Bitter: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Salty: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Sour/Tangy: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰
Sweet: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰
Umami: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Heat: ⭐✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰
Quick Flavor Notes: Earthy, sweet, smoky, fruity
Texture: Thin and smooth
Recommended: Yes
Ingredients: Fresno Chile Pepper Mash (Fresno Chile Peppers, Vinegar), Pure Maple Syrup, Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic (Garlic, Water), Dried Garlic, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, Turmeric
At the opposite end of the spectrum from The Last Dab sauces exist the Hot Ones Classic sauces, occupying the number one heat position in most seasons of The Hot Ones. Coming in three variations – the Classic Original, a chile de arbol based sauce which I’ve reviewed before and loved, the Classic Garlic Fresno, which I have yet to try, and this one, the Classic Chili Maple, also a Fresno chile based sauce but one that goes for a sweet heat style. This sauce appeared on seasons nineteen through twenty-one of The Hot Ones.
Fresno chiles have a unique flavor profile, smoky, fruity, earthy, and vegetal with their own internal tanginess. They’re one of the most complex milder peppers so they were a great choice for this sauce. After the Fresno chiles come the maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. I often find that apple cider vinegar plus a sweet element creates a cloying sweetness in a sauce but since this sauce is specifically going for a sweet heat approach it can work. Garlic, both fresh and dried, as well as turmeric and black pepper give the sauce some savory elements to contrast with the sweet. Garlic in a sweet sauce can be another risky move. Hot Ones The Classic Chili Maple is a very thin and smooth sauce, almost watery in texture. The earthy-fruity aroma of the Fresnos combined with the maple and the vinegar on the nose.
The Fresno flavor and the sweetness of the maple syrup are both are the forefront of the sauce. There’s a hint of smoke and dried fruit in the Fresnos that blends very well with the caramel and vanilla notes in the maple syrup. The apple cider vinegar does have its distinctive strong flavor, and though it’s never been my favorite type of vinegar in a hot sauce (I’d even go so far as to say it’s my least favorite) it’s not offensive here combined with the other flavors at play, though The Classic Chili Maple does have a strong vinegary flavor. The garlic somehow blends well into this and provides a savory anchor point to keep the sauce from being cloyingly sweet. Black pepper has a long history of blending with both sweet and savory foods so is welcome here. If I had one qualm with this sauce it’s that its flavor is weak. That’s not to say the flavor is bad, far from it, it’s delicious, but especially compared to The Classic Original which I found to have a very robust flavor this one tastes like it’s had its transparency turned to 50%. The issue isn’t the (lack of) heat, as a number one position sauce of course this will be very mild, it’s that even though this tastes delicious straight out of the bottle on a spoon when it’s combined with food the flavor of the sauce isn’t strong enough to compete.
Maple and pork are a classic combination so I tried this first with some grilled pork chops. The first issue I ran into is that with the consistency of this sauce being so thin it just ran off of the pork which further accentuated the light flavor of the sauce. What was there, and what I could mop up as I ate, was delicious and it was a good blend. Since this is a Hot Ones branded sauce and they’re all about wings I decided to make wings with it next, and when applied to hot wings fresh out of the air fryer it sticks well enough. Again the flavor is good with chicken wings, I just kept wishing the flavor of the sauce itself was stronger. Putting it on a hot ham an muenster sandwich the flavors of the ham and the cheese completely overpowered the flavor of the sauce.
The Hot Ones The Classic Chili Maple is a tough one for me as far as recommendations go. Overall I enjoyed it so I will say it’s worth trying, but be warned that it is a very thin sauce and strong flavored food can easily overpower it. I wish that they’d either greatly increased the pepper content or reduced this sauce down more so that it would have a more concentrated flavor plus have a thicker consistency, but even as it is it’s tasty, just delicate. This sauce is all natural with no artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, or thickeners.
by MagnusAlbusPater
5 Comments
Bitter: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Salty: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Sour/Tangy: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰
Sweet: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰
Umami: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Heat: ⭐✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰
Quick Flavor Notes: Earthy, sweet, smoky, fruity
Texture: Thin and smooth
Recommended: Yes
Ingredients: Fresno Chile Pepper Mash (Fresno Chile Peppers, Vinegar), Pure Maple Syrup, Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic (Garlic, Water), Dried Garlic, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, Turmeric
At the opposite end of the spectrum from The Last Dab sauces exist the Hot Ones Classic sauces, occupying the number one heat position in most seasons of The Hot Ones. Coming in three variations – the Classic Original, a chile de arbol based sauce which I’ve reviewed before and loved, the Classic Garlic Fresno, which I have yet to try, and this one, the Classic Chili Maple, also a Fresno chile based sauce but one that goes for a sweet heat style. This sauce appeared on seasons nineteen through twenty-one of The Hot Ones.
Fresno chiles have a unique flavor profile, smoky, fruity, earthy, and vegetal with their own internal tanginess. They’re one of the most complex milder peppers so they were a great choice for this sauce. After the Fresno chiles come the maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. I often find that apple cider vinegar plus a sweet element creates a cloying sweetness in a sauce but since this sauce is specifically going for a sweet heat approach it can work. Garlic, both fresh and dried, as well as turmeric and black pepper give the sauce some savory elements to contrast with the sweet. Garlic in a sweet sauce can be another risky move. Hot Ones The Classic Chili Maple is a very thin and smooth sauce, almost watery in texture. The earthy-fruity aroma of the Fresnos combined with the maple and the vinegar on the nose.
The Fresno flavor and the sweetness of the maple syrup are both are the forefront of the sauce. There’s a hint of smoke and dried fruit in the Fresnos that blends very well with the caramel and vanilla notes in the maple syrup. The apple cider vinegar does have its distinctive strong flavor, and though it’s never been my favorite type of vinegar in a hot sauce (I’d even go so far as to say it’s my least favorite) it’s not offensive here combined with the other flavors at play, though The Classic Chili Maple does have a strong vinegary flavor. The garlic somehow blends well into this and provides a savory anchor point to keep the sauce from being cloyingly sweet. Black pepper has a long history of blending with both sweet and savory foods so is welcome here. If I had one qualm with this sauce it’s that its flavor is weak. That’s not to say the flavor is bad, far from it, it’s delicious, but especially compared to The Classic Original which I found to have a very robust flavor this one tastes like it’s had its transparency turned to 50%. The issue isn’t the (lack of) heat, as a number one position sauce of course this will be very mild, it’s that even though this tastes delicious straight out of the bottle on a spoon when it’s combined with food the flavor of the sauce isn’t strong enough to compete.
Maple and pork are a classic combination so I tried this first with some grilled pork chops. The first issue I ran into is that with the consistency of this sauce being so thin it just ran off of the pork which further accentuated the light flavor of the sauce. What was there, and what I could mop up as I ate, was delicious and it was a good blend. Since this is a Hot Ones branded sauce and they’re all about wings I decided to make wings with it next, and when applied to hot wings fresh out of the air fryer it sticks well enough. Again the flavor is good with chicken wings, I just kept wishing the flavor of the sauce itself was stronger. Putting it on a hot ham an muenster sandwich the flavors of the ham and the cheese completely overpowered the flavor of the sauce.
The Hot Ones The Classic Chili Maple is a tough one for me as far as recommendations go. Overall I enjoyed it so I will say it’s worth trying, but be warned that it is a very thin sauce and strong flavored food can easily overpower it. I wish that they’d either greatly increased the pepper content or reduced this sauce down more so that it would have a more concentrated flavor plus have a thicker consistency, but even as it is it’s tasty, just delicate. This sauce is all natural with no artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, or thickeners.
https://i.redd.it/8z314vhkahyf1.gif
I had a bottle of this that came in a subscription box. I put it on pancakes, waffles, hashbrowns. I thought it was really good for what it was.
Not a fan, frankly. Hot Ones sauces don’t miss much, but this one was a whiff for me.
I really enjoyed this sauce when I got it a few years ago. It was an excellent breakfast sauce!
Unfortunately, I don’t feel it should be a $10 sauce, so I won’t buy it again. If it were about $5, I’d probably keep a bottle in my fridge.