Okay, if you are ready to put on your big boy pants and up your hot sauce game to the major leagues, this is the one I recommend. Dave’s Insanity Sauce is among the original of the insane sauces (thus the name) and is still one of the best. It contains a blend of chilis, tomato paste, and spices, but the key ingredient here is the capsaicin extract. That’s what packs the punch and makes this one of the hottest sauces widely available.
It has an intense flavor that explodes in your mouth after about half a second or more. There is not a lot of the tang or salt that you typically find in bottled hot sauces, it is mostly just an intense pepper flavor (both chili and black pepper). And this is not one that you are going to spritz atop your food or pair up with a bowl of chips (unless you are involved in some sort of challenge). As the bottle says, one drop at a time, and you will find yourself going to meltdown mode if you go much more beyond that.
Of course, if you add a drop or two to chili con carne, stew, or soup, it will not turn that into a deadly dish, but it will definitely give it a kick. I will tend to make my chili milder since I cook for people who do not have the same heat tolerance as I do, then I add a few drops to my bowl. That’s not for the meek, but it definitely adds plenty of heat with a nice flavor that does not overwhelm the dish. It lends a bit of richness and maybe a touch of smokiness along with the heat. You can also put a drop in a bowl of mild salsa (like Pace Picante) to give it a kick that makes it more enjoyable for chiliheads.
Dave’s Insanity Sauce once held the title of “world’s hottest sauce”, but there are tons of insanely hot sauces out there these days, many of which claim to be much hotter. There is a point when you can go too far, though, like when the local law enforcement asks for a bowl of your chili for crowd control. Dave’s definitely brings that next-level heat, and your average person (even those who claim to like spicy) will struggle with this one. For chiliheads, it is definitely a good sauce. And while there are some that I have tried that are hotter and have a good taste, Dave’s is the one I usually reach for when I want more than just a little kick of heat.
Dave’s Ghost Pepper Sauce is worth mentioning as well. It is allegedly hotter than the original, but I personally consider them neck and neck. The Ghost Chili sauce definitely has that earthy taste of the pepper it is named after as well as a bit more tang than the original along with a touch of sweetness. It is definitely a good substitute and it certainly brings the heat as well.
Dave’s Insanity Sauce first appeared in 1993 and it is made by Dave’s Gourmet. That company makes hot sauces that range from relatively mild to even hotter than the insanity sauce (Total Insanity Sauce and Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce), and they also make pasta sauce, seasonings, and even oats(huh . . . ?). I’ve tried several of the Dave’s hot sauces, all of which are good, but I usually find myself returning to the original Insanity Sauce.
Tale of the Tape:
Ingredients: Hot peppers, tomato paste, hot pepper extract, salt, cane vinegar, onions, xanthan gum, garlic, citric acid, spices
Serving Size: 1 Teaspoon
Calories: 10
Fat: 0g
Protein: 0g
Carbs: 0g
Sodium: 10mg