Review - Danny Cash Fallen Angel Jolokia Ghost Wing Sauce

Scott Roberts August 10, 2010 at 10:30 pm food Digg this Article

Danny Cash Fallen Angel Jolokia Ghost Wing Sauce has been weighing heavily on the minds of many online hot wing fans lately, including yours truly. It got rave reviews from Firehead Thomas, Steve Smith and Mer & his buddies on their respective videos on I Love It Spicy as being one of it not THE very best wing sauce they've ever eaten. Sam McCanless of Zane and Zack's World Famous Honey Co gave it a huge thumbs up as well. Chileheads like Buddah and Parker have been excited like little kids on Christmas Eve with their desire to taste some of this.

Danny knows how much I love most of his products, and with all the prior buzz I thought to myself, could he have come out with something that could top even Defcon's excellent wing sauces?

Alright, it was time to come back down to Earth. As stellar as some of the recommendations might have been, it's totally unfair to any company to have to face such stratospheric hype, even if it indeed turn out to be a good sauce. I attempted to squelch as much anticipation as I could and tried to review this product as if it was a blind submission from a brand new sauce manufacturer.

With all of this having been said, after using this sauce and mentally wrestling with my opinions of it somewhat, I honestly cannot recommend it. Fallen Angel is certainly not a terrible product, but it lacks the quality flavors and addictiveness to become a go-to wing coater and even has some negative attributes that clashed head-on with my taste buds.

Ingredients:
NAGA JOLOKIA Ghost Chiles (World's Hottest), Habanero and Cayenne Peppers, REAL BUTTER, Vinegar, Garlic, Onion, Black Pepper and Salt.

Aroma:
3 out of 5. There's a strong chile pepper smell with a bit of twang from vinegar. What sets this apart from most other wing sauces is the powerful presence of onions.

Appearance and Texture:
4.5 out of 5. I liked the bright orange color that is accented by large specks of black pepper. A bit of shaking up is required, but that comes with the territory. What I really loved about Fallen Angel is the thick, viscous texture; wow, does this ever cling to wings beautifully!

Taste Straight Up:
2.5 out of 5. My initial thoughts after downing a spoonful is that this sauce is wonderfully smooth and creamy, both in taste and feel. There was a likable chile pepper flavor of sorts intermingling with the vinegar and had a punch of heat. It was somewhat reminiscent of Suck Creek Wings Original Sauce.

But after a few seconds, it just became...flat. It had simply failed to deliver a long-lasting scrumptious-ness. What's worse, several seconds in it had developed an odd onion/garlic aftertaste that seemed out of place. And then, with subsequent tastes, the harsh oniony-ness blasted out as soon as it hit my tongue. It was a sensation I could not shake or get out of my mind, and was too intrusive to the other flavors to be merely only a minor gripe.

Danny Cash Fallen Angel Jolokia Ghost Wing Sauce

Taste on Food:
2 out of 5. To loosely paraphrase Fabienne from Pulp Fiction, "any time of the day is a good time for wings." I whipped some up chicken flats and drummies, got 'em nice and wet with Fallen Angel and sat down in hopes that having them on food would vastly improve the flavor of the product. It unfortunately did not.

Long after I was finished with the meal, I was left with that heavy cooked onion aftertaste. Believe me it lingers 10, 15, and even 20 minutes after consuming this sauce, and I did not enjoy this one bit. It's one thing to get raw onions from a burger or sauteed onions from a Philly cheesesteak on your breath afterwards (it doesn't bother me one bit), but this was mightily unpleasant and even bordered on being mildly repulsive.

Wanting to give this sauce a truly fair shake for it to prove its meddle, I poured some on top of a burger. I love hamburgers and cheeseburgers with creamy wing sauce applied to it (seriously, try it yourself sometime if you don't believe me) and reasoned that perhaps the strong garlic and onion would fare more positively with the beef and bread. Disappointingly, the off-putting flavor was still there. After I was approximately halfway done eating it, I admittedly scraped the sauce off just so I could finish the rest of the burger.

Heat:
4 out of 5. This packs some serious, searing burn. If you employ Fallen Angel Jolokia Ghost Wing Sauce primarily for bone-in chicken wings, expect some very numb lips when you're done!

Label:
4 out of 5. Great artwork as always. But what's with the different font colors, cases and sizes in the ingredients list? Seriously, who green-lit this when probably 98% of people couldn't read the line, "Habanero and Cayenne Peppers?" It's not just my camera; it's actually that hard to make out the hot pink text on the gray background.

Danny Cash Fallen Angel Jolokia Ghost Wing Sauce

Overall:
While this had a promising start with some great heat that I love in a wing sauce, the flavor wasn't there. I had bought two bottles of this to review and use, and it looks like the second bottle will remain unopened...at least by me. I hate to say that I'm giving Fallen Angel a wide berth.

Fallen Angel Jolokia Ghost Wing Sauce is now available for purchase on the Danny Cash website for $6.95 for a 12 oz. bottle.

Comments

Jeff Schickowski
2010-08-10 20:55:20

To have such varying opinions expressed about a sauce makes you wonder if the world of sauce makers and sauce reviewers are too intermingled to allow unbiased opinions.

I suppose you need to find a reviewer with as similar a taste as possible to yours and stick with their feelings/opinions regarding sauce purchases.

Nothing against either group of course, but it's hard to know whose opinion to trust.

FIREHEAD THOMAS
2010-08-10 21:11:03

Look, here's the deal. This is what's great about reviews!Not everybody has the same tastes, if we did, it would be boring and there would be no need for more than one reviewer. I tried this sauce on camera for the first time and have not stopped eating it. I bought 3 cases of it for goodness! I have 1 and 1/2 left, and I only gave away around 7 at WoF. I bring it to restaraunts to put on their wings. So, I say, try it and be your own judge. I trust Scott's opinon, and buy stuff purely based on his reviews all the time. In my opinion, this one should NOT be taken with such trust. This is one that should be tried by EVERYone in the spicy community...maybe it's one of those "love it or hate it" kind of sauces, but for now it's like 10+ to 1........

Danny Cash
2010-08-10 22:43:22

I LOVE IT! Thank you Scott for being so honest. My friends are freakin out saying "Aren't you mad? That review SUCKED." All I can respond with is - He didn't like it - most people do, but he didn't and he spoke his mind. Fantastic. The label on your bottle was actually printed off on our in-house printer, and must have been from the very first batch of sauce we sent out to Hot Shots. Since then, we have actually tweaked the recipe and had the labels printed off professionally. Although hot pink is totally punk rock - it was always RED, it just doesn't show very well when printed in-house. Thanks Scott - great review!

Jeff Schickowski
2010-08-11 06:20:52

We all have friends who, when they say "Try this!", you will generally expect to enjoy whatever they're giving you. You learn to expect that their tastes are generally similar to your own.

I also know that if you refuse to go beyond someone else's opinion then you'll miss out on a lot in life. I have on occasion tried a sauce BECAUSE of a bad review, thinking "It can't possibly be that bad!" Sometimes it was, but others have been great. You can't rely on someone to make your decisions for you but you can certainly use them to guide you in new directions.

I'm not trying to say, in my comment about makers and reviewers being too close at times, that there shouldn't be interaction between them. Some of my good friends make sauces. I've also found that most of the people I've met in the Chilehead community are not afraid to say they don't like a sauce. They will generally have pretty good arguments. But they will also say that you should try it for yourself before making up your mind.

I applaud Scott for an honest review, and I have no compelling reason to believe that other reviewers are dishonest in any way. It's just that the hype around sauces can sometimes exceed the actual product.

Just as you pick your friends for particular reasons, you will also pick reviewers to follow based upon their similarity to yourself.

Given the opportunity to try this wing sauce I will certainly do so. I believe everybody has a right to their own opinion and their own tastes in food (among other things).

Sam
2010-08-11 07:08:35

I completely agree with Danny. A review is worthless if not honest. I appreciate the time and effort put forth by reviewers. They aren't all going to like everything you make and that's OK.

I do so love this sauce. When I tasted it straight up I knew I had to have a bunch of it. MMMMM!

parker394
2010-08-11 07:58:21

'My initial thoughts after downing a spoonful is that this sauce is wonderfully smooth and creamy, both in taste and feel'

http://peppersandmore.com/2010/07/15/say-no-to-the-spoon/

*giggle*

Scott, send that bottle to me bro, I'll set the record straight!

Ed
2010-08-11 10:28:47

I agree with Sam and Danny both about Scott being honest, it is refreshing. I personally like the sauce and have used it on everything from breakfast sandwiches to being a dipping sauce for pork. I must also say as a sandwich spread it is awesome. Taste is subjective but Scott is very good at trying to remain neutral, thumbs up Scott.

Danny Cash
2010-08-11 10:30:12

F that No Spoon idea - how about "bottles to be reviewed" are sent BLANK and the label comes in an envelope to actually have a Blind Taste Test! This would scratch any idea that a fan would be reviewing someone's sauce. I like Scott - he's a good dude and I know he loves our sauces, but that why I absolutely love this review! hahaha

FIREHEAD THOMAS
2010-08-11 11:51:01

Nobody ever questioned Scott's honesty....it's all about opinion.....I shouldn't have used the word "trust" in my post.....that may have came off wrong when I wrote it.....what I meant was "don't assume that because Scott doesn't like it, that you won't"....Scott has a lot of influence in the chilehead community, and many people other than me will buy or not buy based on his reviews. That's a kudos to his hard work, honesty and fairness. One thing is for sure, this review will certainly generate alot of curiosity!!

Jeff Schickowski
2010-08-11 12:05:12

Firehead,

I think the word "trust" was appropriate, it's "blind trust" that we have to avoid. I usually rely on the reviews here and at other sites to bring sauces to my attention, but the ingredient list and the reputation of the maker influence my purchasing choices more.

Anything by CaJohn or Jim Campbell automatically make it on my must try list. Other sauce makers are gaining my respect and trust. There have been very few sauces I've ever tried that were not at least acceptable for one use or another. BUT there have been a few that I wouldn't touch again with a ten foot pole.

As always, it comes down to individual preferences.

FIREHEAD THOMAS
2010-08-11 12:22:02

But Iif a reviewer states that he or she loves a sauce, and you buy it, and later find out that you can't stand it, it doesn't necesarily make that reviewer "untrustworthy".....I just think that "trust" is too strong of a word in this taste driven scenario. It's like interpetation of what makes good art....
I get the "blind trust" thing....I agree with that,

Jeff Schickowski
2010-08-11 12:35:36

We can certainly agree there... Rather than "Trust" I guess we'd have to take their recommendation as "advice that may or may not work out." I never hold it against a reviewer if I buy a sauce and my opinion differs from theirs. A variation in taste is to be expected between any 2 human beings. :)

Scott Roberts
2010-08-11 13:05:40

Thanks for the kind words Danny, and thanks to everyone else for commenting and stating some very good points.

Jeff Schickowski
2010-08-11 14:01:18

Kudos to Danny, as not everyone is able to look at a review taking into consideration the spirit in which it was intended, with no ill will, just one reviewers opinion.

And thanks to Scott for giving us a place that a discussion like this can take place.

Steve
2010-08-11 14:08:51

I have splashed a couple of sauces and relishes and it generated a lot of posts, which is good. I have also seen many sauces get a thumbs up simply because of who the manufacturer is. I have not had this wing sauce, so I have no dog in the hunt. Every reviewer that I know, which is most of them, spends countless hours enjoying this hobby and whether a review is good or bad, exposure is great for the manufacturer. With all of these posts and opinions, my curiosity leaves me no choice but to go buy a bottle of Danny Cash's wing sauce. Great review.

Steve
2010-08-11 14:40:06

I like the label. Very straight forward. Are Trans fats listed in the ingredients?

Danny Cash
2010-08-11 14:47:43

Nah...no trans fats listed. Fat is fat to us, just use in moderation (1 gallon a week should do it if you run 100 miles a day). hahaha

Buddah
2010-08-11 22:21:41

When I watched all the videos that my review team submitted, I was thinking it had to be the most positive review I have ever organized in the 3 years of doing multiple person reviews. I wanted to buy a bottle because of those reviews. Even if Scott was part of that review, the other ones would make me curious to try it out.

One person reviewing a product is tough when they end up being the judge, jury and sometimes executioner of a product. If this was the first review of the wing sauce, I would not have wanted it, that is fact because I trust in Scott and his tastes. We don't always agree, but I would have been turned off from Danny's product.

Being swayed by a review either way is commonplace, and our job as reviewers should come with a warning. These are opinions, not everyone is going to agree with them. I do not like a lot of black pepper or smokey flavors in my sauces, and I will say that if I get a product like that, but my review will be impacted by that, and it becomes a review based on my taste not based on others. Jeff made some solid points on matching personal tastes with certain reviewers.

I received a bottle from Firehead Thomas and will give it a go this weekend, and will let you know my thoughts. It won't be in a form of a review, been there, done set that up.

johnny
2010-08-11 22:51:05

Great thread. I too love a good honest review be it positive or negative and also think it is important to be accepting of both. I was one of the fortunates to get a bottle from Firehead Thomas and it's funny because I actually opened it up tonight. I took a half hen and gave it a generous rub of a Cajun Blend. After sitting for about 30 minutes, i baked it slow at 350 and gave it a healthy brushing of Fallen Angel 15 and 5 minutes before it was done. I can't say I could base a full opinion on the sauce itself, but the overall dish was awesome and the sauce did add a great flavor to the rub, most importantly for me tonight was that it added the right amount of heat without overshadowing the spices and meat itself.

Chileman
2010-08-12 11:05:54

very good read folks. Now I'm dying to know what this sauce tastes like!

Jeff Schickowski
2010-08-12 12:08:27

Does this mean we can soon expect to see blurbs like "Yes, we carry the world's most controversial sauce!" Danny's found a new niche market!

Danny Cash
2010-08-12 12:21:13

Oh come on Jeff...I'm a Vacation Bible School teacher that goes to church 5 times a month with an out-of-wedlock 3 year old son named MAX CASH. I have tattoos covering my right arm and left leg soon to be expanded upon and I drink and swear, and play blues harmonica, even though I'm a punker. How much more do you need?! hahahaha

DEFCON Creator
2010-08-12 12:29:03

Danny, I wish you could join us this weekend! I spoke to you about Jimmy Duff a few years back, we're doin' a gig at his trash bar again Saturday night. Check the place out dude, absolutely right up your alley! www.duffsbrooklyn.com.

Buddah
2010-08-12 12:32:42

Don't forget about your stupid love for your Halloween dressed football team, and your Bromance with Samuel "Beeboy" McCanless of Z & Z.

DEFCON Creator
2010-08-12 12:51:04

Oh snap!

Danny Cash
2010-08-12 13:20:03

Come-on Buddah - This is Scott's CLASSY site. Don't go dumbin it down with your opinions. Hahaha

Buddah
2010-08-12 13:48:47

Daniel, you know Scott is from St. Louis, right? Enuff said.

Peppers and More
2010-08-12 13:58:08

Have to say that this has been a great read... I was never a huge fan of any of the Cash products but just reading and seeing an honest review and comments from all of you this is a sauce that all should try to make up there own mind...Great job in the review Scott...

PNM

FIREHEAD THOMAS
2010-08-12 18:03:26

Nice job everybody...this was a fun one!

Scott Roberts
2010-08-12 18:05:47

Buddah, that's exactly why Danny said there was class here.;-)

Tina McCanless
2010-08-13 22:22:25

Buddah, is there something I should know about?

Buddah
2010-08-14 03:27:10

Only if you start to itch.

Buddah
2010-08-14 03:44:11

The toughest thing us reviewers have to deliver is a bad review. It isn't easy when you know the person, and even harder when you like them. Yet, it is the business we choose, and our opinion is what people look for. It is very important that we stay impartial or we lose all credibility.

With that said, I had Danny's Fallen Angel Jolokia Wing Sauce last night. I am sorry to state, expectations might've been too high going in, but that is to say if I thought the sauce was mediocre/average. Yet, I did not like it at all. That might be because the taste of jolokia is very pronounced and it that flavor that turns me off completely. There is something about the pepper that I just do not like. It isn't the heat, because it was intolerable. I just didn't find myself wanting to eat more. The wings were awesome without the sauce, and even better when I added some of my favorite teriyaki to them. After eating 4 wings with the Fallen Angel, I just wanted something else.

In the end, maybe the habanero version might be a better tasting alternative for me, or it just might be the body of the sauce that turned me off. If there are people out there that like it, all the power to them, and to Danny, sorry Bro, but it wasn't my cup of tea.

FIREHEAD THOMAS
2010-08-14 08:26:27

Well, 25-2 now.....I'm putting it in burgers on the grill today:)

Buddah
2010-08-14 08:39:52

Good luck my friend. I had some of the Crazy Uncle Jester's prototype maple syrup on waffles for breakfast this morning.

Amanda Simms
2010-09-09 13:20:56

Wow! That looks so hot, I'm half torn about whether to try it or not, I think my curiosity may win over in the end!
Danny Cash Fallen Angel Jolokia Ghost Wing Sauce here I come... wish me luck!

JenB
2010-11-02 20:01:05

Danny Cash's Fallen Angel jolokia wing sauce is my favorite hot sauce! I just bought it last week for the first time. It is so much thicker than other sauces, and has those pieces of real peppers in it. It is perfect. I would like to find other hot sauces like this one. So far I love Cajohn's Wing 10 jolokia sauce too. Those are the only two super-thick chunkyish sauces I've found, but I'm just starting out. I discovered these two sauces by reading all the hot sauce blogs. The supermarkets around here only sell those super thin vinegary sauces.

Steve Smallwood
2011-02-03 09:19:26

Firehead just give me a bottle of this a few days ago.I really liked it a lot.I also love Jolokia flavor.I also let 2 friends at work try it and they both liked it and Jolokia is usually too hot for them.They said they will most likely get some in the near future as I know I will.I thought Danny did a good solid job I could have used more heat in it but I'm not normal by most standards.My friends say I could eat fire to cool off lol.I do think it's a good wing sauce.I was even tinkering an idea of some kind of turkey meatloaf or something with it.

JenB
2011-08-13 12:38:48

The best way to use this sauce is to let it cook on completely, instead of dipping your wings in it after cooking. If you let it cook on until it is dry and not drippy at all, the flavors really come out.

JenB
2012-12-29 13:38:06

Had this again for lunch today. If you cook it on for at least the last 15 minutes until it caramelizes, it is awesome, it will take away that heavy oniony flavor you were talking about in your review. I used the toaster oven at 450 degrees.

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