Bottom Line: Melinda’s Pepper Sauce Challenge has a nice selection of that company’s sauces that offer a good combination of heat and flavor.
It is the time of year when people are buying gifts for friends and family, and as I have said in a previous post, please don’t buy those generic hot sauce gift sets if you are getting something for someone who likes spicy foods. There are plenty of better options out that as I have been covering with my spicy gifts posts, and one of those is the Melindas Pepper Sauce Challenge set. I already mentioned that company’s sauces in a post last week, but I wanted to focus on this particular set because you might be able to get a heck of a deal on it in Sam’s right now (mine currently has quite a number of sets available).
I have seen several configurations of the same set, but the one currently available at Sam’s Wholesale Club for under ten bucks includes 5 oz bottles the following six sauces: Jalapeno, Cayenne, XXXtra Hot Habanero, Red Savina, Ghost Pepper, and Scorpion. Amazon currently has a similar set available, but it subs in Chipotle and Extra Hot Habanero for Cayenne and the XXXtra Hot Habanero.
Melinda’s sauces have long been a favorite of mine, especially the ones made from habanero. Their sauces have a nice vinegar tang that is not overpowering and is followed by a nice burst of flavor from the main pepper used to spice it up. The Jalapeno sauce in this set delivers a good green pepper taste. The Cayenne sauce is a nice Louisiana-style mix. The XXXtra Hot Habanero has always been one of my favorites as it delivers on the taste of its main pepper and it is not insanely hot (though it has quite a kick). The Red Savina, Ghost Pepper, and Scorpion sauces all amp up the heat as expected, but still have some good taste as well (the Ghost Pepper one has long been one of my favorite fiery sauces).
I have heard complaints that Melinda’s changed its recipes a while back, and that is possible when it moved its sauce-making operations to Costa Rica. I seem to recall the sauce was a bit sweeter at one point, but their products still deliver on the flavor and I consider them one of the better mainstream sauce-makers. This set is certainly better than those generic sauce compilations you will find out there (which are likely made in China), and if you have a Sam’s near you then you may be able to get this set for a heck of a deal right now. If you can’t find it there, it is available online (though somewhat more costly), or you can look around for other craft sauce options that lovers of spicy foods should enjoy. (You can find a few suggestions here.)