Pepper X takes Carolina Reaper's crown as world's hottest chili pepper

• Pepper X was rated at a super spicy average of 2,6.93 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU), compared to his previous record with the Carolina Reaper —which hit an average of 1.64 million SHU, according to a Guinness World Records statement Monday.

What they're saying: Pepper X is "three times hotter than a Reaper," Currie said after announcing the world record on YouTube show "Hot Ones" this week.

• "There's an intense burn that happens immediately. Then your head kind of feels like, 'Oh no! What's going on?' And then your body just starts reacting. You get it in your arms, you get it in your chest," he said.
• "It has no real throat burn like the Reaper, but that comes on later when you're in pain."

Yes, but: As a proprietary pepper, Pepper X's pods and seeds "are tightly guarded" and won't be sold or released, per a statement from Puckerbutt Pepper Company, the firm Currie founded.

• "[T]he only way for the public to enjoy Pepper X is in the form of certain hot sauces."

What's next: Currie is already working on cultivating a new record-breaking pepper.

Go deeper: The origins of chili peppers date back longer than we thought