SCOVILLE & HEAT LEVEL INFORMATION

What are the Scoville Heat Unit ratings of our sauces?

Our hot sauces have been independently tested on multiple occasions using High Performance Liquid Cromeography (HPLC). The average heat ratings in Scoville Heat Units (SHU) are shown in the graph below.

Product	Capsaicin mg/kg	Scoville Heat Units
Jalapeño & Date	10	165
Scotch Bonnet & Caribb. Spices	19	306
Chipotle & Pineapple	38	612
Habanero & Tomatillo	105	1,690
Ghost Pepper & Mango	229	3,686
Trinidad Scopion & Clementine	279	4,492
Carolina Reaper & Blueberry	467	7,518
Superhot Naga	1,792	28,851
Superhot Scorpion	1,909	30,743
Superhot Reaper	2,124	34,196
Superhot Special	2,272	36,582

 

Why We Don’t Use the Scoville Scale

You’ve probably heard of the Scoville scale. It’s the go-to way to measure how spicy a chili or hot sauce is. But honestly, it’s not as reliable as people think, which is why we don’t focus on Scoville ratings when describing our hot sauces (even though we get asked about it all the time).

The original Scoville test was based on taste; literally diluting a spicy sample until someone couldn’t feel the heat anymore. As you can imagine, that’s pretty subjective since everyone’s spice tolerance is different.

These days, heat is measured using a scientific method called High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), which calculates the amount of capsaicin. the compound that makes chillies hot. While this is much more accurate, it often results in lower Scoville Heat Units (SHU) than the big numbers you might see online.

That’s because Scoville ratings are often exaggerated. Some sauces claim to hit millions of SHU, which would mean they’re made up of an unrealistically high percentage of pure capsaicin. Others base their numbers on the maximum heat of a chili, like the Carolina Reaper, without accounting for how much is actually used, how cooking reduces heat, or the fact that fresh chillies are mostly water.

In reality, the true heat level of a sauce is usually much lower than these claims suggest.

Our Approach to Heat

Instead of chasing inflated numbers, we keep things simple and honest. We describe our sauces using clear heat levels like mild, medium, hot, very hot, and super hot, so you know what you’re getting without needing a science degree.

And if you do want the Scoville rating? We’re happy to share it based on real measurements, not marketing hype. For us, it’s all about flavor, balance, and keeping things real.