The Classic | Hot Ones Hot Sauce Reviews

4.5 Rating 719 Reviews

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At HEATONIST, we work with the most passionate small batch hot sauce makers to develop new, never-before-seen flavors in the world of spice. As the official hot sauce partner of Hot Ones, we're trusted to curate new Hot Ones lineups and create their signature line of sauces.

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“I ate this on chips and couldn't get over how delicious it is. Then I tried it on a burrito and it got sort of lost. It's so good, I just want to eat it by itself, but I'm still struggling to find the right food to really let it shine.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Personally love this sauce as a milder choice when I'm not feeling the heat, and the flavor is great. The problem, however, is that the flavor is very easily overpowered, leaving nothing but a very mild heat to it. So personally it's great for something quite bland, hash browns for example, but not for anything that really has a flavor of it's own.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“As far as spice level, this is on par with basic sauces like Tabasco and Cholula, nothing to be worried about. It does have a much better flavor than all other comparable hot sauces but it still isn't anything to write home about. In summation: mild heat, good flavor, but in a category that doesn't really justify the cost. If you're dead set on mild heat and better flavor, this might be worth the few extra bucks”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“The heat level is similar to the basic grocery store hot sauces. However, the flavor needs to be enhanced somehow. Should be more pepper flavor coming through. Trying to increase the taste by pouring more on makes the vinegar louder and it's a tad bitter. The bottle has a dripper orifice on it, but this sauce doesn't need to be restricted to a drop at a time like watery sauces do. The ingredients seem good quality. I like that it's thicker and not completely liquefied like common store brands. All in all, it's okay as a 'traditional' hot sauce offering.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“I was excited to taste this one after all the guests on the show saying it was super tasty. I wasn't expecting any heat, of course since it usually was the first sauce to try. However, I felt this one really DIDN'T HAVE FLAVOR - like it was missing some salt or some dimension. If you have ever had that garlic chili mix from Asian stores (one with the green cap), this sauce tastes like that with a vinegar base mixed with a bit of watered down sweet and sour sauce. I think it'll go well with maybe fish and chips, but it's so basic I wouldn't want to buy it for more than $5. It's not spicy or hot at all; I'd give it a 1/10 in heat. It's like baby Tobasco.”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“Some reviewers complain that this sauce is not hot enough, but as a mild sauce and comparing it to other store bought sauces it's got some bite and lingers on your tounge for a bit. It's a little bitter, but it has a nice chunky texture to it, which puts it above tabasco in my book. It's a bit bland flavor wise, but it's made to be used on other well seasoned foods, not shotgunned straight out of the bottle.”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“I recently hosted an event based on the Hot Ones challenge. 6 competitors and 11 sauces(bonus XXX hot ones #11). I am reviewing my line up with feedback from myself and 5 others. This was my #1 sauce. Taste wise the title of the review kinda says it. You'll likely enjoy it but won't be blown away. none of the contestants asked about it or wanted to order some after tasting it. 'pretty good' was the general reaction. Heat wise, this was a little nip. one of the few heat ratings i find this site got pretty well on the money. Flavor - 3 of 5 Heat - 2 of 10”