ChilliFacts

Trinidad Scorpion Butch T vs Carolina Reaper

Carolina Reaper is hotter, at about 1,641,183 SHU against 1,463,700 SHU for Trinidad Scorpion Butch T: about 1.1× as hot, using typical values. Across the measured ranges the gap runs from 1.1× to 2.8×.

Data checked October 20, 2026 · How we rank and verify

A single wrinkled red Carolina Reaper pod with its pointed tail
A single wrinkled red Carolina Reaper pod with its pointed tail. Photo: Richard Elzey, CC BY 2.0.
1,463,700 SHUTrinidad Scorpion Butch T
1,641,183 SHUCarolina Reaper
1.1×Heat ratio
Carolina ReaperHotter
Pepper X: 2,693,000 SHUDragon's Breath: 2,480,000 SHU7 Pot Primo: 1,400,000 SHUKomodo Dragon: 1,400,000 SHUNaga Viper: 1,382,118 SHUTrinidad Moruga Scorpion: 1,200,000 SHUInfinity: 1,176,182 SHU7 Pot Brain Strain: 1,175,000 SHU7 Pot Douglah: 1,170,000 SHUDorset Naga: 1,032,310 SHUGhost Pepper: 1,001,304 SHUNaga Morich: 1,000,000 SHUDalle Khursani: 393,950 SHUFatalii: 262,500 SHURed Savina: 248,556 SHUHabanero: 225,000 SHUScotch Bonnet: 225,000 SHUDatil: 200,000 SHUKanthari: 80,640 SHUBird's Eye Chilli: 75,000 SHUCayenne: 40,000 SHUTabasco: 40,000 SHUGuntur Chilli: 36,160 SHUKashmiri Chilli: 20,800 SHUSerrano: 15,000 SHUByadgi Chilli: 10,000 SHUJalapeño: 5,000 SHUCarolina Reaper · 1.64MTrinidad Scorpion Butch T · 1.46M1K SHU10K SHU100K SHU1M SHU
Trinidad Scorpion Butch T and Carolina Reaper on the Scoville scale. Each dot is a pepper in our dataset, on a log scale.

Side by side

Trinidad Scorpion Butch TCarolina Reaper
Typical heat1,463,700 SHU1,641,183 SHU
Measured range800,000–1,463,700 SHUup to 2,200,000 SHU
StatusGuinness recordGuinness record
SpeciesCapsicum chinense (Guinness described it as a chinense x frutescens hybrid)Capsicum chinense
OriginTrinidad strain; propagated in Mississippi, USA, and grown in AustraliaFort Mill / Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA
FlavourNot documentedFruity and sweet, with a hint of cinnamon and chocolate undertones (Guinness description)
Coloursredred

The Scoville maths

The Scoville scale is linear: a pepper at 2,000,000 SHU has twice the capsaicinoids of one at 1,000,000 SHU. So the ratio is a simple division, 1,641,183 ÷ 1,463,700 ≈ 1.1×. Real pods vary, so the gap between any two fruits can be smaller or larger (1.1× to 2.8× across the measured ranges).

About each pepper

Trinidad Scorpion Butch T: A Trinidad Scorpion strain propagated by Butch Taylor (Zydeco Hot Sauce, USA) and named after him.

Carolina Reaper: Bred by Ed Currie of PuckerButt Pepper Company.

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Questions

Which is hotter, Trinidad Scorpion Butch T or Carolina Reaper?

Carolina Reaper. It averages about 1,641,183 SHU against 1,463,700 SHU for Trinidad Scorpion Butch T, about 1.1× as hot.

How many times hotter is Carolina Reaper than Trinidad Scorpion Butch T?

About 1.1× using typical values (1,641,183 ÷ 1,463,700). Comparing the extremes of each measured range gives anywhere from 1.1× to 2.8×.

How hot is Trinidad Scorpion Butch T?

Trinidad Scorpion Butch T: 800,000–1,463,700 SHU, guinness record.

How hot is Carolina Reaper?

Carolina Reaper: up to 2,200,000 SHU, guinness record.

Are Trinidad Scorpion Butch T and Carolina Reaper the same species?

No. Trinidad Scorpion Butch T is Capsicum chinense (Guinness described it as a chinense x frutescens hybrid); Carolina Reaper is Capsicum chinense.

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Sources

  1. Guinness World Records (record page, archived 1 Dec 2012): Trinidad Scorpion Butch T: 1,463,700 SHU; EML Consulting Services; 1 Mar 2011; The Chilli Factory; hybrid statement
  2. Guinness World Records news, 19 Nov 2013: Trinidad Scorpion Butch T: Butch T as previous holder
  3. Guinness World Records news, 19 Nov 2013: Carolina Reaper: 1,569,300 SHU average; parentage per Guinness; previous holder Butch T
  4. Guinness World Records (record page, archived 24 Dec 2014): Carolina Reaper: record text: average 1,569,300 SHU, Winthrop tests throughout 2012, dated 7 Aug 2013

Full source lists are on each pepper's page.