Intensity Academy Chai Chipotle Chup Carrot Karma Hot Cubed Hot Sauces

Intensity Academy’s Chai Chipotle Chup & Carrot Karma & Hot Cubed hot sauces.

[singlepic=230,320,240,,right]Intensity Academy in Tampa Bay, Florida, has a line of carrot based all natural hot sauces, as well as a line of Chai Tea infused products including ketchup, teriyaki, cocktail and chipotle sauces. Michelle and Tom have a great line-up of sauces.

We’re reviewing their flagship product, Chai Chipotle Chup (a tea infused spicy ketchup) and 2 of their habanero hot sauces.

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1. Chai Chipotle Chup is a Chai Tea infused ketchup. It was the 2008 Scovie Awards Best Condiment. Quite an achievement!

2. Carrot Karma is a carrot based mild to medium hot sauce.

3. Hot Cubed (3) is similar to Karma, only on steroids! This stuff is hot and yummy!

For this special review, I enlisted Wifey and my son, Patrick. It’s his first posted review.

First up is Intensity Academy’s Award Winning  Chai Chipotle Chup:

Patrick sez: Good aroma, not overly pungent… cool and flavorful. It was sweet with a hint of heat to make it interesting. It had a smooth texture, not too thick and not too thin. I think it held up well on the chip. The heat is nice, but it leaves you quickly.

Wifey writes: My favorite dip for fries has always been ketchup with Tabasco added. At our last dinner, we decided to compare this with Chup, a Chai ketchup from Intensity Academy. I tasted both, and preferred the Chup. The Chup has the thicker consistency of ketchup, and the heat is deeper without the vinegar edge that Tabasco brings. A fuller flavor with more lasting heat, great flavor without the vinegar edge and aftertaste that Tabasco  lends. My previous favorite dipping was Ranch dressing, but I really like the Chup. I’m thinking, hmm, put this on top of meatloaf with a little bit of pepper jelly blended in for the glaze…. stay tuned for that meatloaf recipe!

Brian concludes: This is much sweeter than ketchup with Tabasco, but thinner. I think it’s heat is awesome, but does not linger. Great for dipping fries into.

This Chup comes in a big 12 ounce bottle with distinctive graphics.

Ingredients: Tomato concentrate (water, tomato paste),
corn syrup, distilled vinegar, salt, onion powder,
habanero pepper, Chipotle pepper, Organic Chai tea extract
and natural spices.

Carrot Karma:

Patrick: Honest aroma, smells hot, a bit like  buffalo sauce. Good heat that lingers on the tongue. The texture is on the thin side, but is enough to stay on the chip.

Wifey: This sauce is hot enough to satisfy the chilehead in your family, but not too hot. Not my cup of tea (no pun intended).

Brian: My favorite of the bunch! I thought the Carrot Karma had just the right amount of heat and flavor to make me want to pour more on my chips and food.

Nice label, with tall grass, wildflowers, butterflys and carrots floating up.

Ingredients: Carrots, onions, Habanero peppers,
vinegar, garlic, lime juice and natural spices

Hot Cubed (3):

Patrick: Thinner and grainier than the Carrot Karma. Strong heat smell, the hottest of them, and the heat lingers long. Otherwise, tastes like the Karma with emphasis on heat.

Wifey: Just a bit too hot for me. I’m girly like that. I think the Karma is better.

Brian: A big hit of habanero. Nice, fresh taste. I think the heat does not linger too long. Not being a fan of habanero based sauces ( I think most taste the same), this is pretty good. I’d really like to compare it to it’s lil’ brother, the Hot Squared (2) someday.

The label on this sauce is dark, and hard to make out what it really is.

Ingredients: Carrots, onions, Habanero peppers,
vinegar, garlic and lime juice.