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Aroma:
3 out of 5. Both Stinger and Stinger X have a sweet olfactory tones, but not in a typical fruity way like many hot sauces. It's more of a richer, more sugary quality due to the honey in both elixirs. Plenty of tart and pungent garlic, chile pepper, and vinegar aromas round out the smells.

With the Stinger X, my nose detected zero chile pepper extract! My nose has become extremely sensitive to extract (something I detest), so no smell might prove to be a good sign.

Appearance and Texture:
3 out of 5. Deep and red, each version of Stinger is a medium-thin mixture with a smooth feel and look, unlike something that's chunky and pulpy like Zand and Zack's own Three Brothers Pepper Sauce. Both "regular" and "X" versions only retain a tad bit of the thick, sticky attributes of their first listed ingredient (honey) and they pours and cling to food more like a watery, vinegar-based condiment. I would have preferred them to be a bit more thick as it was prone to drippage when dousing on foods like a cheeseburger. The Stingers contain visual elements typical to a lot of Z and Z's sauces, such as black pepper and chile seeds and fragments.

Taste Straight Up:
4.5 out of 5. I loved both of these! My mouth got hit by the immediate smack of honey, garlic and vinegar with the dual blend of cayennes and habaneros bringing some serious chile pepper flavor and warmth. Black pepper is easy to misuse in spicy products but Sam and Tina McCanless of Z and Z know how to use it spot-on, and it's not exception in their Stinger products.

What about the extract presence in Stinger X, you may be asking? My answer would be that it's almost undetectable. Granted, they may have used it sparingly but the other ingredients mask the flavor to the point where it's not even an issue, even if you're an extract hater. Kudos to Sam for being able to this! Because of this, I would in all honesty have to say the Stinger X has replaced Defcon Defense Condition #1 Wing Sauce on the list of my all-time favorite product that contains extract. Defcon's #1 still gets a lot of love in the Roberts household but I can at times still detect the bitter notes of extract. With Stinger X, I do not.

Taste on Food:
4.5 out of 5. These are sauces with ample dexterity for whatever you want to dish these out on. The Stingers are smashing on a burrito. Here's regular Stinger giving a beef, bean, cheese n' tomato plenty of heat and pleasure:

Eating cheese and crackers are a beautiful experience with Stinger X. The bombastic burn and sweetness masterfully compliment slices of colby jack and Chicken in a Biskits:

Some "gourmet" restaurant mac n' cheese fared not as well as the aforementioned foods with Stinger X, yet proved better than the Tabasco Pepper Sauce parked at every table. It still was a sensible side dish:

Regular Stinger was yumilicious on an ooey, gooey, greasy cheeseburger:

Heat
Stinger: 2.5 out of 5. This has a lovely burn that would be middle of the road for the majority of chileheads. Mild mouths on the other hand, would be feelin' some nice pain on their tongues.

Stinger X: 3.5 out of 5. This wasn't as hot as I expected this to be and most likely did not have very much extract. That having been said, Stinger X does not go light with the habs and cayennes and the extract is there to give this sauce a gentle push into "hot" territory. Great fire and great flavor to match!