Crying Lion: what is in it and how hot it is
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Crying Lion is the highest-rated SpiceQuest blend with no natural capsaicin extract. This SpiceQuest chili grinder is rated at 1,001,621 Scoville heat units (SHU), and the product page lists ten peppers in it. That figure is calculated from the lab result for each pepper in the blend, weighted by its share. It is 26,009 above our pure Carolina Reaper, no. 9 Reaper X, which tested at 975,612. That is about 2.7 percent higher.
The ten peppers
The Crying Lion page names all ten, without proportions. We give the names as the page gives them.
- Brain Collapse
- Death Spiral
- Peach Reaper
- Red Primotalii
- Golden Reaper
- Jay's Peach Ghost Scorpion
- Carmel Tiberius
- Zing
- Caribbean Habanero
- MA Wartryx X Reaper
The page says the first three are the backbone of the blend and bring the heat and body. Red Primotalii adds a darker, red-fruit edge. Golden Reaper adds brightness. Jay's Peach Ghost Scorpion brings a slightly sweeter, rounder heat. The page does not give the last four separate jobs.
Two of the ten have their own Field Guide pages: the Death Spiral profile and the Peach Reaper profile.
Just over the million line
On our tier list, Ultrahot starts at 1,000,000. Crying Lion clears that line by 1,621. It is a little above no. 9 Reaper X and less than half of no. 10 Carolina Reaper at 2,235,842, which may contain some natural capsaicin extract.
Every blend above Crying Lion on our Scoville chart contains extract. If you want a blend with no extract at this level, this is the one.
Fruit, then weight
The product page describes the start as bright and fruity. Then the blend turns darker and thicker, and the heat gets more aggressive. The taste is red fruit and tropical brightness with a golden sweetness, over a full superhot burn.
The heat begins on the front of the palate and spreads deeper into the mouth and throat. It is long and persistent. The page describes a steady build, with no single sharp spike.
Who it suits
Crying Lion suits someone who wants heat around 1,000,000 SHU from pepper alone and likes a fruity taste before the burn. Its follow-up blend, Screaming Eagle, is rated lower at 873,024.
Crying Lion is a limited release, and the product page shows whether it is available. Start with one press, keep it away from children and read our ultra-hot safety page before you open it.
Questions people ask
Does Crying Lion contain capsaicin extract? No. It contains no natural capsaicin extract. The product page lists ten peppers and no extract.
Is Crying Lion hotter than a Carolina Reaper? By a small margin. Crying Lion is rated at 1,001,621 SHU, calculated from the lab results of its ten peppers, and our pure Reaper, no. 9 Reaper X, tested at 975,612. The difference is about 2.7 percent.