What are a couple of smokes you would say are actually blended to be "peppery" as opposed to just having unripe tannins? I've smoked a few of the 5 vegas miamis. Frankly, the robustos have hit me as being what I would call peppery, though the torpedos have not. Do you think they're rolling the vitolas with different tobacco? I will say that it was several months between my smoking a robusto and my smoking a torpedo, so it could be a different crop.
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Do you think that's a product of demand?
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Thanks for the review and photo's Steve. I too recently smoked a 3000 maddy and came to the same conclusion as you. It simply was dry, one dimensional, bitter, and just didn't make it for me. I've smoked the natural and maddy n the past for both the 2000 and 3000 and enjoyed them. Unfortunately, it appears that QC is lacking at this point...


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5 Miami Knuckle is just a bad cigar and if you search on my take on the line and this cigar in particular you'll see that I questioned DPG's involvement from the start, which I simply said "No way!" to due to flavor profile (bad, bad, bad) and quality control (not one stick so far has burned without a need to correct). Was told by a number of "experts" that the proof this was a DPG made smoke was the use of DPG boxes. Well, turns out DPG is NOT involved after all and the product is actually his daughter's attempt at making cigars, even CI catalog stopped claiming DPG association after that thread on CA (although last time I checked their web site still did).

So, to tie the above paragraph with your question. DPG, for the most part, blends with a "pepper" character as a target, most Nicaraguan cigars are that way and this is a "signature" of the lend and climate, IMO. But 5 Vegas Miami misses the target by a mile. where most DPG blends start with that pepper hit up front before settling down (while still exhibiting some pepper throughout the rest of the cigar), Miami Knuckle simply assaults your palate with harsh tannin that pretty much "kills" your palate for some time (there is nothing you can eat or drink to soften that, at least in a short amount of time).

Also, take AB Tempus line, some "pepper" in there while his other lines exhibit that same unripe tannin character, think Maxx line, IMO. Main reason I love Tempus while really disliking the rest of his blends.

These are two obvious examples, at least to my palate, there are others. I will be happy to talk about this subject at greater length if you want, but I feel we are making a thread drift and if this subject if of interest someone should open a new thread and not usurp current one. Tannin management is a lengthy subject and an interesting one as it affects a lot. I know what effect tannins have in wine making and wine drinking, and there are great similarities in wine and cigar production.
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Don't know. That said, I can tell you that Padrons simply did not sit on shelves in retail shops in the '90s and now you can find them everywhere. Have no idea what their production numbers were back then versus now, but if the numbers are at a great disparity, then that is your answer.
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:-) Try a Nica Libre. They are better than the x000 series.
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Yes, you are correct. I've taken this thread off track - my apologies to the OP. I think I'll open a new thread - I think this could generate a lot of interest.
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Im not the biggest fan of these either. Annis however......
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Yeah, it's funny, after my review I looked up to see if others felt the same way and I found a review where the guy commented on what a beautiful stick it was with a smooth wrapper. I was stunned because this one was just a but ugly roll. If it wasn't for the Padron label you'd think it was some bundled free roll. Other's I've had of the thousand lines have looked the same.

And Greg, thread jack away, but I think a thread in general on the topic would be really interesting.
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Steve, maybe a new thread in General(?) forum should be started, or a thread addition to How to Taste cigars? Not sure where it should really go since IMO this would be of great assist to newbies, better start them right than make them "re-learn" later.

One thing I learned in years of past observations (wine and cigars) is people wrongly assuming specific characteristics mean Y when, in fact, they mean X. Hate to say it, but a number of professionals also get it wrong, time and time again. Parker and his new Portugal wines minion, Squires, always assumed and taught wine drinkers that "bacon fat" nose and taste were attributes of Northern Rhone "terroir" where in reality they are nothing but specific barrels used to age wine. Just one obvious example, there are plenty more, and cigar world is pretty similar in this regard. I'm sure we'll have a nice discussion come Sunday...
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