Best widely available hot sauce...

[Another level]

Originally Posted by Sherlockian

All of the Tabasco sauces, and Encona West Indian Hot Pepper sauce.

I've tried a few of the ridiculous hot sauces, such as Mega Death (the name alone tells you it's meant as a bit of a novelty / stag do / frat house dare)

http://www.hotsauceworld.com/blairmegdeat.html

and the Naga Jolokia chili (reputedly the world's hottest, depending on where and whom you ask), but for stuff you can realistically use in recipes every day, I'd stick with my first two.

+1 on the Encona West Indian hot pepper sauce. Though I much prefer my mum's homemade pepper sauce. Unfortunately the Tabasco a touch too mild for me.

 

[arced]

I used to swear by Matouk's, but the last time I bought it, I was disappointed. I don't know if I bought some expired stuff, or they changed the recipe, but it wasn't nearly as good. Does anyone have experience with it? I'm going to try to seek out that Encona. I'm currently using Melinda's habanero sauce. I've recently realized that I need a good habanero/scotch bonnet hot sauce to be happy. The milder stuff just doesn't have the kick...

 

[StephenHero]

Chipotle green stuff.

 

[aboutsomeoneelse]

Sriracha is the ****. Tapatio and Cholula, depending on what's available (though I prefer Tapatio).

On one trip to NYC, I struck up a convo with the fellas behind the counter at a Europane when I asked for Tapatio. They were surprised I wanted/had even heard of it, asked where I'm from (L.A. -- blonde/blue), and told me that I'm missing out if I haven't tried El Yucateco -- needless to say, I still haven't.

 

[hedgehog]

I absolutely love the taste of tabasco, but I find it a bit too hot for my tastes. Though, some times I'll just poor a lot on and sweat through the first minutes before the anaesthetic effect kicks in. Then it's all about enjoying the taste.

When I was in the military, I always had a bottle of tabasco in my closet which I brought for dinner. It made the sad and tasteless dishes a bit more liveable.

 

[Listi]

Originally Posted by Sherlockian

I've tried a few of the ridiculous hot sauces, such as Mega Death (the name alone tells you it's meant as a bit of a novelty / stag do / frat house dare)

It took me 3 months to go through a bottle of Mega Death

Maddog 357 600,000 scoville special edition is my weapon of choice these days. Quite a bit hotter than Mega Death. I actually freak out when I spill more in my food than I want.