Chocolate Bhutlah: Is It Hotter Than The Carolina Reaper?

The Carolina Reaper was the official hottest pepper in the world from 2013 to October 9, 2023. Some people wonder whether the Chocolate Bhutlah is even hotter.

For reference, the Carolina Reaper rates at 2,200,000 Scoville heat units (SHU).

That’s pretty freaking hot.

I’m sure you’ll agree with me that the hottest peppers are always changing. And, it’s pretty exciting to have new chile varieties to eat and grow during the season.

(Plus, I have to admit, I watch videos like the Chocolate Bhutlah challenge where people film themselves eating these nuclear hots so we can see their reactions. But, I digress.. 😉 )

So whether you’re a fan of eating super hot chillies or you also like growing them, here’s some interesting information about this intriguing chocolate pepper.

Table Of Contents

Chocolate Bhutlah Origin

This pepper was created by Chad Soleski from Wisconsin. From what I understand, this particular variety is a cross between the Douglah 7 Pod and the Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper).

(Hence, the name “Bhutlah” comes from joining the words “bhut” and “douglah.”)

Chad initially grew Red Bhutlah peppers. He gave seeds to his friend, Steve McLaurin, who grew them out and discovered the chocolate-colored pods.

From what I understand, Chad also grew his own chocolate variant of the Bhutlah pepper.

To clarify, there are different strains of this chocolate pepper. There’s Chad’s Chocolate Bhutlah CS and Steve’s Chocolate Bhutlah SM. As you probably guessed, the “CS” and “SM” are each person’s initials.

chocolate bhutlah pods — Chocolate Bhutlah. Photo Credit: Richard Elzey, Flickr Creative Commons

How Hot Is A Chocolate Bhutlah?

The Chocolate Bhutlah pepper ranks up to 2,000,000 SHU on the official Scoville scale. Amongst the world’s hottest peppers, the Chocolate Bhutlah is close to the Carolina Reaper. Some even claim that this pepper tastes hotter than the Reaper pepper. (We go into more detail about this down below.)

To refresh your memory, the Carolina Reaper is 2,200,000 SHU. It sits up there with the other hottest peppers in the world like the Trinidad Moruga (2 million SHU) and 7 Pot Douglah (1,853,936 SHU).

Despite the fact that the Chocolate Bhutlah Scoville doesn’t officially rank as high as the Carolina Reaper, many people say it’s one of the hottest chillies they’ve ever eaten.

Why Does This Pepper Taste Hotter?

So why are so many people saying the Chocolate Bhutlah is hotter?

I was curious about this myself and found some forums where posters speculated that maybe:

It has to do with the way the Capsaicin is stored and distributed in the pepper

The heat is immediate and that it numbs the mouth, which makes it seem hotter

What do you think?

The Chocolate Bhutlah Taste

To clarify, I haven’t tasted this pepper raw. I’d like to keep my stomach lining intact. Lol!

(As a side note, I once tried to eat a 7 Pot Douglah and I couldn’t take more than one bite. I can eat hot peppers, but my partner beats me every time. Jesse, stop gloating if you’re reading this. 😉 )

Back to the flavor:

The words “floral” and “earthy” are two descriptions I see over and over when describing the Chocolate Bhutlah pepper taste. That seems to be the case for many super hot varieties.

There’s also that instant heat.

chocolate bhutlah pepper cut open — Chocolate Bhutlah Pepper Cut Open.

Super Hot Sauce and Chocolate

Ready to taste the Chocolate Bhutlah flavor? Below, are some of my favorite items that contain this chocolate pepper.

Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you make a purchase using my links. This is at no additional cost to you. These products are listed because I believe you’ll enjoy them too. Thanks for your support!

Chocolate Bhutlah Hot Sauce

Yes, of course, there’s a Chocolate Bhutlah hot sauce!

This limited edition hot sauce, called Chocolate Plague, is Smokin’ Ed Currie’s blend of the Chocolate Bhutlah Pepper and vinegar. The heat is no joke. To me, it has a fiery, floral taste. Very delicious!

Extreme Heat Hot Sauces. (**Chocolate Plague** is 2nd from the right.)

» Related – The Scoville Scale of 11 Hot Sauces

The Choco Challenge White Lightening

Have you tried the Choco Challenge? This mini white chocolate bar is comprised of some of the hottest peppers out there. (It’s another insane creation by Smokin’ Ed Currie.)

Besides the Chocolate Bhutlah, this chocolate contains the Chocolate Reaperuga, The Razor, Chocolate Reaperano, 7 Pot Douglas Brown X Reaper, Chocolate Bhut X Reaper and six more chillies.

Growing Chocolate Bhutlah

Here’s some information that will help you grow your own Chocolate Bhutlah pods. You have a lot of options when it comes to finding seeds and plants online.

These are some key pages to get you going:

Chocolate Bhutlah Seeds and Plants

Check out The Pepper Seed Vendor List for where to buy Chocolate Bhutlah seeds and plants online, along with other superhot pepper varieties.

The Pepper Supplies page has my favorite seed-starting tools, gardening kits, chillihead snacks and a lot of other growing products.

Here’s the main Resources page containing my top picks for gardening supplies and a lot more. (This page has all of the resources mentioned if you’d like to find everything in one spot.)

Information on Growing Peppers

This Growing Peppers In Containers page has all of our how-to posts on starting pepper seeds, types of chile peppers and all chile-related topics.

By the way… If you need help starting your pepper seeds, be sure to check out The Pepper Seed Starting Guide. This ebook steps you through all of the processes of starting pepper seeds inside so you grow healthy plants that are ready for the outdoors.

Common Chocolate Bhutlah Pepper Questions

Is the Chocolate Bhutlah the hottest pepper in the world?

As of now, the Carolina Reaper is still the record holder for the world’s hottest pepper. Many people speculate that the Chocolate Bhutlah could be the next record holder.

What does a Chocolate Bhutlah look like?

The pods have an elongated shape like the Bhut Jolokia (ghost pepper), but they are larger than many 7 pot chillies. The wrinkled skin starts off green and is brown at maturity. The plants can grow more than 4 feet tall.

How do you use the Chocolate Bhutlah?

As with other super hot peppers, Chocolate Bhutlah pods can be used to create hot sauces, spice rubs and salsas. They can also be used to flavor soups and stews (use a little bit at a time).

I hope you enjoyed this post. Whether the Chocolate Bhutlah ends up being the hotter than the Carolina Reaper is yet to be seen. Once this pepper has been around long enough to be stable, it will be interesting to see what happens!

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