ChilliFacts

Trinidad Scorpion Butch T Scoville Heat

Trinidad Scorpion Butch T measures 800,000–1,463,700 SHU, with a typical figure of 1,463,700 SHU: about 293× a typical jalapeño. It ranks #3 among verified peppers.

Also called Butch T. Capsicum chinense (Guinness described it as a chinense x frutescens hybrid).

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

1,463,700 SHUTypical heat
800,000–1,463,700 SHUMeasured range
293×Against a jalapeño
Guinness recordStatus
Pepper X: 2,693,000 SHUDragon's Breath: 2,480,000 SHUCarolina Reaper: 1,641,183 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 SHUTrinidad Scorpion Butch T · 1.46M1K SHU10K SHU100K SHU1M SHU
Where Trinidad Scorpion Butch T sits on the Scoville scale. Each dot is a pepper in our dataset, on a log scale.

Where the number comes from

1,463,700 SHU from tests by EML Consulting Services, New South Wales, on 1 March 2011, as recorded by Guinness. Guinness did not call it an average; it reads as a single lab result for the grower's sample. The 800,000 low end is a blog figure.

Origin

Trinidad strain; propagated in Mississippi, USA, and grown in Australia. A Trinidad Scorpion strain propagated by Butch Taylor (Zydeco Hot Sauce, USA) and named after him. The record fruit was grown by Marcel de Wit's Chilli Factory in Australia. [1]

Flavour and looks

Colours: red.

Scorches quickly

Facts

  • Guinness's 2011 record page described the chilli as a hybrid of the chinense and frutescens species. [1]
  • It took the title from the UK's Naga Viper and Infinity within weeks of their claims, in a fast-moving 2011 contest that critics such as Dave DeWitt said relied on single tests. [3]

Record history

  • 2011-03-01: Guinness record: 1,463,700 SHU (EML Consulting Services test)
  • 2013-08-07: Superseded by the Carolina Reaper

Hotter and milder

Trinidad Scorpion Butch T compared

Compare Trinidad Scorpion Butch T with any other pepper →

Questions

How hot is Trinidad Scorpion Butch T?

Trinidad Scorpion Butch T measures 800,000–1,463,700 SHU, with a typical figure of 1,463,700 SHU. That puts it among the superhots, peppers above 1 million SHU.

How many times hotter is Trinidad Scorpion Butch T than a jalapeño?

About 293× a typical jalapeño (1,463,700 vs 5,000 SHU). Against the hottest jalapeños it is about 183×, and against the mildest about 585×.

Is Trinidad Scorpion Butch T the hottest pepper in the world?

No. It ranks #3 in our verified ranking. The current record holder is Pepper X at 2,693,000 SHU.

Where does Trinidad Scorpion Butch T come from?

Trinidad strain; propagated in Mississippi, USA, and grown in Australia. A Trinidad Scorpion strain propagated by Butch Taylor (Zydeco Hot Sauce, USA) and named after him.

Is the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T heat figure verified?

Guinness record: Certified by Guinness World Records from university lab tests. 1,463,700 SHU from tests by EML Consulting Services, New South Wales, on 1 March 2011, as recorded by Guinness.

Sources

  1. Guinness World Records (record page, archived 1 Dec 2012): 1,463,700 SHU; EML Consulting Services; 1 Mar 2011; The Chilli Factory; hybrid statement
  2. Guinness World Records news, 19 Nov 2013: Butch T as previous holder
  3. Popular Science, Jul 2011: 2011 chronology and criticism (secondary source)
  4. Chili Pepper Madness, Oct 2013: Butch Taylor origin story; 800,000 low end (secondary source)