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| CUSANO'S PERFECT PERFECTO |
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Page 1 of 2  Tasting and grading the five newest blends from the Cusano and Cuvee linesLos Angeles, June 13 – Michael Chiusano had the bases covered. His Cusano line-up featured an interesting variety of tastes, from the rich Cusano 18 lines to the Cusano Corojo ‘97 and his value-priced bundles lines. So why does he need to add more blends? To stay up to date. “As smokers’ tastes change, we have to change with them,” he noted at the Tobacco Plus Expo last March. Over the past couple of years, he’s developed a new line – originally intended for the European market – called Cuvee – and now he’s brought out two new blends for the Cusano brand, the Habano LXI and the 59 Rare Cameroon. Naturally, we had to try them: Cusano Habano LXI: [Dominican Republic: available in 4 sizes] Introduced early in 2008, the Habano LXI is an all-Dominican cigar made at the new DR Global factory in the Dominican Republic. It’s another successful chapter in the long development history of the Dominican puro. The blend offers a light and spicy aroma at the start and it’s medium-to-full in body. It has a caramelized, somewhat creamy element to the flavor, but there’s plenty of spice on the tongue and on the finish. The LXI is crafty; if you’re looking for a bold statement of flavor, you’ll be disappointed . . . until you recognize the blend for its exquisite finesse. The taste becomes more creamy as the cigar hits midway and the spicy notes are more discreet. Combined with the perfect draw and even burn you expect from Tabadom, this cigar is a winner . . . but only in the right setting where you can appreciate its subtleties. It’s perfect for an evening where you have time to appreciate it, perhaps combined with Cognac or bourbon. Overall grade: A: Exceptional. Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon: [Dominican Republic: available in 4 sizes] Cameroon-wrapped cigars are certainly not hard to find today, but this unique leaf always brings something special to a cigar. That’s certainly the case with the 59 Rare Cameroon, which combines aged wrapper leaves with Dominican-grown binder and fillers. It’s medium in body and there’s a spicy aroma, but the smoothness of the lightly caramelized taste is impressive. If a cigar can have a “clean” or “fresh” taste, this one has it, very gently balanced with a hint of spice on the finish. The blend isn’t bold, but elegantly light and delicious with a creamy flavor and a deeper taste of spice toward the end. It’s an interesting smoke, with more character than the Habano LXI, especially in the spectacular perfectly-proportioned Preferido size, a perfecto of 5 3/4 inches by 57 ring. The latter is easily the best size of the four in this line and one that will be hard to find once enough smokers know about it. Overall grade: A: Exceptional. |
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Did you know?
“Although rarely seen today, coin-operated cigar dispensers have been around since at least 1893.
