown on small farms within 200 miles of our Vermont kitchen.
This is Butterfly Bakery of Vermont’s fourth entry into Hot Ones and their first sauce to include the currently recognized hottest pepper in the world, Pepper X. This sauce is debuting in the current Hot One season, number twenty-nine at the number nine position. Butterfly Bakery of Vermont mentioned that the inspiration for this sauce came from one of their best sellers, their Maple Wood Smoked Onion Hot Sauce (which is delicious), and from their hot sauce collaboration with the band Guster, Ooh La La (which i have but haven’t gotten around to opening yet). Given how much I loved their previous Hot Ones number nine sauce, Taco Vibes Only, I was excited to give this one a try. Full disclosure this bottle was provided to me by Butterfly Bakery of Vermont. It did not come with any condition of review and all of the opinions here are my own.
The fresh pepper blend in Smoked Serrano Squash Reaper X is similar to that used in Taco Vibes Only – red serrano pepperes, Carolina Reapers, and ghost peppers. The difference here is that the serrano peppers have been smoked. Roasted butternut squash is added to give the sauce more texture and as a natural source of sweetness to offset some of the heat. Instead of full smoked onions this has smoked onion juice. Claire from Butterfly Bakery of Vermont mentions that many people think their Smoked Onion Hot Sauce contains tomatoes, which it doesn’t, but tomatoes are added here. Finally this sauce ends on a one-two punch of Carolina Reaper powder, also used in Taco Vibes Only, and Smokin’ Ed’s Pepper X powder. Obviously the Pepper X hot sauce market is dominated by Ed Currie himself through his Puckerbutt Pepper Company line and the The Last Dab series of sauces he produces for Hot Ones. There have been others who have used it, including High River Sauces, but Ed Currie seems intent on maintaining a particularly firm stranglehold on its use. I’m also not aware of anyone outside of Puckerbutt having gained access to fresh Pepper X, which is a shame because it is a delicious pepper and I’d love to see what others could do with it. Smoked Serrano Squash Reaper X is medium-thin in texture and mostly smooth, though you can see a few small bits inside. The aroma is complex with some sweetness as well as smoky notes mingling with the unmistakable nasal sting of super hot peppers.
When it comes to flavor this sauce is even more complex than the aroma. I love serranos, and Butterfly Bakery of Vermont has some of my favorite serrano sauces. I’ve never had them smoked before but much like their Maple Wood Smoked Onion Hot Sauce, and my personal favorite their Rum Barrel Fermented Smoked Jalapeno Hot Sauce, the level of smoke here is present but subtle. It adds a depth and richness to the sauce without ever getting close to campfire territory. The initial flavors are of that hint of smoke with a little fruit from the serranos and sweetness from the roasted squash. Between the roasted squash, smoke, and the ghost peppers, which also have a smoky earthy flavor, the initial flavors of this sauce trend towards the earthier side. The flavor of the reapers sneaks in right after that initial wave with the characteristic reaper bright fruitiness but also comes with more than a hint of the reaper astringent superhot bitterness. There’s a fresh tangy finish from the tomatoes and then a lingering earthy smoky undertone from the Pepper X. Between the smoked serranos, smoked onion juice, and the roasted squash there’s also a meaty umami character to this sauce. Even though there are a variety of flavors in this sauce each one of them comes through both individually and as part of the cohesive whole. In terms of heat this is hotter than Taco Vibes Only and comparable with the hottest sauce I’ve tried from Butterfly Bakery of Vermont, Red Ghost Reaper. The way the heat presents is different from Red Ghost Reaper however. While Red Ghost Reaper has a very front-loaded heat profile that hits hard from the beginning Smoked Serrano Squash Reaper X eases in gently but once the reaper flavor starts to hit the heat builds and builds over time. Both ghost peppers and Pepper X have delayed onset heat with a long building tail so after the initial hit from the reaper heat they take over giving this sauce one of the longest tails of intense burn that I can recall.
Despite a lot going on in this sauce I did find it to be very flexible. I’ll get the one failed pairing out of the way in the beginning – this doesn’t work with tomato-sauce based Italian food. I assumed with the tomatoes in the sauce it might meld well but it’s a bit too acidic to work well with acidic tomato-sauce based foods. Other than that I found this easy to love with a variety of things – it’s perfect on a chicken salad sandwich, helping to cut through the fatty mayonnaise and the smoky heat adding something special. I also really loved this with some fried ham steaks and eggs, the hint of sweet in the sauce from the butternut squash making it a great breakfast pairing. Finally even though this one isn’t Mexican inspired I found it to be great with tacos and burritos.
Butterfly Bakery of Vermont Smoked Serrano Squash Reaper X Hot Sauce gets my recommendation. Not only is it delicious and very hot it’s also quite flexible so you’ll be wanting to feel the burn on all of your food. This sauce is also all natural with no artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, or thickeners.