The Grenade-Shaped Hot Sauce That's A Total Disappointment
Whether you're smothering it atop a fluffy egg scramble or adding a few dashes to a bland batch of ramen, hot sauce is a quintessential kitchen staple with a million uses. From peppery green Tabasco to thick and hearty siracha and every spicy spread in between, there's no hot sauce Scoville scale lovers wouldn't try at least once. There is, however, one hot sauce at least two aficionados likely won't try a second time: the General's Dead Red Hot Sauce.
Scott and Brian Wilson (otherwise known as the Mashed Bros) sat down for a straight-shooting review on a lineup of popular hot sauces. Fair and concise, the Mashed Bros' rating criteria were based on three categories: heat, flavor, and packaging artwork. Amid some certified bangers (see: Fat Chang's Devil's Potion), the General's Dead Red proved to be one dud of a hot sauce, failing to excel in any category.
Courtesy of its deceptively dangerous grenade-shaped packaging, the brotherly duo unsurprisingly expected major heat from the General's Dead Red. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that it didn't live up to the hype, giving the flavor a two out of 10, spice levels a one out of 10, but a cool 10 out of 10 for its edgy — yet painfully misleading — packaging.
If you like flavor, avoid Dead Red
Although the General's Hot Sauce website claims that Dead Red touts a medium heat level with a fresh cayenne taste, Scott and Brian Wilson thought otherwise, with the latter proclaiming, "bad flavor, bad flavor!" at first bite. On its own, that reaction isn't great, but considering they (first accidentally, then deliberately) loaded a generous amount of the stuff on a cracker before tasting it? Oof.
The General's Hot Sauce site notes that Dead Red is best suited for pizza, barbecue, Mexican fare, and (rather vaguely) chicken dishes. However, per the Wilsons' assessment, Dead Red seems better equipped to put out a fire than start one. But if you're interested in giving it a try regardless of the stone-cold, Mash Bros-confirmed truth, Dead Red is available for purchase on the General's Hot Sauce website in a $12 six-ounce grenade bottle, or on Amazon for a similar price.
If you're on the hunt for something designed to fire up your taste buds the way the devil intended, the Mashed Bros say Elijah's Xtreme Regret Reserve is so fiery that "the elderly shouldn't have it." For something pleasantly tasty and appropriately spiced, the Wilsons say Flavor & Fire's Little Monster Under the Bed is worth keeping at home. Sorry, Dead Red, better luck on the next judgment day!
Static Media owns and operates Daily Meal and Mashed.