The Reaper Super Hot Salsa CaJohns

A basic challenge with reviewing hot sauces and salsas (or reading hot sauce reviews) is that, even ignoring the egos that come into play, people's ability to detect and tolerate spice varies by orders of magnitude. So, for any hot salsa, including this one, you'll get a few people declaring it's the hottest thing on the planet, others saying it's not hot at all, and a bunch of folks in the middle saying it's pleasantly piquant.With that in mind, I offer this bit about me to put this review into perspective: I grow my own ghost peppers and red savinas; I am a huge fan of Volcano Dust; and people who join me at Thai restaurants are alternately appalled or ...no, they're mostly just appalled. That said, I prioritize flavor over heat and, while I have a fridge full Dave's Insanity This and Mad Dog That, I tend to use them slowly because I find them more focused on being hot than tasting good. The hot sauces I will use max out at about 200,000 scoville units, well short of the 16 million scoville units the hottest sauces claim. So, if you've ever thought a salsa you got at Safeway was too spicy, this review probably isn't for you. And if you've ever complained that a Dave's or a Blair's is too mild, it isn't for you either.For everybody else (which, who knows, may only be me), I think the Reaper is a pretty safe bet. The heat is intense, immediate and lasting; which means the heat builds in your mouth over time. Straight out of the jar, it's just at the edge of what I can tolerate for more than a few chips at a time. Still, it's a nice, well-balanced, flavor, if a relatively neutral one----a little smoky, a little sweet, but not too much of either.Which brings me to why it's a pretty safe bet for just about anyone who wants a salsa with more kick. Most purportedly hot salsas are still mild enough that I have to add a lot of hot sauce to make them enjoyable; but adding enough hot sauce will generally water down the salsa and make it taste like the hot sauce. Since the Reaper has intense heat and a pleasant but neutral flavor, I've found I enjoy it more when I cut it with another salsa that has plenty of flavor but lacks the heat.Is that worth $13 for a jar of salsa? Maybe not. And shouldn't a $13 jar of salsa taste really spectacular, in addition to being hot? Maybe.So, I gave it a four, instead of a five. But I'll still be buying a third jar of it.

There is no denying that this is a very, very hot salsa and it is a major creeper when it comes to the heat. My first couple tortilla chips I couldn't feel any heat at all so kept eating it like I would Pace salsa right from the jar. About 30 to 45 seconds later I was like what the hell just happened. I could feel my nose start to run and my ears started ringing and the sweat started to come on so I sat down for a few minutes to work it out. I could feel the salsa literally work its way down into my stomach.This isn't the hottest thing I've eaten by a long shot, but hot peppers have a way of knocking the wind out of you if you aren't really expecting it. Next time I go into it I'll know what to expect and it won't be such a shock. It's also not my first rodeo with Carolina Reaper I have a jar of Reaper powder from the Electric Pepper Company (available on Amazon) that I like to use in soups and whatnot because it mysteriously adds zero flavor to the food but adds some heat. Comparing that to this, I'd say this salsa is far hotter even though the powder is strictly dried peppers.As for the flavor: it's decent. It's got a bit of a citrus tang to it which isn't exactly my favorite flavor of salsa. I like salsa that has more of a tomato and vegetable flavor to it which is strictly just my preference. This is also a tad too much on the sweet side, which isn't really surprising as sugar is one of the top ingredients on the list. However, I can imagine that some compromises needed to be made in order to put out a product that still had a good taste to it while also being extremely hot. This salsa isn't made to just be hot and nothing else, it's obvious that CaJohns was going for a product that would taste good too.So, when combining the high level of heat with the flavor that doesn't suck like most other extra hot salsas and sauces out there I think this one deserves 4/5 stars. Not sure if I'll be buying it again because it's not my style of salsa, but it is tasty and I will definitely be finishing the jar.

I'm a heat lover and just can't find good/hot enough salsa in the stores. Read the reviews here and made the plunge. Package arrived today, VERY well wrapped.My wife saw it and said "take that out back and open it"! She was worried the heat/smell would make her cough, too funny.I was suddenly becoming nervous myself to open it, but open it I did! In another room away from her, just in case. Dabbed a finger in and touched it to my tongue, ok, no pain yet, that's good. Did that a few times and like the flavor right away. OK, time to get some chips!Starting slow, 3 chips. First a dab with a slight twist, munch! Waiting for it.....not bad at all, I can feel the heat coming, but it's manageable. So the next chip, was a much more serious dip, with some tomato and more salsa on it. Hmmm, what's that smokey flavor? Ahh, must be the habaneros, very nice.Still anticipating that, oh crap what have I done moment, not there yet. On to the third chip, I man up and take a real scoop, which invites more flavor and heat. However, it's a very welcoming heat, not as bad as anticipated. Yup, my head is officially sweating and hot now, sign of a good salsa!OK, it's been 10 minutes, head is still warm, but the heat in my mouth is gone, it didn't linger as much as expected. I really like the overall flavor, smoky, not too sweet, very tasty! Highly recommend it.

This should actually be six out of five stars. It came well packaged to ensure the jar would not break in transit, the product came exactly as advertised and the flavour of this salsa is by far one of the best salsa's I have had, plus the heat delivered by this salsa is just as the label promises. I have only had the jar for five days and it is already down to it's last couple of ounces. I try to find every excuse I can to have a bit of this salsa throughout the day. If you are not a veteran chili head and you want to take it to the next level (or if you are a veteran chili head that is just looking for a capsicum fix), this is the place to start! Will definitely buy this again.

This salsa is for chili heads, and other alike. Depending on your tolerance, you may only have 2-3 chips initially. The salsa is made with the Carolina Reaper, hence the name. This pepper is fruity, and misleading, you will want to eat the whole jar. You will then learn of your mistake. It is dangerously addictive. It is a great product, this review is based on my 3rd jar of the salsa. Build your tolerance accordingly, and enjoy. This product is absolutely, the BEST Hot salsa, for chili heads, and all alike. Remember a little pain, will turn into pleasure. They should rename it AWESOME Sauce!!! Well done all.

Nice and sweet while you are eating it, but as soon as you stop, here comes the heat!The salsa is made with Carolina Reaper peppers (the hottest pepper in the world) and sweetened with Turbinado Sugar (raw sugar).While it may not be the best salsa in the world, it is certainly one of the better ones, and probably the hottest that I have had, if you serve this cold, it will play with your taste buds.

Great product, great taste and hot as hell ! I highly recommend to any fan of spicy food !

Very hot, very awesome salsa. All other hot salsa's will be "Mild" after you've had this beast of a salsa.Only con: Very expensive :(