Up:
Aji Limo Rojo, a freebie from Peppermania that turned out to be a new favorite. Fairly mild for a _chinense_---maybe 1/2-1/3 the heat of a typical orange habanero---with a nice bright/sweet flavor and none of the habanero "smoky" or "musky" flavor. (I like that flavor fine for certain uses, but in others it can get obtrusive.)
"Thai sun", the upward-pointing tiny little _prik khee noo_ version. Unfortunately my seeds came from Reimer's; I learned my lesson in that respect, but I don't have a seed supplier that I'm sure is offering this same pepper. I'll overwinter the plants but I'd appreciate pointers to seed sources too.
Volunteer piquin type that showed up in my garden. No idea what it is; I've never planted any such thing, but I got two plants of something that looks like a piquin and tastes delicious. I've saved seed (fortunately the plants were far away from everything else).
Thick cayenne; not as hot as the thin versions, but sweeter and more flavorful. I'm pretty sure the ones I have are some commercial hybrid, and I'd like to find a good open-pollinated variety that's similar.
"Habanero de arbol"; I assume this is from Smokemaster's famous plant. I didn't get a lot of pods, thanks to the damn tomato hornworms, but the ones I do have are very attractive, roughly as hot as an orange habanero, and have a mild, sort of vegetal _annuum_-like flavor. They seem like they'd work well pickled or as stuffed poppers, for those who can take the heat, and they're currently my first-choice pepper for making vindaloo.
Down:
Rocoto/manzano. I just don't think I can get them through my summers; my plant "died" and came back twice, and the third time was just too much for it. The one pod that I nursed to a ripe state was heatless and flavorless, but that was probably because of the sunscald.
Poblano. I get perfectly good ones at my local produce market, and I can't seem to grow healthy ones in the garden for love or money. In the ground they become rabbit food, in containers I can't keep them happy.
"Chilly Chili" ornamental: The peppers look like Santakas, and they're pretty enough, I suppose, but not especially exciting as a patio ornament. I'll try some other kind of decorative pepper next year.
Good but not my thing:
Joe E. Parker, from the Peppermania mystery pack. They're a NuMex type, they seem like a good flavorful example of that type of pepper, but I'm just not a big fan of the style. I won't grow it again, but someone should!
-NT