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review Captain Caliente sauces review

salsalady

salsalady

eXtreme Business
Captain Caliente and I traded some sauces.  Some things raised questions to me, but after some discussion with Captain Caliente, I was happy to learn that his sauces are made in a commissary kitchen in Florida and he is licensed with Florida and has had testing and all that stuff done. 
 
What I received was the Green-Go sauce, the Original sauce and an infused vinegar.
 
 
 
Vinegar-
Apple Cider Vinegar
Pure Honey
Kosher Salt
 Test below ingredients says-
"the vinegar is infused with jalapeno, scorpion, 7-pot, ghost and cayenne peppers along with onion and garlic."
 
The vinegar is a little cloudy, which is to be expected of something infused with vegetables and chiles like that.   I get a bit of sweet (from the honey) and can still taste the other peppers/onion/garlic.  The ACV isn't too strong.  I haven't used this vinegar in a dressing or anything yet.  I like it and will keep it available.  
 
Green-Go-
Apple cider vinegar
jalapeno
scorpion
7-pot
ghost
cayenne
Pure Honey
onion
garlic
kosher salt
 
 
The Original-
ACV
jalapeno
scorpion
7-pot
ghost
cayenne
honey
onion
garlic
kosher salt
 
 
Both sauces have a similar profile.  Peppers, sweet, tang.  The green sauce is a little more pulpy, the red sauce is smoother. 
Capt Caliente.JPG

 
Capt Caliente had been posting about highlighting the peppers and such.  The 2 sauces are good flavored sauces.  I don't get the whole "highlight the chile" flavor profile from these sauces.  They are sauces that have great pepper flavors, but nothing specific.  And looking at the ingredients, which lists several peppers in each sauce, the blend of peppers with the other ingredients works.  That might be the flavor profile to work with and highlight down the road.
 
The green sauce is a good medium heat sauce that should appeal to a wide market.  The red sauce is a good solid hot pepper sauce.  Too hot for most people, but right there for the folks that hang around here on THP.  Those crazy-a$$ chileheads who like the really spicy blends.  Yea, you know who you are....
 
Both sauces have similar profiles with the honey and ACV.
IMG_7207.JPG

 
Some things to sort out with the labels and such.  For now, I'm happy to support a (new to us) hot sauce maker.
 
salsalady,
 
I too traded with the Captain. I did my own evaluations and will hold them close. I fear otherwise, as a saucemaker myself, that anything I publish may seem self serving or perhaps have ulterior motives. So, in personally imposed constraint,  I refrain. But you have done well in this instance and to you - I tip my hat.  :cheers:
Reggie
 
Reggie, thanks for your comments.  I'm not a professional sauce reviewer.  Just agreed to trade with Captain Caliente and post comments.
 
I like the name and I think the goofy superhero is an interesting idea. So small on the label though, the idea is not being used to its full potential. Similar to "Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids" I think he needs a quip to go with Captain Caliente, and he needs to be seen saying it in spoofy commercials (for YouTube) where people have bland food, he crashes through the window because he can't fly, and he spices up the foods with hot sauce from a holster. The kids say Mmmmm!!!! Mom, drying the dishes looks over and says "You saved the day!" Captain Caliente says... "No, I saved the meal..." looks at the camera and says "I am Captainnnnnnn Calienteeeeee" and jumps back out window with crash sounds....
 
Okay well you get the idea... haha
 
yea, the label and logo was a whole other topic which he didn't ask comment for. 
 
I think the label is a bit cheesy.  The whole SuperChileHero thing could work with some better graphics.  Maybe, instead of trying to superimpose the photo of some caped dude photo, it could be done as a comic book superhero graphics.
 
I'm not a fan of the label either. Looks too much like a private label promotional sauce. I'm sure it tastes just fine but my first impression would be that it's a gimmick and I would pass it by.
 
the green go and original look exactly the same based on the ingredients too. Is the only difference that one is green jalapeno and one is red jalapeno?
 
Edmick said:
the green go and original look exactly the same based on the ingredients too. Is the only difference that one is green jalapeno and one is red jalapeno?
Click to expand...
 

They do have the same ingredients.  I think they are the same peppers green and ripe.  From comments in various posts, it is all about the flavor of the pepper. 
 
Both have the same peppers listed in the same order as posted in this OP.

 
 
Walchit said:
The name "Green-Go" is a winner for sure. I sure wish I would have been high enough to come up with that. I feel like when Trevor(Edit: pretty sure I mixed two movies, cause it's B-Rad G from the Boo) said

attachicon.gif
images.jpeg
Click to expand...
The name "Green-Go" is a winner for sure. I sure wish I would have been high enough to come up with that. I feel like when Trevor said

images.jpeg
 
Well if you know the history of gringo it came from Mexicans telling US troops (dressed in green) to get out of their country during the Mexican Revolution... GREEN, GO!
 
Using any slur can be risky. However gringo (green go) I feel is a bit lighthearted... "You make a helluva taco for a gringo" etc.
 
 
 
It's a pretty commonly used term here in southern california. Almost every mexican joint has a gringo burrito or the like. It's accepted and never heard of anyone taking issue with it.
 
That particular etymology is known to be suspect anyway, but I referenced it because of his spelling.
 
Hey gang. This is great. Thanks for the suggestions. I too think the labels need work, particularly the size of the graphic. Yes, Green-Go is a play on words. It's the mild sauce for the Gringo's out there.
 
Working on a few others. A chocolate Bourbon and a Mango blend. Jerkies too. This has been a great experience and I truly appreciate the time you took to offer good advice.
 
Edmick said:
the green go and original look exactly the same based on the ingredients too. Is the only difference that one is green jalapeno and one is red jalapeno?
Click to expand...
 

Hey Edmick, there are a few differences between the two. The Green-Go has a bit more honey. It is the same peppers, but green. And the way the sauce is blended. It has a much more chunky feel to it. It is not as broken down as The Original. We wanted The Original to have a different texture. Much more smooth and silky. So we used a different blender for it.
 
But all in all, these sauces are basically the same. The Green-Go has a much more tempered heat. And, there is a slight difference in flavor between mature superhots and immature superhots. I didn't realize it before the final products. But now I can taste the difference. Pretty interesting.
 
How is this for over the top? Our booth at the farmer's market. Had great fun. Response to the sauces is amazing. And we are about to put out a new savory dessert sauce. Trinidad reds, apple cider vinegar, apple, pear, cinnamon, honey, ginger, salt. It packs a punch but the other flavors are amazingly present. It blends quite well.
 
Captain.jpg
 
Captain Caliente was kind enough to send me a couple of his sauces to review for him, and I was happy to oblige. I'm no "professional review," or anything like that, nor have I ever claimed to be. I'm just a regular dude who likes hot sauce
(and "THE" sauce, haha :beer: ) :rofl:

Anyway, here are my thoughts. All typed as I was tasting, straight off of a (full) tablespoon:


"The Original"

Aroma: (sniffing from bottle)
Smells predominantly like peppers, with more garlic than onion in the background. A very faint aroma of ACV, but you'd really have to know it was in there to smell it. Very pleasing aroma overall

Consistency:
Not watery, by any means, but not super thick, like a "plop" sauce. Poured onto a spoon, it really "coats" the whole spoon, and I'm anticipating it to really "grip" my tongue. I'm also picking up more onion on the nose, now that it's on the spoon vs. in the bottle

Taste:
Deceivingly "gritty" texture. There were little chunks of peppers and/or veggies in there that didn't show up to my naked eye, and they were "hard" too. Not hard like candy, but definitely not soft. I was NOT expecting that. Also, the consistency seemed a lot thinner in my mouth than it looked on the tablespoon. Tasted mostly like straight peppers, with a tiny bit of onion and garlic. ACV was practically undetectable (to me). Very nice balance

Heat:
Decent all over mouth burn, that completely dissipated within 2 1/2 minutes, except for some lingering effects on the tongue. For a sauce with Scorpions, 7 Pots, and Bhuts in it, I was expecting much more heat. On my own personal heat scale, I'd probably place this as an "upper medium" heat. Maybe 6-6.5/10

Overall:
Tasty and well balanced sauce. Very pepper forward, and reminds me of a (thicker) Louisiana style sauce with more of a "punch." I could see this pairing with several different dishes

---------------------------------------


"Green-Go"

Aroma:
Very difficult for me to put into words. It'd be much easier to say "it smells like a salsa verde," haha. Vinegar aroma is more pronounced than in "The Original"

Consistency:
Very chunky, with lots of bits and pieces of pepper and onion, free flowing throughout the vinegar. Seeing lots of pepper seeds in the bottle too.

Taste:
Surprisingly, very sweet, right out of the gate. Initial taste was honey (which was odd), followed by ACV, then honey, then onion, then peppers, then the ACV comes in again hard at the end. There's a touch of bitterness in there too, probably due to the green pods. The more I eat, the more the ACV is dominant (and so is the honey). I ate 6 full tablespoons to make sure I wasn't losing my mind, haha

Heat:
Where is it? lol
No, it's not "that" mild, but the heat is surprisingly lacking, considering the ingredients list. I understand that the pods were green, but something's missing here. It was a lot milder than I'd anticipated. On my own personal heat scale, I guess I'd give it around a 3-3.5 (?). Maybe a 4, but that's close to pushing it. The burn fades as quickly as it comes on (if not quicker)

Overall:
This is obviously just my own personal opinion, but I believe that this sauce needs a some work. Recipe probably looked good on paper, since it worked with "The Original" (same ingredients, except the pods are green in this one), but something just doesn't jibe for me here. Definitely need a way to give this sauce more "balance." As it is now, it's very "choppy," if that makes any sense. Like nothing has "melded." It's like my tongue was getting clubbed with ACV and the (mild) taste of honey, over and over again. I understand that this is marketed as a vinegar based / vinegar forward sauce, but there needs to be more balance in there somehow, IMO. Maybe cut back on the honey and add a little bit of apple for a sweetener
 
MikeUSMC said:
Captain Caliente was kind enough to send me a couple of his sauces to review for him, and I was happy to oblige. I'm no "professional review," or anything like that, nor have I ever claimed to be. I'm just a regular dude who likes hot sauce
(and "THE" sauce, haha :beer: ) :rofl:

Anyway, here are my thoughts. All typed as I was tasting, straight off of a (full) tablespoon:


"The Original"

Aroma: (sniffing from bottle)
Smells predominantly like peppers, with more garlic than onion in the background. A very faint aroma of ACV, but you'd really have to know it was in there to smell it. Very pleasing aroma overall

Consistency:
Not watery, by any means, but not super thick, like a "plop" sauce. Poured onto a spoon, it really "coats" the whole spoon, and I'm anticipating it to really "grip" my tongue. I'm also picking up more onion on the nose, now that it's on the spoon vs. in the bottle

Taste:
Deceivingly "gritty" texture. There were little chunks of peppers and/or veggies in there that didn't show up to my naked eye, and they were "hard" too. Not hard like candy, but definitely not soft. I was NOT expecting that. Also, the consistency seemed a lot thinner in my mouth than it looked on the tablespoon. Tasted mostly like straight peppers, with a tiny bit of onion and garlic. ACV was practically undetectable (to me). Very nice balance

Heat:
Decent all over mouth burn, that completely dissipated within 2 1/2 minutes, except for some lingering effects on the tongue. For a sauce with Scorpions, 7 Pots, and Bhuts in it, I was expecting much more heat. On my own personal heat scale, I'd probably place this as an "upper medium" heat. Maybe 6-6.5/10

Overall:
Tasty and well balanced sauce. Very pepper forward, and reminds me of a (thicker) Louisiana style sauce with more of a "punch." I could see this pairing with several different dishes

---------------------------------------


"Green-Go"

Aroma:
Very difficult for me to put into words. It'd be much easier to say "it smells like a salsa verde," haha. Vinegar aroma is more pronounced than in "The Original"

Consistency:
Very chunky, with lots of bits and pieces of pepper and onion, free flowing throughout the vinegar. Seeing lots of pepper seeds in the bottle too.

Taste:
Surprisingly, very sweet, right out of the gate. Initial taste was honey (which was odd), followed by ACV, then honey, then onion, then peppers, then the ACV comes in again hard at the end. There's a touch of bitterness in there too, probably due to the green pods. The more I eat, the more the ACV is predominant (and so is the honey). I ate 6 full tablespoons to make sure I wasn't losing my mind, haha

Heat:
Where is it? lol
No, it's not "that" mild, but the heat is surprisingly lacking, considering the ingredients list. I understand that the pods were green, but something's missing here. It was a lot milder than I'd anticipated. On my own personal heat scale, I guess I'd give it around a 3-3.5 (?). Maybe a 4, but that's close to pushing it. The burn fades as quickly (if not quicker) as it comes on

Overall:
This is obviously just my own personal opinion, but I believe that this sauce needs a some work. Recipe probably looked good on paper, since it worked with "The Original" (same ingredients, except the pods are green in this one), but something just doesn't jibe for me here. Definitely need a way to give this sauce more "balance." As it is now, it's very "choppy," if that makes any sense. Like nothing has "melded." It's like my tongue was getting clubbed with ACV and the (mild) taste of honey, over and over again. I understand that this is marketed as a vinegar based / vinegar forward sauce, but there needs to be more balance in there somehow, IMO. Maybe cut back on the honey and add a little bit of apple for a sweetener
Click to expand...
 
Great review. Thank you for your thoughts. I have work to do my friends. And it shall be done.
 
 
OK, so I do like Mike's suggestion about adding something to Green-Go to set it apart a little more. But I'll be darned if it isn't our biggest seller. People seem to love it. But I'm not generally dealing with chileheads at a farm market. The new sauce is really great though. Here is the concept for the label. What do y'all think?
 
APlabel.jpg
 
CC for me this works...I like it much  better then a label with the cheese super hero on it (no disrespect just my opinion). If I saw this in a super market it would be appealing to my eyes and would probably pick it up.
Captain Caliente said:
OK, so I do like Mike's suggestion about adding something to Green-Go to set it apart a little more. But I'll be darned if it isn't our biggest seller. People seem to love it. But I'm not generally dealing with chileheads at a farm market. The new sauce is really great though. Here is the concept for the label. What do y'all think?
 
APlabel.jpg
Click to expand...
 
 
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