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
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