Papa Dreadie Scotch Bonnet Pepper Review

Of the four Scotch Bonnet variants that I grew this year, the Papa Dreadie was the shot in the dark. I had known that I wanted the Scotch Brains for a couple of years now and the MOA and Freeport were no-brainers. The Papa Dreadie was a last minute purchase to fill in the raised bed – I really didn’t know much about it at all, but it came highly recommended.

The two plants that I started this season both grew to a fairly decent size comparable with the other bonnet varieties next to them. The fruit took a bit longer to form and eventually ripen – the numbers harvested were also a bit on the low side in comparison. The fruit have the classic bonnet shape with a rich orange coloring and wrinkled, sometimes blistered appearance.

Once cut open, the fruit are just as folded with a medium thick wall and plenty of placenta filling the small cavity. A fair number of seeds stick to the spongey, heat producing center.

The aroma is dominated with lemony citrus much like the brains, but not quite as pungent heat-wise. It does smell darn good. The flavor is also packed full of citrusy lemon as you crunch through the skin. There isn’t much of a floral presence, but a short-lived bitterness does show through initially. The heat takes a moment to get going, eventually settling into a gentle tongue burn that is quite enjoyable. A soft whiskey glow in the chest lingers as a slight sheen of sweat forms on the brow.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Papa Dreadie Scotch Bonnet. It wasn’t quite as pungent or as intense as the Scotch Brains, but it’s flavor profile was a bit more dynamic than the Freeport. I’ve got a good number of pods in the freezer awaiting their turn for upcoming sauce adventures.