Almond purveyor Blue Diamond has been selling almonds of all types and flavors for many years and has just recently come out with their Xtremes version. I previously covered the Cayenne and Ghost Pepper flavors here. And now I have managed to locate the Caroline Reaper almonds, so I decided to report on them as well.
These are considered the hottest of the Xtremes flavors, getting four out of four flames on the can. And they definitely pack some heat. You get an immediate kick once you pop one in your mouth, followed by a bit of vinegar and a bit of sweet. My guess is that they are going for a hot Carolina barbeque sauce flavor, which is vinegar-based. (And these do have vinegar powder as one of the ingredients, bet you didn’t know that existed.) The taste is quite good and these get hotter the more you eat.
Compared to the other two flavors, this is definitely the hottest, though not much more than the Ghost Pepper nuts (which get three out of four flames on the can). I would say that the Carolina Reaper almonds are right at the hot heat level, though nothing that would make chiliheads weep (though the average mortal may want to approach with caution). Flavor-wise, I like the Reaper nuts, but I would probably put the Ghost Pepper ones a notch higher. And since they are at a similar heat level, I would rank them top among the three. But all of the Xtremes are definitely good and worth picking up.
I was having trouble finding these for a while, but they seem to be making it to more store shelves now. I ordered the Carolina Reaper almonds from Amazon, but I have since seen them in Walgreens and in Kroger. I got the other two flavors at my local Super Target and have not checked to see if they have added the hottest one yet. For a snack that is healthy and packs a punch, these are definitely worth checking out. You can read more about Blue Diamond Almonds in my previous review.
Tale of the Tape:
Ingredients: Almonds, Carolina Reaper Seasoning (maltodextrin, Salt, Spices, Citric Acid, Onion Powder, Paprika Extract, White Vinegar Powder, Natural Flavors, Garlic Powder, Carolina Reaper Chile Powder, Tomato Powder, Yeast Extract, Acetic Acid), Vegetable Oil (almond, Canola And/or Safflower).
Serving Size: 28 nuts (1 oz)
Calories: 170
Fat: 16g (1g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 6g
Carbs: 5g
Sodium: 130mg