Notes on Notes "Pepper: Flavor or Body?" pt. 1 https://bit.ly/2RPS5YM
In part one, I covered "dried crushed ground peppers." Herein, we'll delve into what I call the produce section peppers. You know... peppers not "dried crushed ground." Think bell, banana, jalapeno, habanero. Because that's fairly the list & gist of what you'll find in the context of our (cigar, coffee, beer) confines. Now read a bit about each, noting first that a put them in spicy order. yw & thx
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BELL PEPPERS
Bell Peppers are 94% water. You might not readily associate that with the multi-colored thing (and no, the color doesn't change the flavor). Maybe you'll more readily associate with them, their waxy exterior. Water & wax... these are the influences on body you'll experience. Flavor-wise, they tend to exhibit via a crisp herbaceous half-kick. Spitty... waxy... look for bell pepper to clean the palate. Used well, it prevents a sweet thing from being cloyingly-so. Too much, however, and it can abort any nuance. These peppers are at times used in the manufacture of paprika --- so when delivered dryly, look for that.
BANANA PEPPERS
Banana peppers are rare to see. I can think of a cigar which shows this note nigh predominantly. However, I won't name it (not a sponsor). I'd say it most prevalent (also for some reason seldom noted) in west coast IPAs. Those are beers. Think here bell peppers but tangy. Sweet if ripened well. They're yellow (banana) when young and darken to green, red, or orange as they ripen. They are made of only 2% or-so less water than bell peppers but show as substantially drier due to their tanginess; particularly when a sourness infiltrates tanginess & leads tartly.
Now we get to the peppers which should be served w/ Tums...
JALAPENO PEPPERS
Jalapeno peppers reach 3,500 to 3,600 Scoville heat units. To orient you in that particular unit of measure, 3,500 to 3,600 Scoville heat units is/are where jalapeno peppers reside. Fantastic. They're almost always consumed green, altho if allowed to ripen, they go the banana pepper color route. I mention this because as "green" they retain, to my palate, a significant herbal even grassy quality. In cigars, they tend to have a smoky attachment (perhaps appearing as chipotles). In rare cases, you'll find them in coffees -- particularly Vietnamese origin beans -- where they'll flex their 92% water make-up. Read: they thin out coffee and sharpen finish. If you taste this pepper in your beer, spill it out and/or get yer head checked, you friggin' wacko.
HABANERO PEPPERS
The habanero is most commonly orange or red. This hot chili pepper varietal registers 100,000–350,000. A true spicy meatball. But oft-seen (but rarely seen) with an inherent sweet earthiness. I can't say as I've found this note anywhere outside of cigars & cannot recall the last time that I did. Perhaps the Cu-Avana Punisher (not a sponsor). I only mention the name to also mention the probability that this note doesn't naturally appear in that most likely infused cigar. There seems to be some discrepancy as to if it is infused or not, is what I'm saying.
To wrap it up, produce section peppers are, imho, the hardest note to display properly in a blend. They must be boldly balanced by bittersweet tidings, lest they fuckscrew the whole dang profile. This has less to do w/ their spiciness than their often raw sometimes wet vegetal nature. Delineation must be created via rigid bracings of hardwood, coffee beans, or nutshells. These peppers cannot be allowed to stray. I do not know how to wrap up this installment of "Notes on Notes." Here's something, whereas "dried crushed ground peppers" show more on body than flavor, these guys: vice-versa. thx
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