Review of Cusano 18 Double Connecticut Robusto Cigar

Cusano 18 cigars are made with Dominican filler tobaccos that have been aged for 18 years. The Double Connecticut blend uses two Connecticut shade wrappers, one as a binder and the other as a normal outer wrapper. The Robusto size cigar, which I sampled for this review, measures 5 inches in length with a ring gauge of 50. The Cusano cigar brand was established in 1995 by Michael Chiusano, and the cigars are rolled in Davidoff cigar maker Henkie Kelner's cigar factory in the Dominican Republic.

As might be anticipated from a cigar made with two Connecticut wrappers, the flavor of the smoke was very smooth and mellow. A wrapper tobacco leaf usually generates about half of a cigar's flavor, so a cigar that uses two Connecticut wrappers should be extra smooth and mild. When blended with Dominican fillers that have been aged for 18 years, the end result was a mild-to-medium cigar with a very enjoyable rich and fresh taste. Not very complex, but a really enjoyable cigar that would be appropriate for new cigar smokers as well as more experienced smokers who occasionally prefer a mild but rich tasting smoke.

The construction of the Cusano 18 Robusto was impeccable. The draw was excellent, the burn was even, and the cigar did not require any relights nor touchups. The cigar had a medium flaky ash that held for about three quarters of an inch. It took me 30 minutes to smoke the robusto-sized cigar down to two inches remaining.

The Cusano 18 Double Connecticut Robusto is sold in boxes of 18 for about $80, which averages out to less than $4.50 per stick. I have also seen them available in 5-packs for only $21, which works out to only $4.20 per cigar. There are many other brands of mild-to-medium cigars made with one Connecticut wrapper that cost less, but if you want that extra margin of flavor and smoothness that comes from two Connecticut wrappers blended with Dominican filler tobaccos that have been aged for 18 years, you have to expect to pay a little bit more. Definitely worth a try, especially in the five pack.