Death Spiral

Fruity and citrusy with subtle floral notes and surprising sweetness that balances the extreme heat.

The Death Spiral pepper, also called the Death Pepper, is a relatively new open-pollinated superhot cultivar developed in the United Kingdom. It originated as a variant of Naga Bubblegum Red (a cross by UK grower Terry Smith) selected and stabilized by Refining Fire Chiles' Jim Duffy around 2015-2016. The pods feature a highly distinctive twisted, wrinkly, and bumpy skin with brain-like folds and often a pointed stinger tail, measuring approximately 2 to 2.25 inches long by 1 to 1.25 inches wide. They ripen variably from green through peach, orange, and red, with thin flesh and good yields on plants that can reach 4 feet tall. Heat levels range widely from about 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 Scoville Heat Units due to its hybrid nature, averaging around 1.3 million SHU with a quick front-of-mouth burn. Beneath the intense heat lies a pleasant fruity, citrusy, and slightly floral flavor with surprising sweetness. It is excellent for hot sauces, salsas, powders, and pickling, though gloves are essential when handling. Plants thrive in full sun with consistent moisture and warmth, performing well in containers or raised beds. As a newer variety, pod traits can still vary somewhat between plants.

Selected as a spontaneous variant of Naga Bubblegum Red (a Terry Smith UK cross) by Jim Duffy of Refining Fire Chiles in 2015-2016; grown out in isolation over generations and stabilized/released with its signature twisted appearance. It remains somewhat variable as the strain continues to stabilize.