CAPS
Hot Sauce
Awards
A premium gold-ring awards platform built to recognize serious sauce makers, bold labels, unforgettable heat experiences, and the best bottles in the chili-head community.
The Host Festival
Wabash Valley Pepper Fest
& Hot Sauce Expo
Building on a strong inaugural year with 400+ attendees and expanding significantly for 2026.
League of Fire Belt Match
The "Road to the Americas" Belt Match brings world-class competitive eating to the festival stage.
LIVE Guinness Record Attempt
Hot Pepper Eating World Champion Stephen "Fiery Redd" Curgan attempting a LIVE Guinness World Record.
Media & Crowd Energy
Major attractions bringing strong attention, media interest, and engaged spice-loving audiences to the event.
Winners Announced Live
CAPS Awards winners revealed in person at the festival — recognition with real audience presence and momentum.
What We Judge
Competition Categories
$20 per submission with no entry limit. Each sauce is placed into a heat-level category and automatically eligible for applicable specialty and overall awards — no separate entry required.
Get More Value From Your Entry
For sauce makers who want deeper insight, we offer an optional CAPS Awards Sauce Evaluation Report. This written report gives you feedback on what stood out, where your sauce was strongest, and where there may be room to improve. It's a great option for makers looking to refine their recipe, strengthen their brand, or better understand how their sauce performs in a judged setting.
- Best in Show
- Best Overall Flavor
- Best Heat Experience
- Best Label Design
- Best Mild
- Best Medium
- Best Hot
- Best Extra Hot
- Best Super Hot
- Best Verde Sauce
- Best Fermented Sauce
- Best Fruit-Based Sauce
- Best Jalapeño Sauce
- Best Habanero Sauce
- Best Cayenne Sauce
- Best Ghost Pepper Sauce
- Best Carolina Reaper Sauce
Salsa Awards
CAPS Salsa Categories
Salsa entries compete across five heat-level categories. Same $20 entry fee, same professional judging, same no-limit policy.
Best Mild
Level IBest Medium
Level IIBest Hot
Level IIIBest Extra Hot
Level IVBest Super Hot
Level VBrand Identity
The Official CAPS Look
Deep black, trophy gold, glossy red — starburst shine and award-ring energy define the official CAPS premium competition aesthetic.
CAPS Hot Sauce Awards
CAPS Salsa Awards
The Panel
CAPS Judges
Recognizable voices from the spicy food, culinary, and local media community — chosen for palate, credibility, and passion.
Matt Mottor
Award-winning Chef & CAPS Awards Judge
Ben Verbanic
WTHI TV 10 Anchor & CAPS Awards Judge
Jay Savage
Co-Founder of the High Council of Verde. Commander of #verdewars. Has tasted more than 5,000 different hot sauces.
Jeremiah Johnson
Adjunct Instructor of Culinary Arts at Ivy Tech Community College. Recipient of the 2025 ACF Indianapolis Chapter President's Award and nominee for both ACF Educator of the Year and ACF Chef of the Year.
Annee "The Reaper Teacher" Boyer
Three-time League of Fire Chili Eating Champion and Guinness World Record co-holder for the Longest Habanero Kiss. Best of Show at the 2023 Orange County Fair, NCSU-certified in Acidified Foods Manufacturing, and collector of 400+ hot sauces.
Leadership
Executive Team
Overseeing marketing, media, judging operations, competition integrity, and professional event execution.
Craig McCulloch
Executive Director
Jay Savage
Director of Marketing, Media & Public Relations
Matt Stewart
Director of Competition Integrity & Judging Operations
What Sets Us Apart
Built for Credibility
CAPS is designed to feel professional, organized, and worthy of the makers who pour real craft into their sauces.
Blind Judging
Fair review with consistent scoring, clear category standards, and conflict-of-interest protection.
More Than Heat
Judges reward balance, creativity, aroma, finish, mouthfeel, and the full sauce experience — not just burn.
Brand Presentation
Label design matters. Strong shelf appeal and professional packaging are scored alongside flavor.
Festival Recognition
Winners announced live at the festival — a platform to build lasting attention, credibility, and momentum.
Beyond the Podium
Recognition for Every Entrant
The top-scoring products in each category receive the primary CAPS Awards — but our goal is to recognize quality, creativity, craftsmanship, and outstanding characteristics throughout the competition, not only among category winners.
- Judges' Commendation
- Flavor Excellence
- Outstanding Heat Balance
- Exceptional Label Design
- Most Original Flavor Profile
- Rising Sauce Maker
- Culinary Excellence
- Small-Batch Standout
- Judges' Hidden Gem
These distinctions are not awarded automatically. They are based on judging scores, written feedback, and qualities that stand out during the blind judging process.
Participation Certificate
Every participating company receives an official CAPS Awards Participation Certificate recognizing its commitment to craftsmanship — designed bold and professional, and worthy of displaying at your business, booth, or event.
Official Entrant Badge
All participants receive an official CAPS Awards Entrant badge for use on websites, social media, promotional materials, and product pages.
Winner Stickers
Winners receive professionally designed stickers for bottles, packaging, displays, and promotional materials — a clear way to showcase the achievement to customers and retailers.
Our goal is for every entrant to take real value from participating — through an award, constructive feedback, professional recognition, promotional exposure, or the chance to return next year and demonstrate continued improvement.
Future Honors for Returning Participants
How to Enter
Entry Process
Deadline extended! Submit your entry by July 29 and have your sauce shipped and postmarked by July 30. No limit on entries. Two bottles per entry. Winners announced at the September 19, 2026 festival.
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Register Online
Complete the official CAPS entry form and select the heat-level category for each sauce. Submit as many as you'd like — no entry limit. Entries due July 29.
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Ship Your Bottles
Send two bottles per entry to: 8701 N Raintree Ct, Apt 39, Terre Haute, IN 47805. Sauce must be shipped and postmarked by July 30.
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Verify Compliance
All products must meet FDA acidified food compliance standards. Documentation will be required.
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Judging Begins
Judging takes place after the entry window closes. Winners announced live at the 2026 Wabash Valley Pepper Fest & Hot Sauce Expo on September 19 — The Meadows Shopping Center, 2800 Poplar Street, Terre Haute, IN 47803.
Deadline extended — enter by July 29
Enter the Fire
Put your sauce in front of a distinguished panel of judges. Compete for recognition across flavor, heat, label design, specialty awards, and the coveted Best in Show. Submit by July 29 — sauce shipped & postmarked by July 30. Winners announced live on September 19, 2026 at The Meadows Shopping Center, 2800 Poplar Street, Terre Haute, IN 47803.
Terre Haute, IN 47805 Two bottles per entry · shipped & postmarked by July 30 · this is the entry mailing address, not the festival venue
Questions? Contact Craig McCulloch — craig@wabashvalleypepperfestandhotsauceexpo.com · 812-298-4737