Cream puffs and Pepper bombs

[El Presidente]

I had an e-mail today from a new member wishing to experience the two "creamiest" cigars in the Habanos lineup... and the two cigars that exhibit the most "Pepper"

So 4 cigars total. I gave him my thoughts on each but I said I would put the question to members in order to gain a wider perspective.

Over to you

The two creamiest cigars (any vitola)

The two most pepper laden cigars (any vitola)

I

[LeafLover]

Cream- HDM Du Gourmet

HDM des Dieux (+3 yrs)

Pepper- to me, none of the CC's I've smoked has this flavor...unless I just can't identify it

[laficion]

Hi there,

The creamiest one Is Por Larranaga, Monte-Carlo, and the most peppery are the Punchs. (For me, at least).

Guy

[Sophistic]

cream - hdm epicures

pepper - partagas shorts / d4s

[CaptainQuintero]

Agree with pepper, nothing of any significance in CC Imo. Stick to NC as it's one of their strengths.

Cream: aged Upmann and Partagas are pure cream but 5+ years minimum.

Off the shelf I'd say HDM epicure #1 or HDM petit robusto, Trinidad Reyes too.

[JoeyGunz]

I once had a HDM EPI 2 from '91 that was pure cream and green peppercorns, an absolute beautiful smoke!

a cigar you wish you had an endless supply of

[PapaDisco]

I once had a HDM EPI 2 from '91 that was pure cream and green peppercorns, an absolute beautiful smoke!

a cigar you wish you had an endless supply of

Concur. I've had quite a few Epi 2's that were full of creamy smoke but with a palate of white peppercorns! Also a box of R&J Mille Fleurs that were nothing but pepper from start to finish in every stick.

Didn't expect pepper in an Epi 2, but there it was.

[Aksan]

Cream: HDM DD or Gourmet

Pepper: partagas

[BehikeLover2]

Cream: Any Montecristo (Edmundo creamiest)

Pepper: Partagas

[LeafLover]

The only thing I get as far as peppers go are a green bell pepper flavor from young Partagas shorts.

[Smallclub]

I think the most creamy cigar I've had was the Hoyo Extravaganza (the 109 of the Colleción Habanos 2003).

I'll add the Trinidad Robusto Extra and the Hoyo DC.

Black pepper: RyJ Cazadores, Partagas Presidente, young LGC Médaille d'Or No.4, Cohiba Maduro 5,

White pepper: Epicure No.2, Reyes, some Upmann;

Red/pink pepper (soft): Diplo 2, Serie A…

[canadianbeaver]

I have to agree with you. Those LGC pencils are spicy little firecrackers. As for cream, a ripe Bolivar Canadian Edition I had the other day was lovely.

[CaptainQuintero]

Bolivia Gold Medal for jalapeño pepper

[ogus]

cream CORO and RYJ SC

Pepper PSD4, Shorts

Curry sort of Pepper Trini Reyes

Cream and Spice VR Unicos

[ogus]

Creamiest Cigar used to be an AVO

[MIKA27]

cream - hdm epicures

pepper - partagas shorts / d4s

+1 Spot on IMO

[OZCUBAN]

+1 Spot on IMO

X2

[tmc123]

Cream : aged CoRo and des duiex

Pepper: D4 and shorts

[ogus]

one with cream and pepper is the PSD5

[Smalls]

I agree with some of the others.

Cream- HdM Epicure Especial, I also get cream out of a really good Monte 4

Pepper- Definitely Party Shorts. That is pretty much all I have gotten out of them lately. I would also say Bolivar Gold Label.

[tmac77]

Anything from HDM Epicure for the cream and if you have the patience to age one fora minimum of 7 years an HDM Des Dieux.

On the pepper side go with the partagas 898's or the shorts.

[LLC]

I agree with the HDM Epicure line for the cream. Love them on a weekend morning out on the deck with an Americano.

Don't pick up a lot of obvious pepper flavors in Cuban cigars. Back when I smoked NC's that was often a predominant flavor.

[LLC]

Double post.

[JC67]

I`ve tasted pepper in Bolivar Corona Junior more than once.

[TheGipper]

The whole Hoyo line used to be reliably buttery and creamy, but it comes and goes lately. Some recent Epicure No 2 ('12/'13) have been like the old Hoyos in creaminess.

Really peppery flavors seem to have all but disappeared across the board since the early 2000s to me. Partagas SD4, Shorts, Lusitanias, and the erstwhle Coronas used to be all pepper and leather, but I don't get that out of them any more. I wonder if the pepper flavors went away when all the old Corojo leaf was exhausted. Partagas Presidentes come closest now, but it's a faint whisper of how it used to be.

Just to punctuate how hit-and-miss the flavor profiles have been lately, the most peppery sticks I've had lately were actually some fresh 2013 Hoyo Petit Robustos! But even those mellowed out significantly only a few months later.