I've never bought hot sauce on the web. I always stock up when I'm in Los Angeles. There's an amazing hot sauce store in, of all places, the Farmers Market at 3rd and Fairfax. I walked in assuming that the little man behind the counter was just a hired flunky, but then when he saw me seriously reading labels and turning bottles upside down to see how thick/chunky the sauces were, he came over to chat. Turns out it's his place and he knows his stuff! Based on which sauces I told him I liked, he made some excellent suggestions for new brands/flavors to try. I think he appreciated having someone in there who wasn't just laughing at the labels and buying the silliest one (though I did pick up a limited edition wooden crate packaged bottle of Daves Insanity Sauce as a gift for a friend...).

Now, if you're into hot mustards, the place to go is mustardmuseum.com/index.htm I went to the actual Mount Horeb Mustard Museum a few years ago. The museum, sadly, was closed for rennovations. But OHMYGOD! In the gift shop they let you taste all the mustards with little spoons, just like at ice cream shops! If ever you need a reason to visit suburban Wisconsin...