Product Name: Defcon Sauces Defense Condition 1
Style: Buffalo w/extract
Manufacturer: Defcon Sauces
Country of Origin: USA
Website: http://www.defconsauces.com
Ingredients: Aged Cayenne Peppers, Distilled Vinegar, Water, Salt, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Peppers, Cream, White Wine Vinegar, Natural Favors and Pepper Extract
Label/Packaging: The label is a simple three color; white with black and red lettering. The Defcon biohazard logo is prominent and most of the print is block lettering. Nothing flashy. If you know what's inside, it doesn't need to be. Defcon's theme is the Defense Conditons 3 through Zero. Each sauce gets hotter as if a warning to your senses. You start out at Defcon 3 which is relatively mild and progress though each of the levels until you reach Defcon 1 which tells you that pain is imminent. Only the insane go farther which is Zero (special release only). Another review of that will come later. Those of us that dare try the Defcon One will have a fair understanding of what might come next.
Appearance/Aroma: The appearance is that of a typical wing sauce. It is thicker than a hot sauce, but not as thick as a BBQ sauce. It is bright orange. It's a wing sauce! The aroma is of cayenne and vinegar. It also smells a little buttery.
Body of Review:
This review is long overdue. John Dilley is a friend of mine and one of the people that I most enjoy in this Industry. I have been to his Defcon Days, seen him at multiple shows, and even participated in one of his Deathmatches. Recently someone asked me if I ever review something and don't like it. That got me to thinking, I can say yes I have tried sauces that I don't like particularly, but my job as a reviewer is to show the sauce for what it is and to be objective. While a sauce might not be my cup of tea, I try to show how it could be used and how some may enjoy it. This is not one of those sauces. This is my favorite wing sauce. I have no problem telling you that up front.
This sauce just screams chicken wings. It is just the right consistency with the cream in there. I know it doesn't have butter in it, but I swear I can taste some. The combination of the aged cayennes and the fresh cayennes is a good combination. The garlic is really not too prevalent. I know some may be turned off by this sauce simply because it has extract in it. I can tell you that THIS is nothing like any extract sauce you have had. It is made with a completely different process that contains no chemicals. Therefore, there is none of that nasty metallic aftertaste that you are used to. The heat is there from the start, but it's not intense. It builds as you eat. It is a warm all over your head heat. There will be sweating, but it is not so hot that you want to stop eating. For me, this is the perfect heat for a wing sauce. Of course, I have doctored this up with some DM MKII and some Cajun seasoning from time to time as that is my personal taste. This sauce is my everyday wing sauce, but every now and then I need to kick it up just a but more. If you are the same way, you can add some of his DM MKIV coming soon, or some Zero or Sludge. Either way, I suggest you get some of this sauce if you haven't had it. It will change the way you eat chicken wings forever.
Heat Level: 7
Applications: WINGS WINGS WINGS!!! I have also used this as a dipping sauce for chicken fingers, on breaded shrimp, in a Mexican tortilla soup, etc. But, this was born a wing sauce.
Appearance Score: 5
Aroma Score: 5
Taste Score: 5
Mouthfeel Score: 5
Heat Accuracy Score: 4.5
Overall Score: 4.9
Notes: Simply flawless. I did knock off .5 just because I could eat it just a hair hotter, but that is splitting hairs. Keep up the good work Creator.
Style: Buffalo w/extract
Manufacturer: Defcon Sauces
Country of Origin: USA
Website: http://www.defconsauces.com
Ingredients: Aged Cayenne Peppers, Distilled Vinegar, Water, Salt, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Peppers, Cream, White Wine Vinegar, Natural Favors and Pepper Extract
Label/Packaging: The label is a simple three color; white with black and red lettering. The Defcon biohazard logo is prominent and most of the print is block lettering. Nothing flashy. If you know what's inside, it doesn't need to be. Defcon's theme is the Defense Conditons 3 through Zero. Each sauce gets hotter as if a warning to your senses. You start out at Defcon 3 which is relatively mild and progress though each of the levels until you reach Defcon 1 which tells you that pain is imminent. Only the insane go farther which is Zero (special release only). Another review of that will come later. Those of us that dare try the Defcon One will have a fair understanding of what might come next.
Appearance/Aroma: The appearance is that of a typical wing sauce. It is thicker than a hot sauce, but not as thick as a BBQ sauce. It is bright orange. It's a wing sauce! The aroma is of cayenne and vinegar. It also smells a little buttery.
Body of Review:
This review is long overdue. John Dilley is a friend of mine and one of the people that I most enjoy in this Industry. I have been to his Defcon Days, seen him at multiple shows, and even participated in one of his Deathmatches. Recently someone asked me if I ever review something and don't like it. That got me to thinking, I can say yes I have tried sauces that I don't like particularly, but my job as a reviewer is to show the sauce for what it is and to be objective. While a sauce might not be my cup of tea, I try to show how it could be used and how some may enjoy it. This is not one of those sauces. This is my favorite wing sauce. I have no problem telling you that up front.
This sauce just screams chicken wings. It is just the right consistency with the cream in there. I know it doesn't have butter in it, but I swear I can taste some. The combination of the aged cayennes and the fresh cayennes is a good combination. The garlic is really not too prevalent. I know some may be turned off by this sauce simply because it has extract in it. I can tell you that THIS is nothing like any extract sauce you have had. It is made with a completely different process that contains no chemicals. Therefore, there is none of that nasty metallic aftertaste that you are used to. The heat is there from the start, but it's not intense. It builds as you eat. It is a warm all over your head heat. There will be sweating, but it is not so hot that you want to stop eating. For me, this is the perfect heat for a wing sauce. Of course, I have doctored this up with some DM MKII and some Cajun seasoning from time to time as that is my personal taste. This sauce is my everyday wing sauce, but every now and then I need to kick it up just a but more. If you are the same way, you can add some of his DM MKIV coming soon, or some Zero or Sludge. Either way, I suggest you get some of this sauce if you haven't had it. It will change the way you eat chicken wings forever.
Heat Level: 7
Applications: WINGS WINGS WINGS!!! I have also used this as a dipping sauce for chicken fingers, on breaded shrimp, in a Mexican tortilla soup, etc. But, this was born a wing sauce.
Appearance Score: 5
Aroma Score: 5
Taste Score: 5
Mouthfeel Score: 5
Heat Accuracy Score: 4.5
Overall Score: 4.9
Notes: Simply flawless. I did knock off .5 just because I could eat it just a hair hotter, but that is splitting hairs. Keep up the good work Creator.
