My Dad Puts PeppaJoy’s Ghost Scary Hot Sauce to the Test
Few if any other people on earth could have a greater love and appreciation for pepper sauce than my father.
So cherished is the searing sauce that he puts it (A LOT OF IT) on most everything he eats.
So particular is he about the proper heat index a good, quality pepper sauce must possess that he makes his own, employing liberal amounts of the infamous Moruga scorpion peppers, recently judged to be the world’s hottest, in a concoction way too incendiary for me to even contemplate trying.
In this area, at least to me, his expertise is unquestioned.
So naturally, upon coming across this ominously adorned bottle in the Turks and Caicos a few months ago, I thought to lean on his consul in order to ascertain its quality.
The scary “Scream-like” skull face replacing the “o” in Ghost, flames shooting out all over the label, the tagline: Hotter than the Beach at Noon! – the packaging gave every indication that this stuff could kill a lesser man. “Perfect,” I thought, “for dear-old Dad to test out.”
I shipped a bottle to Tobago, waited a few weeks, then made the call. Dad’s verdict:
Well, it had a pretty good taste to it, but they should take off the ‘hot’ from the label. Or maybe just add medium.
That the Ghost didn’t have the most in the heat department for my Dad was not really a surprise, of course. (I’m telling you, the inside of the man’s mouth must be 100% fire-resistant; his gut, the most reinforced of iron stomach’s that’s ever been.) Where it did shine for him was in its flavor – robust, tangy, and nicely spiced.
Overall, I’d give it a five out of 10.
In summation, I guess if you like your pepper sauce real–REAL HOT, the Ghost may disappoint. But, if you’re like me and prefer a little more balance between heat and flavor, the Ghost could be a go!
Next time you’re in the Turks and Caicos, pick up a bottle and let us know what you think…
Bon appétit!