Moruga Scorpion vs. Butch T: two scorpions, two lab results
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The Butch T tested hotter. The dried pepper in no. 8 Butch T Scorpion came back at 887,188 Scoville units, and the dried pepper in no. 7 Red Moruga Trinidad Scorpion at 734,512. Both are SpiceQuest chili grinders, and both are pure pepper.
Side by side
| No. 7 Red Moruga Trinidad Scorpion | No. 8 Butch T Scorpion | |
|---|---|---|
| Tested Scoville units | 734,512 | 887,188 |
| Taste | Sweet and floral | Citrus sweetness |
| How the heat arrives | Quickly, then it keeps going | The moment the flakes land |
| Try it on | Mango or pineapple salsa | Spaghetti marinara |
A gap of about 21 percent
The Butch T is 152,676 units above the Moruga. That is about 21 percent, or about 1.2 times as hot.
On our numbered scale the two are neighbors, and the steps on either side of them are smaller. No. 6 Brain Strain tested at 650,785, which is 83,727 units below the Moruga. No. 9 Reaper X tested at 975,612, which is 88,424 units above the Butch T. All four are in the tier we call Superhot, 350,000 to 999,999.
Each number is the lab result for one lot of dried flakes. Why two peppers of the same variety test differently explains why we do not treat one result as a rule for a whole variety. Every result is in the Scoville chart.
Floral or citrus
The two taste different, and that may matter more to you than the gap.
The Moruga is sweet and floral before the burn takes over. The heat comes to full strength quickly, covers the whole mouth and keeps going. Besides salsa, try it on grilled chicken or on rice and beans. Its page is Trinidad Moruga Scorpion.
The Butch T hits the moment the flakes land. The heat covers the whole palate and does not back off. Under it is a citrus sweetness. Besides marinara, try it on pizza or tomato soup. Its page is Trinidad Scorpion Butch T.
With either one, start with one press per plate. Taste, then decide on a second.
Buying one or both
No. 7 suits someone who likes sweet, floral heat more than smoke. No. 8 suits someone who is past ghost pepper and wants more heat with a citrus taste under it.
Both come in the Classic Ring of Fire, which holds no. 6 to 10. That kit includes no. 10 Carolina Reaper, which is over 1,000,000 Scoville units, so read the ultra-hot safety page before you open that grinder, and start it with one press.
Questions people ask
Is the Butch T hotter than the Moruga Scorpion? In our tests, yes. No. 8 Butch T tested at 887,188 Scoville units and no. 7 Red Moruga at 734,512, a gap of about 21 percent.
Is either one hotter than a Carolina Reaper? Not in our tests. Our pure Reaper, no. 9 Reaper X, tested at 975,612 Scoville units. That comparison is in Carolina Reaper vs. Trinidad Scorpion.