Ghost of Chainsaw: Scorching hot sauce set to ignite Mount Isa Mines Rodeo centenary

An extreme hot sauce will ensure a rodeo’s centenary celebrations are seared into the memory - and our reporter gave it a try. WATCH NOW

Shank Brothers BBQ are gearing up for the centenary of the Mount Isa Mines Rodeo next weekend with their latest tongue-terrorising creation, the Ghost of Chainsaw extreme hot sauce.

The Ghost of Chainsaw, crafted exclusively for this momentous occasion, was created in the image of its namesake – a formidable bull named Chainsaw that terrorised Australian rodeo circuits from 1987-94.

The Shank Brothers, promise that their new brainchild will topple rodeo-goers within eight seconds, mimicking Chainsaw’s unrideable reputation.

“It’s named after the most ferocious unrideable bull in Australia, so we bought his spirit applied it to chilli,” co-creator of the Ghost of Chainsaw, Ralph Barnett said.

Mr Barnett compared the sauce’s creation to “building a nuclear bomb”, requiring careful handling and stringent safety measures including a gas mask, and two layers of gloves.

“This sauce is bloody hot. And what makes it hot is a lot of Carolina Reapers, which makes up the base and scorpion habanero,” he said.

“We’ve got just some really nasty chillies for flavour, of course.

“And you know that’s what makes it really hot and we ferment it just to give you that extra little zest.”

Amelia Feltham and Eva Henderson have a little Ghost of Chainsaw hot sauce added by Shank Brothers’ Ralph Barnett. Picture: Nigel Hallett

The sauce offers a deceptive introduction, luring in unsuspecting tasters with a pleasant burst of flavour including garlic, onion, and lime before launching a full-scale assault on the senses.

“It actually tastes really nice, but the heat definitely builds,” Mr Barnett said.

The rodeo, which is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and third-largest worldwide, is celebrating its 100th year with a nine-day festival kicking off on August 10, with the hot sauce comp slated to be one of the highlights of the event.

According to Barnett, the contest is designed to separate “the weak from the strong,” starting with the unadulterated Ghost of Chainsaw, increasing the heat round by round with secret, fiery enhancements.

“The sauce straight out of the bottle is going to be round one. And then we’re going to get our alchemy skills together and we’re going to amp it up,” he said.

“We’re just going to slowly eradicate those people who just can’t handle the heat.”

While this fiery creation is currently exclusive to the rodeo, with a limited batch of 150 bottles prepared, Mr Barnett has hinted at a promising future for the Ghost of Chainsaw. “(Currently) the sauce is exclusively available at the Isa rodeo only. But we have plans to make the sauce available in the future if there is enough interest, early indications look promising,” he said.