20 Apr Zilzie Volcano – Pineapple Punch
Review by Greg Wagenmakers
Product: Zilzie Volcano- Pineapple Punch
Location of Manufacture: Zilzie Qld
Ingredients: Fresh Chilli, Vinegar, Salt, Black Pepper, Garlic, Onion, Capsicum, Sugar, Spices, Pineapple.
Review: From Central Queensland comes an absolute ‘doozie’. This sauce took out 3rd place at the 2017 Mr Chilli Awards ‘Sweet’ category and I’m surprised it didn’t take out the ‘Hot’ category too. When something is rated 14/10, one should usually tread with caution, but everyone has a different tolerance level for heat. I usually go by the ingredients to discern the heat by either ‘percentage’ of chilli or ‘variety’ of chilli included. So as I was trying this sauce ‘blind’ and only going off a rating of 14/10, I did take the tasting experience warily. I am lucky I did! This sauce is blisteringly hot. I should have known by the fragrance that was released once the bottle was opened. I was hit with a typical ‘Naga’ aroma. This smell typically accompanies the super-hot varieties of chilli (dorset, bhut, scorpion and morich). So, I am tipping that one or some of these varieties were used in the making of this ‘weapon’. The pineapple colour also suggests that a yellow variety was included, possibly a yellow scorpion. I would be surprised if a Habenero was used.
As with most super-hot chillis, they don’t just burn the tongue, they like to wreak havoc wherever they reside, so my thoat, my oesophagus and even my stomach knew that something very powerful had been allowed to enter my body. There was a residual glow still present 10-15 minutes later…
To be honest I didn’t get the sweetness that would be expected from the inclusion of pineapple. But I am sure that someone with a higher tolerance of heat would be able to concentrate on the flavour rather than being distracted by the heat and its effects. I simply received naga flavour and vinegar.
Having said this, I can appreciate that as one’s immunity to heat increases, flavours that were previous undetectable become present and I can only assume that this is the case with this sauce. I am simply not ready to appreciate it…yet.
So to respect the reviewers at the Mr Chilli Awards, I’ll give this sauce a 7/10 and for heat, it gets a 9.5/10. It’s really hot.
