The Apollo pepper is a new super-hot pepper created by famous hot pepper cultivator Ed Currie. He cross-bred the official hottest pepper on the planet, the Carolina reaper, with his latest super-hot creation, pepper X, to create the mind-bending Apollo pepper that clocks in at 2.5-3 million SHUs.
What Is The Apollo Pepper?
Apollo peppers were first created by Ed Currie of PuckerButt Pepper Company, famous for creating the current Guinness World Record’s hottest pepper, the Carolina Reaper. Currie took the Carolina Reaper and cross-bred it with another scorching pepper he created, known as Pepper X.
While no pictures of the Apollo have been released publicly, it is safe to assume that the Apollo has a similar appearance to its relatives. Both Pepper X and Carolina Reapers are relatively smaller fruit, only growing between 1-3 inches in length. Their skin is usually colored a bright red when fully ripe and is bumpy and dimpled to the touch.
Apollos are only available to the public in the form of The Last Dab: Apollo hot sauce, which is an official hot sauce of the famous YouTube show, Hot Ones. The sauce itself is composed of the Apollo in three different forms: a distilled Apollo pepper essential oil, fresh peppers, and dried pepper powder.
Beyond being incredibly hot, some flavor nuances make the Apollo perfect for a hot sauce. The Apollo gains some sweet, fruity notes from the Carolina Reaper, which combine with the smoky and earthy flavors from Pepper X. While some hot sauces can be subject to tasting overly briny due to their vinegar base, the vinegar in The Last Dab brings out the natural flavors of the Apollo brilliantly.
How Hot Is The Apollo Pepper?
Apollos is at the top of the world’s spiciest peppers list. According to Currie, the Apollo pepper has been estimated to reach an impressive 2.5-3.2 million Scoville heat units.
Compared to a jalapeño pepper, which at its hottest reaches a Scoville rating of around 8,000 SHU, Apollos, at the very least, are over 300 times hotter than jalapeños. We’re talking heat levels that are out of this world!
It should go without saying, but please use extreme caution when consuming Apollo peppers. As mentioned previously, you can currently only consume the Apollo via The Last Dab hot sauce. The name says it all: just a small dab of this super-hot chili sauce will go a long way when added to food. While this is perfect for the spicy food enthusiast, you might want to be careful with Apollos when making dinner for the whole family.
Is The Apollo Pepper Real?
While the Apollo pepper is undoubtedly one of the hottest peppers in the world, it hasn’t been officially tested by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Because Guinness is the best-recognized organization for recording official world records, the Carolina Reaper pepper still holds the record at 1,569,300 million SHU.
Currie still hasn’t officially released the Apollo pepper or seeds to grow your own Apollo pepper, so the new pepper still retains some level of mystery. This is likely due to Currie wanting to continue testing new growths of the pepper to make sure it’s exactly how he wants it to be presented to the public.
Apollo Pepper Vs. Carolina Reaper Vs. Pepper X
All of Smokin’ Ed Currie’s most infamous peppers seem to have a similar identity focused on being the biggest and baddest in the world of hot chili peppers. While little is known about the Apollo and Pepper X, the Carolina Reaper is a fan favorite among chiliheads. We can expect the same reception for the other two if they are officially released.
As far as which of them is the spiciest, Pepper X is expected to come in at around 3,182,000 SHU. If this is officially verified by Guinness World Records, it will become the hottest pepper in the world.
Apollos come in as the second hottest between 2,500,000 – 3,000,000. This also defeats the Carolina Reaper, which still comes in at an impressive 1,400,000 – 2,000,000 SHU.
Overall, all three of these peppers are fantastic examples of the Capsicum chinense peppers that have grown in popularity in the chili community. They are all peppers grown intentionally for their extreme heat and consistently deliver on giving a truly memorable experience to anyone daring enough to eat one.
Can You Eat An Apollo Pepper?
Ed Currie and Puckerbutt Pepper Company have yet to release Apollo peppers for sale officially. The only way to experience the heat and flavors of the Apollo is through The Last Dab hot pepper sauce, which can be purchased directly through Hot One’s official hot sauce brand, Heatonist.
Can You Grow Apollo Peppers?
As mentioned, Apollo pepper plants have yet to be released to the public for personal pepper gardens. Unfortunately, this will remain true until PuckerButt Pepper Company decides that the plants are ready for mass distribution.
You can still experience a similar chili-growing experience by growing the Carolina Reaper. Not only are these peppers directly related and share the same creator, but they are relatively easy to get your hands on through various plant distributors. These are definitely the next best option until Apollos are released to the public. Happy pepper growing!