By Rocky De Carlo, the Rocky behind Rocky’s Hot Sauce
Rocky’s Hot Sauce rates every flavor on its own 1-to-5 heat scale, and most of the lineup is mild to medium because flavor comes first. Honey Hot is the mildest at 1 of 5 and Bacon is 2 of 5. Original, Garlic, Taco and seasonal Pineapple are 3 of 5, and Nashville Style is the hottest at 5 of 5.
The Rocky’s heat ladder at a glance
Here’s the whole lineup in one place, from mildest to hottest. Each product page shows the same 1-to-5 bar.
| Flavor | Heat (1-5) | Heat word | Tastes like | Best on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honey Hot | 1 of 5 | Mild | Balanced sweet heat: honey sweetness with a gentle kick | Sunny-side-up eggs, wings |
| Bacon | 2 of 5 | Mild | Smoky, savory bacon flavor with mild heat (no pork, no real bacon) | Eggs, burgers, wings, hash browns, pizza, mac and cheese |
| Original | 3 of 5 | Medium | A thicker, hotter, more flavorful spin on a classic Louisiana style sauce | Baked wings, breakfast eggs, tacos |
| Garlic | 3 of 5 | Medium | Fiery heat and robust garlic | Wings, burgers, pizza, steak, marinades |
| Taco | 3 of 5 | Medium | Cumin, garlic and onion with a spicy, zesty kick | Tacos, enchiladas, nachos |
| Pineapple (Seasonal) | 3 of 5 | Medium | Sweet, tangy pineapple up front, a clean chili kick on the finish | Tacos, carnitas, al pastor, runny eggs, grilled chicken and pork, wings, salmon |
| Nashville Style | 5 of 5 | Hot | Tangy and fiery, inspired by Nashville hot chicken | Chicken, burgers, sandwiches, dipping |
Pineapple is seasonal. It’s out of stock right now and comes back every summer.
How our 1-to-5 heat scale works
Our heat scale is our own rating, from 1 to 5, and it shows up as a bar on every product page and on the Hot Sauce page. One lit segment is mild. Five is as hot as we go.
We build our sauces flavor first. Our motto is “All of the flavor, just enough heat,” and you can see it in the ladder: six of our seven flavors sit at 3 or below. If a “medium” hot sauce has ever been too much for you, these are worth a look. Medium at Rocky’s means you’ll notice the heat, but you’ll still taste your food.
You’ll also notice there’s no 4 right now. There’s a jump from medium to Nashville Style, so if you’re comfortable at a 3, take your first taste of Nashville slowly.
Do you list Scoville numbers? No. We don’t measure Scoville, so we don’t list it. Every sauce is rated on our own 1-to-5 scale instead, and that bar is the only heat rating we use. If you’re wondering how we stack up against a bottle you already know, our Sriracha vs. Rocky’s comparison is a good place to start.
Mild (1-2 of 5): all flavor, gentle warmth
Honey Hot is Rocky’s mildest sauce, rated 1 of 5 on the brand’s heat scale, with a balanced sweet heat from honey and aged cayenne. Next is Bacon, a mild 2 of 5 with smoky, savory bacon flavor and no pork or real bacon. Both are easy starting points for eggs and wings.
If you’re looking for a hot sauce that isn’t too spicy but still has flavor, start with one of these two.
Honey Hot (1 of 5)
Honey Hot is the gentlest bottle we make. You get honey sweetness first, then a little warmth that fades instead of building. Try it if you “don’t really do hot sauce.” Drizzle it over a sunny-side-up egg, or toss wings in it for a mild, sweet heat. It’s also a good pick if you’re buying for someone and don’t know their tolerance.
Bacon (2 of 5)
Bacon is our best seller, with a 4.9-star rating from 1,136 reviews. It’s smoky and savory with a slow cayenne warmth, mild enough to go on almost anything. There’s no pork and no real bacon in it; the taste comes from natural bacon flavoring. Try it on eggs, hash browns, burgers, wings, pizza or mac and cheese. For ideas, see our Bacon Hot Sauce burger recipes.
Medium (3 of 5): the everyday kick
Medium on our scale is 3 of 5: Original, Garlic, Taco and seasonal Pineapple. These have heat you’ll notice, but they still taste like food, not a dare. A good pick if you like a little spice.
Original (3 of 5)
Original is a thicker, hotter, more flavorful spin on a classic Louisiana style sauce. Toss unbreaded baked wings in it, shake a few dashes on breakfast eggs, or use it on taco night.
Garlic (3 of 5)
Garlic pairs fiery heat with robust garlic, so the flavor comes through as strongly as the kick. It’s a natural on wings, burgers, pizza and steak, and it works as a marinade as well as a topping. If wings are your thing, try our garlic hot sauce chicken wings recipe.
Taco (3 of 5)
Taco is made for taco night. It blends cumin, garlic, onion and cayenne for a spicy, zesty kick. Put it on tacos, enchiladas and nachos, or mix it into grilled chicken tacos with cheese and fresh toppings.
Pineapple, seasonal (3 of 5)
Pineapple is our summer flavor: sweet, tangy pineapple up front, a clean chili kick on the finish. It’s made with natural pineapple flavoring. Try it on tacos, carnitas and al pastor, over runny eggs, on grilled chicken and pork, or glazed onto wings and salmon. It’s seasonal, back every summer, and out of stock until then.
Hot (5 of 5): Nashville Style
Nashville Style is Rocky’s hottest sauce, rated 5 of 5 on the brand’s heat scale. It’s a tangy, fiery sauce inspired by Nashville hot chicken, made for chicken, burgers, sandwiches and dipping.
Nashville Style is for people who already like heat and want more of it, but it’s still built around flavor. The tang comes through before the fire does. If you’re stepping up from a 3, start with a little and add from there.
Which flavor should you start with?
The mildest Rocky’s sauce to start with is Honey Hot. From there, pick by what you’re cooking:
- Little or no heat tolerance: Honey Hot
- Want something savory: Bacon
- Wings night: Original or Garlic
- Tacos: Taco or Original
- You like it hot: Nashville Style
- Can’t decide, or buying a gift: the Mini 6-Pack or the Rocky’s Experience 6-Pack
Where to go next. Try climbing the ladder one rung at a time: Honey Hot, then Bacon, then Original, Garlic or Taco, then Nashville Style. If one of the 3s feels comfortable, you’re ready to try a little Nashville.
What every flavor has in common
Every Rocky’s sauce is gluten-free and made with no artificial preservatives. Each one is labeled “Contains: Fish, Dairy,” because of the anchovies in the Worcestershire sauce and the butter, so none of them are vegan or vegetarian. Bottles are 5 oz plastic, made by our family in small batches in Oreland, Pennsylvania. Refrigerate after opening; an unopened bottle keeps about 2 years. Full ingredients and allergen details are on each product page and in our FAQs.
Try the whole ladder
The easiest way to find your level is to taste a few side by side. Our packs make that simple:
- Mini 6-Pack: six travel-size 1.7 oz bottles: Honey Hot, Bacon, Taco, Garlic, Original and Nashville Style.
- Rocky’s Experience 6-Pack: all six year-round flavors in full-size bottles.
- Best Seller 3-Pack: Honey Hot, Bacon and Garlic, a good mix of mild and medium.
- Build Your Own 6-Pack: pick your own six.
Single bottles are $10.99, or $9.99 each when you buy 3 or more, any flavors. Orders of $25 or more after discounts ship free.
Find your level. Shop all Rocky’s flavors and start wherever you’re comfortable. You can always step up next time.
