Pepper, one of the most common tasting notes in cigars, is one that I was unfamiliar with for a long time. For almost a decade, I paid so little attention to the cigars I was smoking that I couldn’t even imagine someone tasting pepper in a cigar.
After spending the last five years being intentional with my cigars and focusing on what I’m experiencing, I’m happy to say that pepper and I have become friends. So much so, that I seek it out and enjoy it most when it balances the overall flavor profile.
There are plenty of cigars that highlight pepper in different ways – and the case could even be made that almost all cigars feature pepper at some point. And you might be asking, why would we introduce a tasting pack that includes Connecticut shade cigars instead of the heavier stuff that pepper is more closely associated with?
Want the opposite? This article features Cigars Without Pepper.
Well, the goal is to introduce you to pepper so that you know what to look for. I believe that goal is best achieved by sampling medium-bodied cigars overall. For instance, you’ll get to learn more about Joaquin Phoenix’s acting ability in a movie like Joker than if he were in a star-studded film like The Expendables. By dialing back the intensity of the cigar, my hope is that you can more easily identify and become acquainted with pepper in its various forms. But - we also included a couple heavy hitters so you can experience pepper in many different ways.
What about black pepper, white pepper, and red pepper? For the sake of simplicity, I’m not going to attempt to parse the tasting note at this time. I find it very hard to do, and my own opinions change on the same cigar over time. Maybe I’m wrong, but it feels like pepper (as a cigar sensation) benefits from being lumped together rather than separated into categories like dark chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, etc.
Another note on the subject: we’ve heard from some blenders like Nicholas Melillo that the spicy pepper we often experience within the first inch is a result of the redistribution of tobacco during the bunching process. And while that’s undeniable due to the shapes and sizes of cigars, we’ve also heard from others that it’s frequently an intentional process to ‘awaken the palate.’
Further Reading:
Cigars that Taste like Chocolate
Cigars that Taste like Leather
Quesada 50th Petite Belicoso Clasica
This is the cigar that we use in our original Develop Your Palate series for pepper, and it still holds true after all this time. You’d think that a few years would’ve tempered this firecracker – and it has, to a degree – but it still roars like a Champ once fired up. What I love about this Quesada exclusive is that it provides both the heat associated with pepper as well as the tasting note of black peppercorn. It even leaves a long, lingering finish of pepper on the palate. Once the heat fades away towards the midway point, you’re left with a creamy experience and what reminds me of peppercorn and oyster crackers.
Highclere Castle Victorian
The Highclere Castle Victorian showcases the hot nature of pepper as well as the peppercorn tasting note towards the end. It’s a tug of war between its initial full-bodied nature of creamy nougat and warm baking spices that develop early on and the pepper that slowly builds throughout. The pepper transition here is softer out of the gate, and then ramps up to balance the flavor profile in the second third. You'll also find hints of roasted coffee, cocoa, and nuts.
Patina Connecticut Petite Robusto
When Mo first introduced the Patina Connecticut series, the line was practically a dichotomy of sorts. The Robusto (and later petite Robusto) were described as a Connecticut with balls whereas the Churchill went the softer, more delicate route. But it’s not a one trick pony, the Patina that we’ve selected for you is a contrast of sweet and spicy sensations that will have you begging for more. I don’t taste peppercorn in this cigar, but I do experience the heat attributed to pepper before it’s juxtaposed with citrus, graham cracker, cedar, and almonds.
PSyKo SEVEN Nicaragua
Indiana Ortez’s debut cigar is one that I’ve been fascinated with of late! I could’ve used this to highlight a number of tasting notes, but my favorite thing about the Toro really is the long, spicy finish that I’ve come to love. Pepper resonates in this size early on, and beautifully contrasts the later sensations of bread, caramels, leather, and citrus. If there’s a case to be made for awakening our palates with pepper, this cigar would be the poster child in my opinion!
Diesel Delirium
Delirium is A.J. Fernandez’s strongest cigar to date, and the immediate blast of pepper lets you know exactly what you’re dealing with. This isn’t a cigar for the faint of heart, and we’d recommend having a full meal before trying to tame this beast with fire. What’s amazing to me about this cigar, though, is how balanced it is with as much punch as it’s packing. Unbridled pepper is highlighted in its various forms throughout the cigar experience amidst other tasting notes such as leather, bread, nuts, baking spices, and earth.
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