Hot Ones ‘The Classic’ hot sauce held the first spot on Hot Ones for several seasons. It is claimed to be a great starter sauce for guests, with plenty of flavor and a low, approachable heat level. ‘Heat With Heart’ as the bottle self proclaims.
In this article, I’ll share my thoughts on Hot Ones Classic hot sauce. We’ll explain our opinion on the flavor, heat level, texture and more. Then, we’ll share an overall Pepper Geek score. Let’et get started!
Is Hot Ones Classic Any Good?
If you’re a fan of Hot Ones on YouTube, you’ve got to be curious about their flagship Classic hot sauce. It spent many seasons in the number 1 spot on the show, and is marketed as a go-to hot sauce for almost anything. Guests usually enjoy The Classic, but how is it really?
Flavor
- Chile de árbol pepper flavor is at the forefront
- Sweet m
aple notes (despite containing no sugar) - Garlic backs up the hot chiles nicely
- The perfect low-heat level for most, great for adding a kick to bland foods!
How To Use It
- The perfect pizza companion
- Breakfast sandwiches and omelets
- Burrito bowls and tacos
- Wings (of course)
With a simple ingredients list, Hot Ones The Classic does, in fact, have the potential to be a great all-around sauce for everyday use. As we said, it is the perfect pizza companion, but its uses don’t stop there.
The Classic also pairs well with breakfast food thanks to the not-so-subtle maple notes from the Chile de árbol. These chile peppers have been cultivated for 500 years for their unique flavor and reasonable heat levels. It’s one of those tastes that is difficult to describe but is addictively good.
The only thing I would change about this sauce is the size of the bottle. It is so useable that it is easy to go through the 5oz bottle quickly. With a fridge full of hot sauces, we still find ourselves reaching for Hot Ones Classic more often than many others. However, this is hardly a demerit. This is a fantastic, quality hot sauce recipe.
Consistency
Hot Ones Classic hot sauce is on the thinner side in terms of consistency. There are bits of peppers, seeds, and garlic that give the sauce some texture, but it is still susceptible to the over-pour.
Thankfully, Hot Ones thought of this and the bottles are equipped with a dasher top (a flow-restrictor). This is the little plastic top over the bottle’s spout that allows less sauce to come out when pouring.
Hot Ones The Classic Scoville (Heat Level)
Hot Ones Classic is not overly spicy. It won’t be any good to challenge your friends to taste a tiny dab of super spicy sauce (try the Last Dab for that). It was in the first spot on Hot Ones for a reason: it isn’t very hot. That isn’t to say it doesn’t have any kick.
To put it simply, Hot Ones ‘The Classic’ hot sauce has a Scoville rating of 1,800 SHUs. This places it below the heat level of a typical Jalapeño pepper. This hot sauce is comparable in heat to Frank’s Red Hot or Cholula.
READ NEXT: The Classic Pepper X Edition.
Remember: Scoville ratings can be subjective! Depending on the exact peppers that went into each batch, heat levels can vary.
Where to get Hot Ones Classic Hot Sauce
The Classic is available on Heatonist or Amazon. While the price may seem high, remember that all ingredients are organic and high quality. However, I have to say that it would be nice to order a 10oz bottle for a slightly lower price per oz.
Is it worth it?
If you haven’t tried it and you are a hot sauce buff, then The Classic is worth at least one try. It is on the pricy side when compared to cheap grocery store alternatives, but the quality is better than those options. Hot Ones has made some of our favorite sauces, and this is now among the top-rated.
If you are interested in other Hot Ones sauce reviews, see our articles on Last Dab XXX here and Los Calientes here.
Calvin
One of the original Pepper Geeks! When Calvin isn’t gardening or learning more about peppers and botany, he might be traveling new places or playing some music.