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Taste The Fear…Battle of the Bottles…Round 1
By admin | March 5, 2008 |
BATTLE OF THE BOTTLES™
Just to chase the good Administrator’s review idea, I decided to take the bull by the horns and be a little creative. The idea was to take 2 similar hot sauces and do a review pitting them against each other. The choice for this review came on a visit to California Tortilla, a fast food burrito eatery that sells hot sauce. I was told by Mike Cates of Hot Shots, a company that distributes and sells hot sauce, that they supplied the California Tortilla Company with hot sauces. I looked over the gallery of different products, a lot of which I was unaware of, but I did see a few familiar names. Yet out of all the ones I decided to buy, it was Maui Pepper Co.’s Apples Ass that I pulled off the shelf. Apple being the key ingredient, I got the idea right there and then to pit Apples Ass against one of my favorite hot sauces Big Dawg’s C.P.R. Kickin’ Hot Apple Surprise.
So without further adieu, I bring to you the first TTF Hot Sauce Battle of the Bottles™!
In this corner we have the Texas Born C.P.R. Kickin’ Hot Apple Surprise by Big Dawg Salsa.
At 5 oz, this Gourmet Hot Sauce is adorned with a hot looking nurse balancing a green apple in one hand and a medical kit in the other. My mind wanders for a moment that this cartoon vixen could apply the necessary help if some how this hot sauce goes awry. One could only hope. The bottle I have is labeled as Candy’s Private Reserve, and of course me likes Candy. The sweet, snack treat that is. Not the Big Dawg’s lovely significant other. I don’t want to get in trouble with someone whose nickname is Big Dawg. She is a sweetie nonetheless. Anyway, here is the list of ingredients:Green Apples, Apple Cider Vinegar, Brown Sugar, Habanero Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Red Onions, Fresh Squeezed Lime, Chipotle Flakes, Garlic, Ground Cinnamon, Sea Salt, and other spices.
In the opposite corner we have Maui Pepper Co.’s Apples Ass, a product of Tahiti Joe’s Hot Sauces.
This is a mock label off of their Apple Sass bottle, but despite the shift of the first “s”, the picture on the bottle remains the same. There in a sunny tropical beach setting lies a pepper and a red apple working on their tans, both wearing shades and smiles. It is happy and a friendly message to you, the consumer. Buy me and you will be happy too, as I take your tastebuds on a tropical journey. Under the image and logo are the words “All Natural- No Preservatives”. To many this means a lot. To this hot sauce lover, it means nothing at the moment. If natural means it tastes like cow urine, then you can keep it. Yet, we do preach health here at TTF, so please do not engage in cow urine comparisons. Thank you. Onto the Ingredients:Apple Butter, Water, Vinegar, Apple Juice, Mango, Onion, Brown Sugar, Honey, Habanero, Rum Extract, Garlic, Vanilla ExtractApple Butter? What the hell is apple butter? Well for the people who do not know here is an explanation from Wikipedia:Apple butter is a highly concentrated form of apple sauce, produced by long, slow cooking of apples with cider or water to a point where the sugar in the apples caramelizes, turning the apple butter a deep brown. The concentration of sugar gives apple butter a much longer shelf life as a preserve than applesauce.
Okay, I think we have the goods on our two apple hot sauce bottles, so let them square off in the Ring of Destiny™. Yeah I know its dramatic, but I got the trademarks for the t-shirts, so I got to sell it a little. Let the Battle of the Bottles™ begin!
Since I have had C.P.R. Kickin’ Hot Apple Surprise Gourmet Hot Sauce(now to be simply referred to as C.P.R. for short) quite a few times I knew how well it worked with chicken. So I had to try Apples Ass to see if it could meet up to the excellent taste of C.P.R. I decided to use them side by side to get a better comparison of the two products. While C.P.R. came out thick, Apple Ass came out thinner but with chunks that C.P.R. didn’t appear to have. It was an interesting contrast because C.P.R appeared to look like a version of apple sauce and Apples Ass looked more like clumpy, but watery marmalade or duck sauce for those that have ever used that. The pieces were big too with the Apples Ass and yet it still flowed easily from the bottle as compared to the C.P.R. product which seemed to get stuck at first. It did help that the Apples Ass bottle had a wider mouth of course. The C.P.R. definitely had a higher viscosity level when poured though. Viscosity is the measurement of the flow of liquid. The slower the flow or movement of fluid, the higher the viscosity. Enough with the science and onto the taste test.
I took a nice juicy chicken breast from the day before and reheated it without anything on it. I poured out both sauces in their respective dipping cups. Without giving them a sniff, the odor wafted into the air and the scent of both sauces made a nice air freshner. An Apple-cinnamon potpourri of sorts. It definitely was a pleasant nostril enhancement. I took a little sample of Apples Ass on my finger and it wasn’t a good first reaction as I crunched on a piece of onion that threw me for a loop. I wasn’t expecting the piece I had on my finger to be anything but fruit, and I just didn’t like that bite. It was a little hard to get over that first impression, but I had to move on. I dipped the chicken into it, and the sweetness took over. It really was a pleasant taste, maybe a little too sweet for me, but it wasn’t bad at all. I got some chunks on my next piece, onion or fruit, I wasn’t sure at all anymore, but it worked magic, and I loved the flavor. There was very little heat to it, and I mean little.
I went to the C.P.R. next and it was business as usual for me, the hot sauce is flavorful with a slight more bite that I didn’t get with the other apple hot sauce. Its not really that hot either, but a more noticeable heat level. It also is sweet but not so much as the Apples Ass. Just to make a point here about my tastebuds. I don’t have much sweet foods anymore, so when I do, they tend to be sweeter for me than the average person, so don’t let my overall judging of the sweet factor sway you in your purchase, because so far these two sauces rock. I think the Apples Ass would cook real well on the skin on a bird like chicken, duck and/or turkey, but I rarely eat the skin at home. Someone has to try that. C.P.R. is a more flavorable product to have as is, and I haven’t yet tried to cook with it. I had it on some muenster and swiss cheese one day and I loved it.
Since these two sauces are made with apples, I had to do a little dessert test. I don’t have ice cream, so I will do my Fat Kid Sauce banana and whip cream combo and run with that. As much as I would like to say that C.P.R. rocks this way, it doesn’t. It is slightly off taste with the banana. The whip cream is still good, but the peppery taste of the hot sauce just doesn’t blend well. It isn’t awful, just not anything to write home about. At the Big Dawg booth at the Weekend of Fire, they had this product called “Cheesecake in a Can” that was like cheesecake pudding and they poured their C.P.R. on it. Now that was so delicious. If anyone goes to FFS, and if they have it there, be sure to stop by and try it out, it is very good.
As for the Apples Ass with the banana and whipped cream, this worked very well for me. The bigger sweetness came together to make one helluva tasty dessert. I didn’t notice any onion flavor at all, and by then I had completely forgotten about my first experience. This time around I noticed the heat level kick up a notch, and the more I had, the more I noticed. Tahiti Joe, you did well with this stuff. I wouldn’t mind seeing more heat and less sweetness, but it is a great dessert sauce. I had the same problem when I first tried the
Fat Kid Sauces’ Scovie Award Winning Mango Amore, I didn’t like it on chicken, but with the banana it went to another level. I have an appreciation for sauces that find a niche with me because when I am in the mood for something sweet I can turn to that kind of hot sauce and get a quick kick of enjoyment.
So now to look at the score cards and decide on a winner. C.P.R. is a hot sauce I really love playing with, because it is not overpowering in sweetness and lets the apple flavor come through with a respectable heat level. Although Apples Ass is the better dessert sauce, I think the sweetness has to be dialed down a few notches for me. Cooking might burn some of the sweetness away, so I reserve judgement on that. The factor that swayed me was the taste test by itself. I took another taste of both sauces by themselves trying to avoid any sizable chunks. I could drink C.P.R. right out of the bottle it is so tasty, and the Apples Ass is just too sweet for me. They are both great tasting hot sauces, so you can’t go wrong, and I urge you to try this same taste test and see which one you prefer. It was fun comparing the two.
So the winner of the first Battle of the Bottles™ is Big Dawg Salsa’s C.P.R. Kickin’ Hot Apple Surprise!
Great duel!!!
Related Posts
- Taste The Fear…Battle of the Bottles 2
- Taste The Fear’s Battle of the Bottles III™: Carrot Wars
- Battle of the Bottles VII™- Steak Sauce
- Multi-Review: Battle of the Bottles V™- Louisiana Style
- Battle of the Bottles IV™- HONEY, I Shrunk the Peppers!
Topics: Contests/Events, Food Facts, General, Hot Product Reviews, Reviews | 28 Comments »
i am #1
Yes you are!! But I’m in 2nd!!:D
I really love CPR Kickin Apple…works well on Chicken and on Pork!! Keeps the sweet flavor and still has the heat after cooking!
We have been making jerky with it for some time now!! Sent some to Big Dawg and Candy!! They loved it too!! Heard them mentioning it last year at Wof!!
I have never tried it on a dessert. I have not tried the Apples Ass. Will have to look for it now….just to compare…but I really like to cook with sauce…so from the review I don’t know how it would work…but hey I’m creative worth a try!!
2nd is better being the loser like parker is.
btw, nice review.
Thank you Sir. I hope you guys like this format. It is TC’s brain child, and I hope it was what he wanted.
The next one should be an even tougher battle which pits two recent Award Winning Sauces that are among my favorite tasting sauces in their individual category. I will leave that to your imagination.
Try MARINATING your chicken in FKS Mango Amore there B^4…. also shrimp and pork…
Wait til JJ’s :nerd:… I bought a whip chream whipper like Sam used in his review on the HSB. Mango AMore WHip Cream for all!
Nice review…. not sure I am in love with the format, but nice
Yum yum..had some this mornin’
So what about the format, don’t you like. We need feedback, and we are getting very little.
Not so sure I like the format…the idea is good…but I think it’s hard to compare 2 sauces based only on one common ingredient…one is good one way and the other good another way depending on what you use it on..
It seems it would be tough to pick a winner…unless you just go for the straight out of the bottle first impression…..but I don’t know….just my 2 cents….
I like the format just fine. I REALLY like CPR. I like it sooo much that we get it in special 12oz bottles!! Anyway I think the head to head idea is great-at least it’s an “apples to apples” comparison and that works for me.
What it comes to, if you have to pick a hot sauce as your one purchase, which one will it be? Do you always have dessert or a main course? That is what I thought of when I chose CPR over Apples Ass. There can only be one winner, no ties.
Too Funny-we live in the same house,eat the same things and have totally different opinions on this subject. Who woulda’ thunk it.
You better buy her flowers or u might be in trouble for contradicting her.
Off topic: any one have any advice on where we can pick-up $1,000,000 liability insurance that is required for trade shows like ZestFest? We have been getting quotes of $1,500 for a year but have been told that it can be obtained for $250 to $350 per year. I think we are required to purchase the insurance in the state where our business resides which is Florida. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
BTW – A smart insurance company that paid for a prime spot on taste the fear dot com would get a lot of business from fiery-foods manufacturers … talk to admin and reap the financial benefits.
[paid political advertisement by taste the fear dot com]
F*CK OFF YOU LITTLE ASSHOLE.
Way to go Big Dawg! I’m thinking of the possiblities of this sauce right now. Anyone tried it on coconut shrimp? Maybe a little CPR and chardonnay reduction drizzled over the top?MMMMMMMMMMM! Look for some new recipes in the near future.
By the way that nurse is Candy, Darrell’s wife. He does all the illustrations for the labels. If you saw the new labels she looks even hotter!
Oh, by the way I like the format. Here is the thing, there is a winner but there really is no loser. More free advertising for both sauces, anything that keeps your product fresh in peoples minds is a plus. Way to go Admin and :nerd:!
:dtu: 
The new labels I believe look like his daughter ? Darrel and Candy have 2 great kids
speaking of kids hows yours? Can they go-kart yet?
Thanks Sam.
I teaching the 2 year old how to slap people in the back of the head
All the 6 week old does is make this face
and then this happens 
lol
Takes after his dad.
Hey Turk, you should be able to add it to your insurance policy. Give your agent a call. They should have some info. Or if you want you can call my sister’s agency, yes my sister is an insurance agent, and see what they can do for you…the web addy is www dot jfmurrayco dot com. They can more then likely answer your questions. I couldn’t hurt even if it only gives you answers.
Thanks Jodie. I’ll have my wife Wendy call your sister.
Hey :nerd:~
Love the way you decided to do this review. I like the aspect that its apples to apples and not the usual apples to oranges…..Had a blast this weekend! Thanks for all your help and your friend Steve’s. The rum girls were a blessing with their Mohitos. Should have drizzled some Hot apple in their shot glasses. Great Idea Sam with the wine!!
I haven’t tried Tahiti Joe’s but would love to try it… I think he is going to be at JJ’s
:heart: 
Will have to ask him if there is much of a difference in using the apple butter?? I know I hate peeling 30+ apples per batch. Not enough child labor.
The new labels are so much fun and now that I am going to be officially a Grandma in a couple months I can try to keep my youthful thinking~
PS we did have some of Cheffys(amasing)jerky and when we brought it home the kids automatically said Kickin Jerky!
Big Dawg is at work today so I am in my PJ’s and stayng tucked in bed.. Yay for Friday’s!
Thanks Candy for your kind words. I got an email from Joe, told me he thought the review was cool. Maybe he will come post too.
Your very welcome, but I needed to do some work for getting us those passes, so thank you right back. Enjoy your Friday!
I didn’t see Joe at the show, only pics, dang it, I would have liked to meet him! Candy, I will let you know how it comes out if it rocks I will send you the recipe! Congrats on the new family member!
I liked this review, did I miss something at the begining or does it not say who did the review? I obviously figured this out while reading the comments, but I thought Admin was doing the review as I read it.
Maybe you dont need to pick a winner, just compare and contrast the sauces you are comparing giving the pros and cons of each and letting people decide for themselves which one they would like. If one tastes like Cow Urine and the other like a 100 dollar meal people will get the point, otherwise if you have 2 good sauces you are comparing and contrasting…couldn’t they both be winners if they are both good?
Also, I saw the new labels of Candy at the show…I am telling you, she just keeps getting hotter and hotter!