Fat Baby Hot Sauce: Peach Bum & Cobra Kiss

Or: About time I review something related to the site's name.

Hot Sauce 101

Company: Fat Baby Hot Sauce

From: Ferndale, MI

Tested: Peach Bum, Cobra Kiss

A first for the site, I will be looking and tasting hot sauces, one of my namesake. I’m usually on the hunt for different types of spicy foods, hot sauces to accompany my lunches and dinner. Now to differentiate, these types of hot sauces are not your tabascos, Tapatios, salsa verde types. By which I mean you can slather them like its going out of style. Nothing wrong with that, its heat level is made for general audiences, general palates without causing much discomfort. I also don’t subscribe to getting the hottest thing on the market, have it as as is, then suffer for the world for clicks and likes. No, I get what I can handle, what I’ve honed over time, add as little as a quarter teaspoon, to 1 teaspoon max over a mean, or if I cook, 1 tablespoon for every pound of food.

The key is how the flavor stays with you. With you tabascos and salsa verdes, the flavor is gone as soon you are done with that bite. Here, at the level I go to, the heat and accompanying flavor profile will come at once, and stick with you for as little as 3 bites, to the entire meal. Its why generally, they are sold in 5 oz bottles with serving recommendations in teaspoons, 1 tablespoon max.

Another to factor to look for is the Scoville Units, which is the internationally recognized scale of how hot a particular pepper is. For our Dragon Ball Z/ Super fans, think of it as its power level. Something like jalapeno, which many will consider the edge of what they tolerate, is somewhere around 1000-2500 Scoville Units. Green pepper, one of the mildest, is at 0. Now there is Scotch Bonnet, at 100-350k. Once we get to ghostpepper territory, its around 1 million. Past that, there’s the Carolina Reaper at 2 million. There are pepper horticulturalists that continue to push, for example pepper X, though as of this writing, they are not sold on a grand commercial scale. You many find seeds, but that’s it. You get to the point where its just not really flavor and exercise in pain. The most I’ve pushed is the Carolina Reaper; I don’t have much desire that, as there’s no flavor profile that can mute/dull that level of heat. I’ve head a blueberry infused Caroline Reaper sauce which gave it a sweet heat that is good once in a great while, I forgot what brand it was, but even then, I realized anything more and I’d have just use it for cooking. Cooking can help bring down the Scoville Units some, as its no longer a concentrated flavor. It spreads that heat out and depending on how you use it, say cooking it in ground beef, still gives it a kick, but won’t be as sharp.

Also to look out for is the salt content. Sadly, what’s put on grocer shelves is essentially just a salt vehicle that happens to have some pepper or chili. While part of this as its a cheap preservative, its also a misguided attempt to keep costs down as salt is original preservative since ancient times across many cultures. My usual gauge is that aim for 200mg or less per serving. That way, I know that the salt isn’t getting in the way of the heat or flavor profile. 100-150mg is ideal, 200mg is the end line. Somehow, if its below 100mg, its a no brainer.

Our Two Guests

The two sauces I’m reviewing today are at 50mg per teaspoon which is almost unheard of. I got these at a local outdoor festival in my area. They have their farm local to the state, and have their business in-state as well, so getting boutique flavor and supporting local business was a nice bonus. I paid 2 for 20, which I’ll admit will be more than what you pay at the grocery. Though as mentioned earlier, with this lasting for 32 to 40 servings means you are getting what you paid for and then some. Let’s look at the two flavors.

Peach Bum: Life's a Spicy Beach

Starting off with the Peach Bum, this is the milder of the two. Now being a small outfit, they did not have the Scoville Units measured. Still, 1 teaspoon for seasoned vets won’t immediately set you on fire, but don’t be reckless. As it sounds, it has peach juice mixed with the pepper, giving it a a sweet heat. Generally, sweet heat profiles have the sweet be the first thing you taste, with the heat comes after. The Peach Bum is no different as the peach takes you proverbial hand for the first leg of the flavor journey. It then hands you to the heat which if you’re newer to the heat game, or if your tolerance is decent, will be intense. If the peach is taking you for a walk, the pepper goes into a full run, you better keep up. Its ending is a bit herby for the finish and before you know its done, sort of a cool down jog if you will. Great on vegetables, salads, and can compliment a multi herb seasoning if you use it on said vegetables. If you get it, and put it on meat, let me know, I’d be interested to hear how a sweet heat ‘n meat profile tastes like.

Cobra Kiss: Experts Only

Next is the Cobra Kiss, which is ghostpepper and curry. Now curry could be its own subject, this may sound akin to putting gasoline on a proverbial fire. Though not all curry is hot, as many countries like Japan, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean region have made curry that emphasizes flavor over heat from its native India. So how would these work in tandem? The curry here, is not of the spicy kind, which makes sense, as the ghostpepper will take take of that. The curry is there for the aroma, as well give it light curry profile. Back to the running analogy, this one is a shorter warm up period, as its a short, brisk jog. The ghostpepper, then takes over. For ghostpepper vets such as myself, we know how fast the ghostpepper hits, and will be ready for it, no matter how its blended/formulated. For our newer hot sauce connoisseurs, be ready for it, and either have some bread/milk handy. I personally prefer bread, as it acts as a proverbial sponge for excess heat. The ghostpepper goes into an all out sprint, hoping you can keep up. At the end, it goes to a strong, herb finish which is like switching from sprinting the 100 meter dash, to running the 1500 meters. A change of pace, but its still work. For the rest of the meal, you’ll be that 1500 meter pace for awhile, though with bread, you’ll slow the pace down slower. I use this on meats such as chicken and beef, and is perfect on pizza. I do one slice with the sauce, the next slice without, as the bread content will accelerate the cooldown process. Just don’t put jalapenos, mild peppers on it…

The Verdict

Overall, I’m impressed with these two as they serve their purpose: a balanced portion of heat of flavor that doesn’t overwhelm you with one over the other. You can order from them direct at their website at the top, they may have promotions from time to time. They have other flavors such as Brat Sauce, which I did sample briefly, my impressions of it as a kicked up mustard good for brauts. Did you order what I had? Did you get anything else? Let me know by dropping me a line!