Cusano 18 Paired Maduro
Thursday, May 13th, 2010I found conflicting information on the Cusano 18 Paired Maduro, so I’m not exactly sure what the deal is with the blend. Maybe this is what persuaded me to pick up a couple sticks at a local shop recently. In the end, I guess these details don’t matter at all. I sat down with my trusty glass of water and got to reviewing the Cusano 18 Paired Maduro.
Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina Maduro
Binder: San Vincente Olor
Filler: Dominican Piloto
Size: Gordo 6 1/4 x 54
Price: Around $6.00
Pre-smoke & Construction:
This thing had a nice yet rugged looking wrapper. There were a few medium sized veins and some lumps and bumps here and there. When I sniffed the wrapper and foot, it reminded me of barnyard poo. Before you say “Yuck!” let me remind you that I find many shitty smelling cigars turn out to be great. The pre-light draw was free, and had a simple woody/earthy flavor. When I squeezed the cigar, I found that towards the head it was rolled a little soft. Nothing really worth concern in my opinion.
The burn required quite a few corrections in the first third, but evened out after that. The ash held for just under an inch.
Flavor:
The main flavors for the first third was wood and earth (like a rich soil). There was a smooth sweet spice when passing smoke through the nose. Coffee notes and a dry mocha flavor entered as I dug further into this third.
The second had a sweet dry mocha, coffee and woody core. The earthy flavors fell into the background, but would stand out from time to time. The sweet peppery spice had a small kick to it, and the overall smoke feel became thick and somewhat creamy.
No new flavors introduced themselves in the last third. The woody flavors with sweet coffee and mocha were dominant. Like before, the sweet spicy pepper was pleasant and kept a nice easy zing. The smoke feel was a little syrupy and creamy.
Conclusion:
This was a good medium bodied cigar. There were no bad flavors or harshness. I wasn’t wowed by any means, but I think it fits the price point of around $6.00. I wouldn’t pay anything more though. The Cusano 18 Paired Maduro is worth a try.