Hot Sauce Finds: Castaway Mango Chipotle, Castaway Falling Iguana Datil Sauce, and Branford’s Crazy Mango Hot Sauce

My son recently took a trip to Florida for a music event where he continues to improve his skills as a concert violinist (while also enjoying the beach a little as well), and while there he picked up several hot sauces made in that state. Here’s the rundown on those:

Castaway Mango Chipotle Sauce: Castaway Sauce Company is based in Daytona Beach, Florida, and offers a nice variety of sauces. This particular one has an immediate smokiness to it followed by a notable sweetness. There’s a little bit of fruit flavor in there as well, but it’s just kind of a general fruitiness as opposed to a distinct mango flavor. The sweetness of this sauce comes close to being cloying, but not quite all the way. And the heat, sweet, smoke, and fruit ultimately balance out to a rather tasty mix of flavors.

The sauce does have a bit of a kick, and I would put this one above Mild on my scale, but not quite to Medium. This would definitely go well with chicken or possibly pork as a barbecue sauce to coat them before hitting the grill. It could also kick up a burger, or you could mix it with mayo to amp up that condiment. If you have a Publix near you, the sauce is available there. Some specialty stores carry it as well, or you can buy it from the company’s website for $5.99 a bottle (plus shipping).

Castaway Falling Iguana Datil Sauce: Another sauce from Castaway, this one uses the Datil chili, which is commonly grown in Florida. That one is a little below the Habanero in heat, coming in between 100K and 300K SHU. The sauce has a notable sweetness right away with a little bit of tang, followed by a kick of heat. There’s definitely a pepperiness to the sauce along with some fruit and a hint of prunes. There’s also a unique flavor in there I can’t quite pinpoint, and that may come from the Datil chilis (I have tried them before but can’t quite remember the taste).

This one is approaching Hot on my scale, and it definitely delivers a kick. It would go well with some wings, and it might be a good choice with seafood, particularly grilled shrimp. As with the other Castaway sauce, you can find it at Publix or buy it directly from the company’s website for $5.99 (plus shipping).

Branford’s Crazy Mango Hot Sauce: This company is based out of Melbourne, Florida, and they also have several sauces to choose from. The Mango Hot Sauce has a deep richness with some hints of fruit and a nice, peppery finish. This is full-flavored and complex, but still subtle enough that it lets that mango get through. It delivers a good balance of flavors and heat, and it is my favorite of the bunch, possibly becoming a regular on my (ever-expanding) hot sauce shelf.

As for the burn, this one goes beyond Hot on my scale and is approaching Fiery. I can see this pairing well with a piece of grilled fish, drizzled on to deliver a nice kick of heat and flavor. Or I’d be happy just to eat this one with chips to enjoy the flavor straight out of the bottle. Whole Foods carries this sauce, though apparently not in my area. You may be able to find it in specialty shops, and you can also buy it from the company’s website for $8.95 per bottle (plus shipping).

Nutrition Info:

Castaway Mango Chipotle Sauce

Ingredients: Cayenne Hot Sauce, (Cayenne Peppers, Vinegar, Water, Salt, Natural Flavor, Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Garlic), Mango Puree, Sugar, Onion, Water, Chipotle Puree (Chipotle Peppers, Vinegar, Salt), Molasses, Garlic (Garlic, Water, Phosphoric Add, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Add), Xanthan Gum And Spices

Serving Size: 1 tsp
Calories: 5
Fat: 0g (0g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 0g
Carbs: 2g
Sodium: 70mg

Castaway Falling Iguana Datil Sauce

Ingredients: Water, Hot Sauce (Cayenne Peppers, Vinegar, Water, Salt, Natural Flavor, Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Garlic), Rice Vinegar, Sugar, Honey, Onion, Bell Pepper, Liquid Margarine (Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Cottonseed And Soybean Oils, Water, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Vegetable Mono And Diglycerides, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Natural And Artificial Flavor, Calcium Disodium Edta, Citric Acid, Vitamin A Palmitate, Beta-Carotene), Datil Peppers, Garlic (Garlic, Water, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate), Jalapeno Mash (Jalapeno Pepper, Vinegar, Salt), Datil Pepper Powder, Ketchup (Tomato Concentrate, Sugar, Vinegar, Salt, Natural Flavor, Onion Powder, Spices), Granulated Onion, Orange Juice Concentrate, Xanthan Gum, Herbs, Ground Ginger And Spices

Serving Size: 1 tsp
Calories: 5
Fat: 0g (0g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 0g
Carbs: 2g
Sodium: 50mg

Brandford’s Crazy Hot Mango Hot Sauce

Ingredients: Mango, cayenne pepper, habanero pepper, onion, black pepper, apple cider vinegar, salt, brown sugar

Serving Size: 1 tsp
Calories: 5
Fat: 0g (0g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 0g
Carbs: 1g
Sodium: 45mg