The Last Dab: Apollo | Hot Ones Hot Sauce Reviews

4.5 Rating 878 Reviews

About Heatonist:

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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“So i love how this sauce hits! The flavor has a tang which is a bit to getting use to if you are not a Last Dabber. But the heat comes on quick and the cool down is ultra flavorful. It is like in inverse of what you expect with hot sauce. Great deep earthy tones pop with the spice.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“The bottom line: this is a last dab with heat that lives up to the title at the cost of edibility. Simply put, this is The Constrictor with Apollo pepper instead of Reaper. I tried this on a spoon, then on a chip. The sauce has a medium viscosity, unlike the pure mash consistency of previous versions. Gone is the delicious flavor of turmeric and spice so prevalent in XXX. In fact, this version is nothing like the previous ones. The flavor is nothing but raw super-hot pepper pods with a hint of vinegar. The heat overwhelms rapidly and lasts. Kudos to the Heatonist team for figuring out how to get extract-level heat from a non-extract sauce. This is the heat level I had hoped for from the final sauce on a hot wing show. Overall, this is not an enjoyable sauce to eat alone. However, it would make a welcome addition to soups, chiles, salsa, or anything else you want to spice up. The flavor won’t add or detract much. In summary, the heat finally lives up to the hype but the Last Dab flavor of previous editions is gone.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“First let me say, I grow my own hot peppers. Ive been growing Carolina Reapers and Trinidad Scorpion peppers for over 5 years. Over the years of growing the Reapers next to my Scorpions I now tend to get a slight hybrid. This sauce is what they taste like. IF you have ever eaten a ripe off the vine Reaper Pepper then you will immediately recognize the earthy slightly sweet floral flavor of this sauce. It is as hot as eating a ripe Carolina Reaper or equivalent. It has staying power. It will take 5 to 10 min for the heat to die down. If they added a little garlic and mustard to this sauce I feel it would take it to the next level. Overall if you are looking for a great tasting no frills pepper sauce, this is it.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Ive been collecting the other last dabs, love those sauces but i got acclimated to them quite quickly. In comes the apollo. Wow. This hits as quickly as beyond insanity, but not as viscious. The second it hits your tongue, fire. Smooth, good flavor, kind of lingers going down so a bit uncomfortable, but thats what ive wanted from your hottest sauces. Apollo delivers. Love this sauce already.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“I bought XXX last year; to enjoy on a New Years heat challenge. I bought the Apollo to follow up. It arrived today. I placed a true "dab" on a bare utensil to test things out. Holy FRICKEN Hell. This is Da Bomb level; but it hits instantly. 10 minutes later; still raging on the roof of my mouth. I did press my tongue to fully spread the heat and to see what the flavor profile was. All I have is pain. This isn't a condiment. This is legit 11/10. I'm no longer looking forward to new years. Thanks for ruining 2021; as if 2020 wasn't enough. :)”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“At first, the consistency is a lot less viscous as compared to the other Last Dabs. The smell is amazingly sweet which gives you a false sense of security. Once embarking on the journey, your taste buds will immediately beg to “get off the ride”. This stuff is WICKED HOT. But what a ride.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“The sauce overall is good, but I actually expect it to be hotter. That is not to say it is not a very hot sauce. The first flavor I got out of this, is a citrus/acidic taste, followed by a mild sweetness, I for some reason also associate the flavor with the smallest hint of pineapple. It was not a bad taste just different from what I was expecting. I'm not sure if this is coming from the vinegar that was used or the pepper itself. it does slightly remind me of the flavor of a scorpion with that slightly acid flavor. I have not seen this citrus/acidic reported in any of the other reviews. Is this something others have experienced?”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“As compared to the Last Dab XXX, the flavor depth just is not there. I find the Last Dab Apollo better as a recipe ingredient to add heat. For that purpose, it helps that the heat doesn't come from the mash but rather its been "juiced" via the distillate. Interestingly, if you try the Last Dab Apollo directly off a spoon it can actually dull your taste buds. I wish it would have made as great of a Steak sauce as the near departed Last Dab XXX, but it didn't; and for that reason it got 4 stars instead of 5”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago