Habanero De Arbol Pepper Review
I’m not sure whether the Habanero De Arbol is truly a Habanero variety, but I do know that its name is a combination of a couple other pepper types. It inherits the “Arbol” portion of its moniker due to how the fruit on the plant initially grow pointing upwards toward the sky – similar to the Chile de Arbol – before eventually getting heavy enough to end up facing the earth. The heat level of this pepper is well within the Habanero range (100,00 – 250,00 SHU) so that’s where the other half of its name comes.
This is also a variety that needs some space. My plant was truly massive in size, reaching darn near six feet in height and easily 4-5 feet in width. It ended up resting upon the other plants within the raised bed that it was grown. And with that size comes plenty of opportunity to produce a large number of fruit – this plant gifted me well over 150 ripe peppers before I stopped keeping track.
Each harvested pepper was roughly an inch in length with a consistent bullet shape. The flesh, when fully ripe, presented a smooth blend of various hues of orange. Inside, the smallish peppers are packed width a good amount of placenta and seeds.
The aroma is initially grassy with a decent bit of fruitiness lingering well into the background. The flavor follows suit for the most part. Biting into the Habanero De Arbol provides a satisfyingly crunchy experience as notes of grass and bitterness arrive first with the distant fruit notes filling in the gaps.
Hitting almost immediately, the burn builds swiftly towards its peak. The pepper is surprisingly hot for one that doesn’t look overly frightening. At its plateau, the Habanero De Arbol presents a light stinging character, a bit of whiskey chest with each swallow and a burn that is focused solely on the tongue. It’s quite fiery as it rests atop its peak for a good long while before fading slowly.
The Habanero De Arbol is a sneaky little pepper. It looks fairly benign from the outside, but man, it certainly packs a punch. I’m not a fan of the initial bitterness in the flavor profile, but that doesn’t appear to come through in salsas or sauces that I have made with the pepper so far. If you’ve got the space to accommodate a fairly sizable plant, this is certainly one to be considered.