HotPepperIndex
Capsicum chinense

Trinidad Scorpion Butch T Pepper

Trinidad and Tobago (hybrid parentage from Trinidad Moruga Scorpion); propagated and stabilized in Mississippi, USA and Australia
Superhot
Also known asButch T Scorpion · Butch Taylor Scorpion · Trinidad Scorpion Butch T
Scoville
0SHU
Heat0%
800k–1.46M SHU

The Trinidad Scorpion Butch T is a Capsicum chinense cultivar and former world-record holder for heat, reaching up to 1.46 million Scoville Heat Units. It features a distinctive scorpion-like tail and fruity flavor before intense heat. Bred from Trinidad stock by Butch Taylor in the US, it held the Guinness title briefly in 2011.

The Trinidad Scorpion Butch T pepper is a hybrid cultivar of Capsicum chinense derived from Trinidad Moruga Scorpion stock native to Trinidad and Tobago. It was propagated and stabilized by Butch Taylor of Zydeco Farms in Crosby, Mississippi, with seeds shared to growers in Australia where it achieved its record heat measurement. The pepper pods are small, measuring 1 to 2 inches long, bulbous and wrinkly with bumpy, pock-marked skin and a pronounced pointed tail resembling a scorpion's stinger. They mature from green to yellow or orange and finally to vibrant red. Heat levels range from 800,000 to 1,463,700 SHU with a median around 1.13 million, placing it firmly in the superhot category and roughly 100-585 times hotter than a jalapeño. Flavor begins sweet and fruity before a rapid, fiery burn sets in, faster than many other superhots like the ghost pepper. It is primarily used in extreme hot sauces, chili powders, flakes, and spice blends for heat enthusiasts. The plant grows vigorously to about 5 feet tall and produces abundant pods. It briefly held the Guinness World Record for the hottest pepper in 2011 before being surpassed.

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Backstory

Derived from Trinidad Moruga Scorpion genetics, stabilized by Mississippi grower Butch Taylor of Zydeco Hot Sauce. Seeds shared to Australian growers Neil Smith and Marcel de Wit; record heat of 1,463,700 SHU tested in 2011 led to Guinness title for three years until Carolina Reaper surpassed it.

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Flavor

Sweet with fruity undertones noticeable before the intense heat arrives rapidly and becomes dominant.

fruitysweet

Culinary uses

hot sauceschili powders and flakesextreme spice blendsdehydrated products

Q&A

Substitutions

Trinidad Moruga ScorpionCarolina ReaperGhost pepper

Related variants

Appearance

Size
1-2 inches long
Skin
bumpy, wrinkly, pock-marked
Color
green to yellow/orange to red when ripe
Shape
bulbous with pronounced scorpion-like tail and stinger point

Growing

Notes
Vigorous producer; ripen fully on plant for best flavor; handle with care due to heat
Plant height
up to 5 feet
Days to maturity
90-120

Origin detail

Region
Caribbean
Country
Trinidad and Tobago
Breeder
Butch Taylor

Tags

superhotscorpiontrinidadworld record holderchinensefruity

Sources

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3 sources · 6 searches · 2.2k reasoning tokens · Added May 12, 2026, 19:05 UTC
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