Thanks for the warm welcome!
I totally understand that de Arbol are barely warm compared to other peppers (many of which I already eat), but that is what they told me they used. Perhaps the truth is more like what a couple of you have suggested: they added something extra to make it so hot.
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I had a hot sauce at a Mexican restaurant a while back that I would love to try and reproduce. I am wondering if you guys can help me come up with an idea how it might be done.
It was a thick bright-red paste, and had an extremely intense version of the flavor that you get from the salsa they...