Winging It: Buffalo Wild Wings Carolina Reaper Blazin’ Wings

Bottom Line: Buffalo Wild Wings Carolina Reaper Blazin’ Wings are some of the hottest wings out there, but they still deliver good taste.

For some reason, I have mostly neglected chicken wings on this site so far, probably because I have been focused on sampling the many spicy chicken sandwiches out there (watch for a ranking of those soon). But I will be turning my attention to the world of wings in the coming weeks, and when it comes to the chain restaurants that focus on those spicy chicken parts, Buffalo Wild Wings remains my favorite (though Wingstop is a close second). They serve up some damn good wings, both bone-in and boneless, with plenty of sauces to choose from, and their menu has quite a number of offerings beyond that.

And among the chains, BWW has remained at the top as far as their spiciest wings and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. For the longest time, their Blazin’ Sauce was their hottest and it was a favorite of mine. They amped that up with ghost chilis for a while, and now they have taken that to an even higher level by adding Carolina Reapers. I just recently took advantage of their six boneless wing bundle (comes with fries for only $7.49) and got all six wings with the latest and hottest version of the Blazin’ sauce. (I may have already tried it earlier in the year, but I can’t remember if that was the ghost chili version or if they had added the Reaper already.)

When you bite into one of these wings, you get an immediate peppery taste with raisiny hints of dried ghost chili in the background. The sauce has a tang and a little bit of sweetness as well, delivering a richer and slightly smoky variation on the expected wing sauce taste. They use whole chunks of chicken which are tender and flavorful, though most of the taste you get is from the sauce. The wings have a decent ratio of breading to meat, though they tend to lose the crunch pretty quickly because of the amount of sauce, unless you are eating them almost straight out of the frier. I don’t count that against them because the crust still delivers good texture.

But the heat of these Blazin’ wings is what you really want to know about, right?

Well, they definitely deliver in that department. After just one wing, you certainly feel the burn. After two, your mouth is on fire (if not before that). And three takes you on a direct path into the inferno. But there is still some good flavor there from the sauce, chicken, and breading, so it is not all pain and you find yourself grabbing yet another wing (at least I do). These are not for the meek, though, and may send even some chiliheads running for the fire extinguisher (or a tall glass of milk). But six is definitely doable, especially if you have celery, blue cheese, fries, and/or a drink close by to break up the heat (and I highly recommend their queso as an excellent appetizer and a good dairy product to offset the burn of the sauce).

BWW currently has a Blazin’ challenge that the more daring chilihead might want to try. You have to eat ten bone-in Blazin’ wings in five minutes with no drinks or sides. I haven’t tried it yet, and I’m not certain I will. If it was boneless wings I might. But the bone-in wings assure you will get plenty of the sauce on your face and hands, amplifying the pain. Not certain that is worth it just to get a thousand Blazin’ Rewards post (good for about one entre or appetizer). I’m not in it for the pain, I’m in it to enjoy the heat. So I will just take my time and revel in the wonderful burn delivered by these Carolina Reaper Blazin’ Wings.

I first went to Buffalo Wild Wings before they had become a major chain, eating at the original location near Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. At that time they served mostly just wings and beer and the electronic trivia game you could participate in was one of their big draws. They have since expanded and become more of a casual dining location, though they have not forgotten their roots and still put out some of the best wings out there. The $7.49 boneless wing deal is a darn good value, and if you don’t want to go all the way to the highest heat level then try the Wild or Nashville Hot or Mango Habanero. All three deliver good heat and good taste as well. (The Caribbean Jerk is quite tasty as well, but it is more towards medium heat).