When a spicy product includes “I Can’t Feel My Face” in its name, it’s reasonable to assume that it is very hot. It’s also not a stretch to think it might be hotter than necessary to be a good and viable food product, i.e. it’s a bit of a gimmick.
I am happy and a little surprised to report that Flatiron Pepper Co.’s “I Can’t Feel My Face” dried pepper blend is a good and viable food product.
Flatiron Pepper Co. first got on my radar with their Four Pepper Blend, which promised a more flavorful upgrade from the generic red pepper flakes found on pizzeria tables and in cabinets above toaster ovens nationwide. Indeed, it is. It’s hotter than the default product, and much more nuanced as well. I like it.
“I Can’t Feel My Face” is also a four-pepper blend, but the four peppers are habanero, scorpion, ghost, and Carolina reaper. Wow.
Yes, I treaded lightly. I decided, for one thing, that I wasn’t going to try this product straight—only as seasoning. I did use it, and liberally, on our dinner of smoked sausage, mac and cheese, and steamed broccoli.
Guess what? It’s delicious, and eminently manageable for a chilehead. Flatiron puts this at 750K+ Scoville units, and I think that’s about right. It’s quite hot—definitely don’t plunge into this if you’re roasted by the regular pepper flakes—but the tasty notes of the component peppers are there too. I do think we’re dealing with maybe two-thirds habaneros in this mix, and possibly even more, because it’s nowhere near products I’ve tasted that are primarily made with superhots. It is, however, appealingly smoldering and smoky, with a frequent fruity note as well.
This is a really expensive product at $19.95 retail, and I’m docking a point for that. This nevertheless may be regular stock at BoWilliams.com world headquarters.
8/10
You might also like:
- Review: Conecuh Cracked Black Pepper Smoked Sausage
When you are a cultural icon as I am, one thing you must make peace with is the constant attention. … - Uncle Maddio’s Pizza opens in Madison
How about the tantalizing smells of basil, oregano, and freshly-baked crust, underpinned with eight … - Review: Blue Diamond XTREMES almonds (Cayenne Pepper, Ghost Pepper, and Carolina Reaper)
I started getting ads for Blue Diamond XTREMES almonds this week, so expeditiously procured one of e… - Review: ZENB Pasta
We don’t eat a lot of yellow peas in the United States, but they’re a thing. They enjoy some promine… - Review: Most Wanted Pain Is Good Jalapeno Pepper Sauce
I picked this up at our local beef jerky/spicy food shop. I’d tried a Most Wanted Pain Is Good sauce…
Terrible Customer Service
On December 6, 2024, I ordered a gift set for a client as a Christmas present. It arrived damaged. I informed the company immediately and they made me take pictures to prove my claim. After they reviewed the photos, they determined that the pepper inside was not damaged and said they would send me an empty gift box to rewrap it myself. I thought this odd, however, I agreed and reiterated that this was a holiday gift needed by December 25. They assured me the box would arrive in plenty of time. It didn’t. It arrived after Christmas. I was forced to run out last minute and purchase another gift to bring to the event. I requested to return all product and both boxes to receive a full refund. They ignored all of my emails. Finally, in January I was told to keep the product as their ‘food safety plan does not allow for food to be resold once the package leaves our facility, so all sales are final’. They told me to ‘enjoy it myself’. I don’t like spicy food so I declined. I reached out to one of the founders/owners, Mike Chen, and never received a response. Since the package was never opened and they had already deemed the pepper undamaged, I would have hoped that their products are safety sealed with tamper-evident packaging that their should have been no issue with a return. I still have the product sitting in a damaged box waiting for a reply.