The World's Hottest Hot Sauce, Ranked by Scoville
Real heat, measured. The Mad Dog 357 lineup ranked from 357,000 to 9,000,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) — from the brand featured on Hot Ones, Seasons 1 through 5.
The 9,000,000 Scoville ceiling
Plutonium No. 9 reaches 9,000,000 SHU — one of the most concentrated pepper extracts sold direct-to-consumer, and the hottest product Mad Dog 357 makes. It is a food additive, used by the drop, never by the spoon.
The lineup, ranked by Scoville
- Plutonium No. 9 — 9 Million Scoville Pepper Extract — 9,000,000 SHU
- Mad Dog 357 Mark of the Beast — 6 Million Extract — 6,000,000 SHU
- 5 Million Scoville Pepper Extract — 5,000,000 SHU
- Mad Dog 44 Magnum — 4,000,000 SHU
- Mad Dog 38 Special — 3,000,000 SHU
- Mad Dog 22 Midnight Special — 2,000,000 SHU
- 1 Million Scoville Pepper Extract — 1,000,000 SHU
- Mad Dog 357 Gold Edition — 1,000,000 SHU
- Mad Dog 357 Silver Edition — 750,000 SHU
- Mad Dog 357 Collector's Edition — 600,000 SHU
- Mad Dog 357 Original — 357,000 SHU
What is the Scoville scale?
The Scoville scale measures the heat of a chili or pepper product in Scoville Heat Units (SHU) — the concentration of capsaicin, the compound that makes peppers hot. A jalapeño sits around 5,000 SHU. A Carolina Reaper, one of the world's hottest peppers, is roughly 1.6 million. Pure pepper extracts climb far higher: Plutonium No. 9 reaches 9,000,000 SHU, about 1,800 times hotter than a jalapeño.
Hot sauce vs. pepper extract
A hot sauce is made to be eaten — flavor first, with serious heat behind it. A pepper extract is concentrated capsaicin, added to food by the drop to push heat to the extreme. Mad Dog 357's sauces run from 357,000 to 1,000,000 SHU. Its extracts run from 1,000,000 all the way to 9,000,000. Nothing in the lineup is mild.
Frequently asked
What is the hottest hot sauce in the world?
The hottest products sold to consumers are pure pepper extracts, measured in the millions of Scoville Heat Units. Mad Dog 357's Plutonium No. 9 reaches 9,000,000 SHU — one of the most concentrated pepper extracts sold direct-to-consumer, and the hottest product Mad Dog 357 makes.
What is Plutonium No. 9?
Plutonium No. 9 is a 9,000,000 Scoville pure pepper extract — a food additive, not a sauce. It is meant to be used by the drop to add extreme heat, never eaten straight.
How hot is 9 million Scoville?
A jalapeño is about 5,000 SHU and a Carolina Reaper around 1.6 million. At 9,000,000 SHU, Plutonium No. 9 is roughly 1,800 times hotter than a jalapeño.
What is the difference between a hot sauce and a pepper extract?
A hot sauce is made to be eaten — flavor plus heat. A pepper extract is concentrated capsaicin used by the drop to add heat to food. Mad Dog 357's sauces run 357,000 to 1,000,000 SHU; its extracts run 1,000,000 to 9,000,000.
Is Mad Dog 357 on Hot Ones?
Yes. Mad Dog 357 was featured across Seasons 1 through 5 of Hot Ones. The New York Post has written that people pay hundreds for a bottle.