Stogie Reviews: Cusano 18 Double Connecticut Robusto

22 Nov 2006

Disappointment comes in many forms. On Friday, for me, it came in the form of a Cusano 18 Double Connecticut Robusto.

I had high expectations for this five inches by fifty ring gauge cigar. First of all, the filler is 18-year-old Dominican Oro. That tobacco found its way into the Cusano 18 line after attempts to produce a Dominican wrapper leaf longer than four inches failed.

Secondly, this stick boasts an impressive appearance. While the wrapper had a few noticeable veins, it was also very attractive with an oily, creamy brown shine.

And finally, Cigar Insider gave this stogie a whopping 91.

But my expectations were shattered when – after snipping the cap with my v-cutter, taking note of the easy draw, and noticing a pre-light aroma of vanilla – I began smoking. You see, along with a sweet and creamy caramel taste, this cigar produced heavy chemical and nicotine flavors.

I don’t know whether it was the aged filler, the Connecticut Shade wrapper and binder, or the combination of the three, but it was bad. The stick tasted more like it was engineered in a beaker than grown from soil.

While the flavor was pretty balanced and the sweet caramel notes were enjoyable, the menacing chemical aftertaste – which unhappily persisted for the duration of the smoke – could not be ignored.

To its credit, this cigar has excellent construction: even burn, easy draw, no wrapper tears, and no incidents with the band.

But even at around $3 apiece retail, I would recommend staying away from this one. For a searing aftertaste that reminded me of freshly fertilized grass, I give the Cusano 18 Double Connecticut Robusto a disappointing two out of five stogies.