[billybarue]

Famous is very cryptic in their product description of the 3K and the 7K. Give customer service a call and they won't divulge the source of production of either cigar. Ostensibly, to hide the makers identity of a "HIGH" end cigar maker that is producing - OMG -- a bundled cigar. Oh the horror!!

I can't say with 100% surety 7K is Pepin. Buy some and come to your own conclusions. Personally I think they are Pepin. All you will get from the product description on the 7K is, "...“Blended by one of the most renown tabaqueros in Esteli, Nicaragua …." In my view I will interpret that as Tabacalara Cubana. Is it a guarantee - not from me. Again, simply an opinion that I picked up from other boards, but tend to agree with. In the end, as I said, I like the 3K and the 7k and like the 7K a little better. I think the flavor profile is typically Pepin.

Incidentally Holts does the same "cryptic" marketing of their Little Havana Overruns (LHO's). You can't get Holts to commit they are from Pepin, and product description says, "Here is another award-winning closeout from the #1 cigar-maker in Miami”. I think they use the "mystery" to help marketing and sales. To me they are Pepin. The best were the LHO originals from a few years ago. I still have about 5 bundles. From other boards it was said the original LHO's were overruns of the Troya Classico, a now defunct Pepin brand. Maybe so, but there were so many variations in wrapper color and size of the original LHOs (for example some very small PC's that Troya Classico did not come in) that I think it might be partially overproduction of Troya, but I also think they were using the tobacco for blending and sizing experimentation. However they came to be, the LHO ORs were excellent. LHO II's came in a large Torpedo and are also long gone, but the current production of LHOs are very good (IMO) and you might consider them in addition to, or alternative to, the Famous Nic Series bundles.

My understanding is 3K is an Oliva produced cigar, and you will probably get the same opinion on this board. Again, Famous will not divulge on the phone or in it's catalogue description. In the catalog it says, Handmade by one of Nicaragua's top tabacaleras ...". That has always been the description ever since the bru-haha with Fuente over the dispute of the "X" branding of the cigar. After the copyright infringement suit from Fuente on the "X" branding we got the 3000 (OR) -- notice the OR version from Tobii's picture does NOT have the green band. He has all three iterations -- X, OR, and 3K (full bundle of 20 in the picture). Aside from tobii's history lesson and pictorial of the Series X (yea I'm jealous he still has some), my understanding is the 3K is Oliva tobacco and production hence my comment "3K = Oliva". I don't see the HUUUUGE difference between Oliva tobacco and Oliva cigars? Doesn't matter much in the end - 3K is a good cigar. In regard to original post, I guess many still consider the 3K "it" amongst the Nicaraguan K series bundles - it is a very good stick.


So I will revise my earlier statement: 7K = Pepin (IMO - no guarantee).

Again for original poster's question, to my palate 3K and 7K are best of breed of the Famous Nicaraguan series and I have both on hand consistently. If you pick one, I think 7K takes it (even compared to bundles of 3K from '06).

FWIW