Scientifically:
Point is, it is more or less subjective when a pepper has not been tested. I am not sure if the data on the reaper is actually true since the average and outlier are so far off. So if anyone can refer to the data spreadsheet that would be cool that Guinness (for the Carolina Reaper) uses as their foundation then that would be great. However, the well established university of new mexico: provided a detailed paper here:
where they use basic to advanced statistics and provide a reference point for scoville heat units:
So according to them the Moruga Scorpion should be the hottest from their p.o.v.
Guinness (2017) points out the Smokin' Ed's Carolina Reaper is the hottest with 1.6 shu and 2.2 shu in their mean and max respectively.
So depending who you ask with what background, you might get different answers all year around. Regarding this topic, asking the Expected value or mean value of SHU the clear winner would be the Carolina Reaper or Moruga Scorpion depending which scientific result compels you more. But as I said, I could not find data or an scientific paper regarding the testing of the Carolina Reaper that Guinness uses. So that is up to you which you find more true.
Subjectively,
Heat is subjective one might say the Carolina Reaper is the hottest while someone else says the habanero is the hottest. Depending on their field of knowledge and what peppers they eaten before might tell you a lot about the value of their information. My mother said the Jalapeno is the hottest pepper because she never had anything hotter than a Jalapeno, you see? So I would say look at the videos of Chiliheads,
Johnny Scoville is very good for information considering this guy ate more peppers than most chili heads in their life time?
What was it? 6 or 7 seasons with hunderds of dedicated pepper eating videos? Everytime increasing his tolerance to new varieties grown by different growers to get more or less a more well balanced view over different years? I think he said and most other people said there are idk how many peppers hotter than the carolina reaper just not tested. Hence there could be finite many peppers that are hotter than the record holder and hence your top ten list could be with subjectively rated peppers that are unknown in scoville heat units. However I think it is interesting to point out the hottest from a long list of videos that I watched ranging from [Ted Barrus, Bill Moore, Johhny Scoville, Chili Beast, ThePineAppler,Nate Infernis]
According to tedbarrus:
- 1. Oregon Venom Type 1
- 1. Chocolate Bhutlah x BBG 7 Pot
- 2. 7 pot lava brown
- 3. Chocolate Bhutlah SM or DM
source: ted barrus tumblr
Bill Moore
- Butch Taylor x Reaper aka BTR
source pod reviews 2016
Johnny Scoville
- Primotalii
-Choc Primotalii
-Lousiana Creeper
-some pod from his dedicated growers. (unknown cross) ( I think Thomas Spillane Grew it, iirc)
Chili Beast
iirc
- Chocolate Bhutlah DM
- Oregon Venom Type 1
So here you can argue who has the best information. But I think Johnny Scoville has considering his long and vast experience, as well as being most up to date. He has eaten many Chocolate Bhutlahs, Reapers, Primos, new crosses not eaten by all of these other reviewers, but he has so he has the largest scope. Hence I think his information is the most correct.
So your list would be or should be containing any of these.
The most interesting part is also that different peppers also burn different, once you go chocolate, you never recover.