MEGA Review: Cusano 18 Paired Maduro

[buzz]

About the cigar:

Brand: ...... Cusano .................. Color: ...... Maduro
Name: ....... 18 Paired Maduro ........ Wrapper: .... United States
Country: .... Dominican Republic ...... Binder: ..... Dominican Republic
Type: ....... Robusto ................. Filler: ..... Dominican Republic/ Brazil
Size: ....... 5x50 .................... Price: ...... ~$5
Strength: ... Medium .................. Website: .... www.cusanocigars.com

Information from CigarCyclopedia:

Here is a rarity, a limited-production cigar which features 18-year-old filler leaves from Tabadom, first offered in 2003. The natural-wrapped “Double Connecticut” blend is of medium body with Connecticut Shade leaves for both wrapper and binder and Dominican-grown filler. The “Paired Maduro” debuted in 2005 with a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper, Dominican binder and aged Dominican Olor and Brazilian Mata Fina maduro filler. Of course, they’re offered in boxes of 18.

[buzz]

| GENERAL:..... | .Experience. | Date Smoked | ..Where Smoked.. | Duration | ..Smoked.. |
| Abyr......... | Newbie...... | May 6...... | Home............ | 1.25 hrs | Nubbed it. |
| ashauler..... | Been around. | May 4...... | Patio at home... | 1 hour.. | Most of it |
| badwhale..... | Amateur..... | April 25... | Basement........ | 1 hour.. | Nubbed it. |
| buzz......... | Newbie...... | May 9...... | Backyard........ | 1 hour.. | Nubbed it. |
| cigarsarge... | FOG......... | April 23... | Home............ | 45 mins. | Most of it |
| Cyris........ | Amateur..... | May 14..... | Backyard........ | 1 hour.. | Most of it |
| Daigz........ | Newbie...... | May 20..... | Deck in Alaska.. | 1 hour.. | Most of it |
| Diesel Grinch | Been around. | April 24... | With friends.... | 45 mins. | Nubbed it. |
| dr. cox...... | ............ | ........... | ................ | ........ | .......... |
| Eville....... | Been around. | May 15..... | Friend’s balcony | 45 mins. | Most of it |
| logan37...... | Newbie...... | May 29..... | Backyard........ | 1 hour.. | Nubbed it. |
| Mangyrat..... | Amateur..... | May 10..... | On the porch.... | 45 mins. | Nubbed it. |
| Mizicke5273.. | Amateur..... | April 30... | Back deck....... | 1.25 hrs | Most of it |
| ndv21........ | Newbie...... | May 4...... | My garage....... | 1 hour.. | Nubbed it. |
| prophetic_joe | Been Around. | April 25... | Friend’s house.. | 45 mins. | Most of it |
| Steele....... | Amateur..... | May 2...... | My den.......... | 1.25 hrs | Most of it |
| Tdre977...... | Newbie...... | May 6...... | Living room..... | 1 hour.. | Most of it |

| OTHER INFO:.. | .......Food...... | .........Drink........ | ........Music........ |
| Abyr......... | N/A.............. | Water................. | TV: Sliced-History... |
| ashauler..... | N/A.............. | Water................. | Radio................ |
| badwhale..... | N/A.............. | Maker’s Mark w/ Pepsi. | Def Leppard~Hysteria. |
| buzz......... | Lasagna.......... | Ardbeg 10 year........ | Thelonious Monk...... |
| cigarsarge... | Bacon and eggs... | Pepsi Cola............ | Roy Buchanan......... |
| Cyris........ | N/A.............. | Johnny Walker Gold.... | N/A.................. |
| Daigz........ | N/A.............. | Silver Gulch Coldfoot. | Slightly Stoopid..... |
| Diesel Grinch | N/A.............. | Jim Beam.............. | N/A.................. |
| dr. cox...... | ................. | ...................... | ..................... |
| Eville....... | Pizza before..... | Bells Kalamazoo Stout. | Misc................. |
| logan37...... | N/A.............. | Magic Hat #9.......... | N/A.................. |
| Mangyrat..... | N/A.............. | Iced tea.............. | N/A.................. |
| Mizicke5273.. | N/A.............. | Diet Coke............. | TV: Last Starfighter. |
| ndv21........ | N/A.............. | Corona................ | TV: Random channels.. |
| prophetic_joe | N/A.............. | Iced Coffee........... | TV: The Pacific...... |
| Steele....... | N/A.............. | Water................. | Lacuna Coil.......... |
| Tdre977...... | N/A.............. | Ginger ale............ | TV: Top Chef Masters. |

MISCELLANEOUS:

ashauler: Beautiful day, little windy, but I found a protected spot on the patio.

buzz: Perfect weather, a little windy though. Had a dinner party with some of Alina’s friends earlier and now I am avoiding clean-up duty.

cigarsarge: Got up early and cooked breakfast. Smoked this one about 0730 after I ate.

Daigz: It was 11:45 PM when I smoked it but it was still light enough to read a book if I wanted to.

dr. cox: ...

logan37: Full Tilt Poker.

[buzz]

| APPEARANCE:.. | Poor. | Fair. | Good. | Outstanding | Perfect |
| Abyr......... | ..... | ..... | ..... | .....X..... | ....... |
| ashauler..... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| badwhale..... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| buzz......... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| cigarsarge... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| Cyris........ | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| Daigz........ | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| Diesel Grinch | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| dr. cox...... | ..... | ..... | ..... | ........... | ....... |
| Eville....... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| logan37...... | ..... | ..... | ..... | .....X..... | ....... |
| Mangyrat..... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| Mizicke5273.. | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| ndv21........ | ..... | ..... | ..... | .....X..... | ....... |
| prophetic_joe | ..... | ..... | ..... | .....X..... | ....... |
| Steele....... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| Tdre977...... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |

| CONSTRUCTION: | Poor. | Fair. | Good. | Outstanding | Perfect |
| Abyr......... | ..... | ..... | ..... | .....X..... | ....... |
| ashauler..... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| badwhale..... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| buzz......... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| cigarsarge... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| Cyris........ | ..... | ..... | ..... | .....X..... | ....... |
| Daigz........ | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| Diesel Grinch | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| dr. cox...... | ..... | ..... | ..... | ........... | ....... |
| Eville....... | ..... | ..X.. | ..... | ........... | ....... |
| logan37...... | ..... | ..... | ..... | .....X..... | ....... |
| Mangyrat..... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| Mizicke5273.. | ..... | ..... | ..... | .....X..... | ....... |
| ndv21........ | ..... | ..... | ..... | .....X..... | ....... |
| prophetic_joe | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| Steele....... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |
| Tdre977...... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ........... | ....... |

| BURN:........ | Very Uneven | Uneven. | Even. | Perfect |
| Abyr......... | ........... | ....... | ..X.. | ....... |
| ashauler..... | ........... | ....... | ..X.. | ....... |
| badwhale..... | ........... | ....... | ..X.. | ....... |
| buzz......... | ........... | ....... | ..X.. | ....... |
| cigarsarge... | ........... | ....... | ..X.. | ....... |
| Cyris........ | ........... | ....... | ..X.. | ....... |
| Daigz........ | ........... | ....... | ..X.. | ....... |
| Diesel Grinch | ........... | ....... | ..X.. | ....... |
| dr. cox...... | ........... | ....... | ..... | ....... |
| Eville....... | ........... | ...X... | ..... | ....... |
| logan37...... | ........... | ....... | ..X.. | ....... |
| Mangyrat..... | ........... | ....... | ..X.. | ....... |
| Mizicke5273.. | ........... | ...X... | ..... | ....... |
| ndv21........ | ........... | ....... | ..X.. | ....... |
| prophetic_joe | ........... | ....... | ..X.. | ....... |
| Steele....... | ........... | ....... | ..X.. | ....... |
| Tdre977...... | ........... | ....... | ..X.. | ....... |

| DRAW:........ | Too Easy. | Easy. | Perfect | Tight | Too Tight |
| Abyr......... | ......... | ..X.. | ....... | ..... | ......... |
| ashauler..... | ......... | ..... | ...X... | ..... | ......... |
| badwhale..... | ......... | ..X.. | ....... | ..... | ......... |
| buzz......... | ......... | ..... | ...X... | ..... | ......... |
| cigarsarge... | ......... | ..X.. | ....... | ..... | ......... |
| Cyris........ | ......... | ..... | ....... | ..X.. | ......... |
| Daigz........ | ......... | ..... | ....... | ..X.. | ......... |
| Diesel Grinch | ......... | ..... | ...X... | ..... | ......... |
| dr. cox...... | ......... | ..... | ....... | ..... | ......... |
| Eville....... | ......... | ..X.. | ....... | ..... | ......... |
| logan37...... | ......... | ..... | ...X... | ..... | ......... |
| Mangyrat..... | ......... | ..X.. | ....... | ..... | ......... |
| Mizicke5273.. | ......... | ..... | ....... | ..X.. | ......... |
| ndv21........ | ......... | ..... | ...X... | ..... | ......... |
| prophetic_joe | ......... | ..... | ....... | ..X.. | ......... |
| Steele....... | ......... | ..... | ...X... | ..... | ......... |
| Tdre977...... | ......... | ..X.. | ....... | ..... | ......... |

[buzz]

| ASH COLOR:... | Black | Dark Gray | Gray. | Light Gray. | White |
| Abyr......... | ..... | ......... | ..... | .....X..... | ..... |
| ashauler..... | ..... | ....X.... | ..... | ........... | ..... |
| badwhale..... | ..... | ......... | ..X.. | ........... | ..... |
| buzz......... | ..... | ......... | ..X.. | ........... | ..... |
| cigarsarge... | ..... | ......... | ..X.. | ........... | ..... |
| Cyris........ | ..... | ......... | ..... | .....X..... | ..... |
| Daigz........ | ..... | ....X.... | ..... | ........... | ..... |
| Diesel Grinch | ..... | ......... | ..... | .....X..... | ..... |
| dr. cox...... | ..... | ......... | ..... | ........... | ..... |
| Eville....... | ..X.. | ......... | ..... | ........... | ..... |
| logan37...... | ..... | ......... | ..X.. | ........... | ..... |
| Mangyrat..... | ..... | ......... | ..... | .....X..... | ..... |
| Mizicke5273.. | ..... | ......... | ..X.. | ........... | ..... |
| ndv21........ | ..... | ......... | ..X.. | ........... | ..... |
| prophetic_joe | ..... | ......... | ..X.. | ........... | ..... |
| Steele....... | ..... | ......... | ..X.. | ........... | ..... |
| Tdre977...... | ..... | ......... | ..... | .....X..... | ..... |

| ASH STRUCTURE: | Flaky | Typical | Solid |
| Abyr.......... | ..X.. | ....... | ..... |
| ashauler...... | ..... | ...X... | ..... |
| badwhale...... | ..X.. | ....... | ..... |
| buzz.......... | ..... | ...X... | ..... |
| cigarsarge.... | ..... | ...X... | ..... |
| Cyris......... | ..... | ...X... | ..... |
| Daigz......... | ..X.. | ....... | ..... |
| Diesel Grinch. | ..... | ...X... | ..... |
| dr. cox....... | ..... | ....... | ..... |
| Eville........ | ..X.. | ....... | ..... |
| logan37....... | ..... | ....... | ..X.. |
| Mangyrat...... | ..... | ...X... | ..... |
| Mizicke5273... | ..... | ...X... | ..... |
| ndv21......... | ..... | ...X... | ..... |
| prophetic_joe. | ..... | ...X... | ..... |
| Steele........ | ..... | ....... | ..X.. |
| Tdre977....... | ..... | ...X... | ..... |

| ASH LENGTH:.. | <1 inch | 1 inch. | 1-1/2 inch. | 2 inch. | >2 inch |
| Abyr......... | ...X... | ....... | ........... | ....... | ....... |
| ashauler..... | ....... | ....... | .....X..... | ....... | ....... |
| badwhale..... | ....... | ...X... | ........... | ....... | ....... |
| buzz......... | ....... | ...X... | ........... | ....... | ....... |
| cigarsarge... | ....... | ...X... | ........... | ....... | ....... |
| Cyris........ | ....... | ...X... | ........... | ....... | ....... |
| Daigz........ | ....... | ...X... | ........... | ....... | ....... |
| Diesel Grinch | ....... | ....... | .....X..... | ....... | ....... |
| dr. cox...... | ....... | ....... | ........... | ....... | ....... |
| Eville....... | ....... | ...X... | ........... | ....... | ....... |
| logan37...... | ....... | ....... | .....X..... | ....... | ....... |
| Mangyrat..... | ....... | ...X... | ........... | ....... | ....... |
| Mizicke5273.. | ....... | ...X... | ........... | ....... | ....... |
| ndv21........ | ....... | ....... | .....X..... | ....... | ....... |
| prophetic_joe | ....... | ...X... | ........... | ....... | ....... |
| Steele....... | ....... | ....... | .....X..... | ....... | ....... |
| Tdre977...... | ....... | ....... | .....X..... | ....... | ....... |

| AROMA:....... | Horrid. | Poor. | Fair. | Good. | Great |
| Abyr......... | ....... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ..... |
| ashauler..... | ....... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ..... |
| badwhale..... | ....... | ..... | ..X.. | ..... | ..... |
| buzz......... | ....... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ..... |
| cigarsarge... | ....... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ..... |
| Cyris........ | ....... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ..... |
| Daigz........ | ....... | ..... | ..X.. | ..... | ..... |
| Diesel Grinch | ....... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ..... |
| dr. cox...... | ....... | ..... | ..... | ..... | ..... |
| Eville....... | ....... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ..... |
| logan37...... | ....... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ..... |
| Mangyrat..... | ....... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ..... |
| Mizicke5273.. | ....... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ..... |
| ndv21........ | ....... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ..... |
| prophetic_joe | ....... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ..... |
| Steele....... | ....... | ..... | ..X.. | ..... | ..... |
| Tdre977...... | ....... | ..... | ..... | ..X.. | ..... |

| STRENGTH:.... | Mild. | Mild-Med. | Medium. | Med-Full. | Full. |
| Abyr......... | ..... | ......... | ...X... | ......... | ..... |
| ashauler..... | ..... | ......... | ...X... | ......... | ..... |
| badwhale..... | ..... | ....X.... | ....... | ......... | ..... |
| buzz......... | ..... | ......... | ...X... | ......... | ..... |
| cigarsarge... | ..... | ....X.... | ....... | ......... | ..... |
| Cyris........ | ..... | ......... | ...X... | ......... | ..... |
| Daigz........ | ..... | ....X.... | ....... | ......... | ..... |
| Diesel Grinch | ..... | ....X.... | ....... | ......... | ..... |
| dr. cox...... | ..... | ......... | ....... | ......... | ..... |
| Eville....... | ..... | ......... | ...X... | ......... | ..... |
| logan37...... | ..... | ......... | ....... | ....X.... | ..... |
| Mangyrat..... | ..... | ......... | ...X... | ......... | ..... |
| Mizicke5273.. | ..... | ......... | ...X... | ......... | ..... |
| ndv21........ | ..... | ....X.... | ....... | ......... | ..... |
| prophetic_joe | ..... | ......... | ...X... | ......... | ..... |
| Steele....... | ..... | ......... | ...X... | ......... | ..... |
| Tdre977...... | ..... | ......... | ....... | ....X.... | ..... |

[buzz]

prelight taste:

ashauler: nice tobacco taste.

badwhale: spicy on the prelight cut taste.

buzz: a little spice, some cedar wood, and maybe some leather.

cigarsarge: sweet tobacco... I guess that is typical of the wrapper.

cyris: prelght smell was nice. Mild prelight taste, i want to say almost grassy?

daigz: tasted a little bitter before i lit it. Wasn't overpowering but i could tell there was a slightly bitter taste.

diesel grinch: nice, no real bite to it.

dr. Cox: ...

eville: nothing to speak of.

logan37: oaky with a slight bite.

mangyrat: kind of leathery with a hint of sweetness.

ndv21: light tobacco taste, no spice.

prophetic_joe: nice earthy taste, a bit of sweetness to it, smell of most leaves and grassy a little.

steele: not much prelight taste.

tdre977: prelight has a very subtle taste that i can’t quite place.

-------------------------------------------------------------

taste (1/3):

abyr: smooth, medium bodied, kinda sweet.

ashauler: i smoke these fairly often, and have been for a couple of years. The start is usually a little unbalanced between the spice and darker flavors... Almost a little bit bitter. This one is no different.

badwhale: spicy, oil & woodsy. The spice lingers on the aftertaste, but i'll give this one more time. Had a sideways burn that required a touch up. Wrapper charred a dark green, and then turned gray.

buzz: non-cedar wood taste with some spice and maybe leather.

cigarsarge: the cigar clipped and lit well. My initial taste reminded me of cashew nuts. Also hints of coffee like flavors.

cyris: nice start to the cigar. The draw is a little more firm then i like them, but not too difficult to smoke. Speaking of smoke, puffs are starting off with nice billowing clouds. The flavor is lighter then i remember from the first one of these that i had, but it is enjoyable. Not much spice, little bit sweet.

daigz: the first third of this smoke was tight and didn't smoke too well. I don't like to have to really work for a good amount of smoke. The taste was ok but there was a little bit of bitterness in the aftertaste.

diesel grinch: first part was fine. The tobacco tasted nice and it was an enjoyable smoke around friends.

dr. Cox: ...

eville: started off with a good deal of leather.

logan37: this cigar started off with a pretty nice spice to it. The flavor was nutty with an earthy finish.

mangyrat: pepper kicked in, in a good way right away. I get a hint of what i want to call maple syrup.

mizicke5273: coco taste with slight hint of leather. A very good smoke producer.

ndv21: very easy smoke. Somewhat leathery. Almost no spice. A little heavy through nose exhale.

prophetic_joe: nice smooth start, good smoke at first getting a bit harder to draw as it went on. Sweet maduro flavor with some woody notes. Really enjoying it at this point and excited to see where it goes.

steele: woodsy taste right at the start maybe a little sweet in there. Ash was very tight but the draw was very good. Nice even burn.

tdre977: good amount of smoke, a little harsh on the nose exhale, but mellowed out into a nice spiciness quickly. Nice woodsy notes. I feel like there’s a lot going on with the flavors and just cant nail down exactly what i'm tasting.

-------------------------------------------------------------

taste (2/3):

abyr: same as first 1/3rd.

ashauler: now we're talking. Spice is a bit muted, but still there on the finish. Main portion of the flavor profile has developed into the dark maduro fullness that i enjoy from this stick.

badwhale: musky, oil and woodsy. Medium body; medium flavor. Still residual spice on the aftertaste. Pretty smooth, but the flavor profile, in this one, is not for me. Not bad, just not too interesting.

buzz: spice died off a little, mostly wood/bark/earthy now.

cigarsarge: not as nutty. I'm getting a sweet flavor along with the coffee i noted in the first third. It's pretty mild but has a complexity i like.

cyris: coffee flavor is coming out in the second third. Almost creamy, more mild then i expected.

daigz: the bitter taste went away after about an inch or so. The smoke became a little more creamy. There was a leather taste in this third but it tasted almost old and slightly like mildew. The burn was ok but i think that it would have been better had i been inside. The wind was affecting the burn pretty badly.

diesel grinch: second part was fine. The tobacco tasted nice and it was an enjoyable smoke around friends.

dr. Cox: ...

eville: more leather with a bit of spice creeping in.

logan37: spice died down very much. Still nutty in flavor but had a straight tobacco finish.

mangyrat: pepper gone now and the draw seems almost too easy, some coffee or chocolate it was so light i could not pin it down.

mizicke5273: coco taste has started to disappear. Still slight hints of leather.

ndv21: taste has mellowed down a lot. Getting some earthy, grassy, and creamy tones.

prophetic_joe: slight bitterness creeps in for a few puffs and then mellows out again to the smoothness and flavors of the the first third. Draw acting up a bit, getting a little tougher. I had used a punch so i punched a slightly bigger hole out to try to make the draw easier. A little squeezing as well and we're off again.

steele: still a woodsy taste with a hint of pepper joining in also another light addition there that i just cannot pinpoint. Started to burn a little uneven touched up and was fine. Woodsy flavor being pushed out toward the final third.

tdre977: started burning a little un evenly but nothing too bad. Some nice coffee flavors coming out now. Some strong wood notes on the nose exhale. I feel like this stick keeps changing up flavor on me.

-------------------------------------------------------------

taste (3/3):

abyr: this tasted pretty much the same to me throughout.

ashauler: more of the 2/3rd. Towards the end, the bitterness creeps back up the scale just a tad. I dropped it with about 3/4" left.

badwhale: medium to mild body. Medium to mild flavor. Again, some spice left, but more mellow now. The bourbon is a nice pairing. Woodsy and oily. Heating up in this last 3rd.

buzz: spice is gone now, just bark/earth left.

cigarsarge: it's got a bit stronger now on the mild side of medium. The smoke is really smooth. More coffee and sweetness. I like this cigar.

cyris: getting a little harsh here in the final third. Not as smooth as before. Roasted coffee flavor, bordering on tarry.

daigz: the pull finally loosened up in the last third of this smoke but by then i had enough of the taste. There were no real subtle differences between the second third and the third third. There was still the leather taste, not much of anything else.

diesel grinch: third part was fine. The tobacco tasted nice and it was an enjoyable smoke around friends.

dr. Cox: ...

eville: more spice than leather now.

logan37: spice picked up again, but nothing like the start of the cigar. Flavor was still nutty and the finish was slightly earthy and a bit oily.

mangyrat: some pepper again but now i taste something slightly bitter. Produced a large volume of smoke on the last 1/3.

mizicke5273: harsh taste.

ndv21: got nothing out of it.

prophetic_joe: started out going good for a few puffs into the last third but then the draw just closed up really tight. Again used the punch and a squeeze to open it up and was greeted with a really, really bad bitterness the caused me to have to put it out. I was barely into the last third. Disappointed in that but i think it may have just needed a longer rest in my humi.

steele: pepper taste predominant, still smooth though and not overpowering. Nearly nubbed it.

tdre977: last 1/3rd felt like some more of the same, definitely picked up in strength near the end.

[buzz]

| GRADING:..... | 1/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 | Overall |
| Abyr......... | .A. | .A. | .A. | ...A... |
| ashauler..... | .B+ | .A- | .A- | ...A-.. |
| badwhale..... | .C+ | .C+ | .C. | ...C... |
| buzz......... | .B- | .C. | .C- | ...C... |
| cigarsarge... | .B. | .B. | .B+ | ...B... |
| Cyris........ | .B+ | .B. | .C+ | ...B... |
| Daigz........ | .B. | .B+ | .B+ | ...B+.. |
| Diesel Grinch | .B. | .B. | .B. | ...B... |
| dr. cox...... | ... | ... | ... | ....... |
| Eville....... | .B+ | .B+ | .B+ | ...B-.. |
| logan37...... | .A. | .A- | .A- | ...A-.. |
| Mangyrat..... | .A. | .A- | .A- | ...A-.. |
| Mizicke5273.. | .B+ | .B. | .C- | ...B... |
| ndv21........ | .B. | .B- | .C+ | ...B-.. |
| prophetic_joe | .B. | .B- | .C- | ...B-.. |
| Steele....... | .B. | .B+ | .B+ | ...B+.. |
| Tdre977...... | .B. | .A- | .B. | ...B+.. |
| AVERAGE...... | .A- | .B+ | .B. | ...B+.. |

| THOUGHTS:.... | .Smoke Again. | ...Buy a Box... | ...Recommend... |
| Abyr......... | Yes.......... | Probably not... | Yes............ |
| ashauler..... | Definitely... | Yes............ | Yes............ |
| badwhale..... | Probably not. | Definitely not. | Maybe.......... |
| buzz......... | Yes.......... | Probably not... | Yes............ |
| cigarsarge... | Yes.......... | Maybe.......... | Yes............ |
| Cyris........ | Maybe........ | Maybe.......... | Maybe.......... |
| Daigz........ | Maybe........ | Definitely not. | Probably not... |
| Diesel Grinch | Yes.......... | Maybe.......... | Maybe.......... |
| dr. cox...... | ............. | ............... | ............... |
| Eville....... | Probably not. | Definitely not. | Probably not... |
| logan37...... | Yes.......... | Maybe.......... | Yes............ |
| Mangyrat..... | Yes.......... | Maybe.......... | Maybe.......... |
| Mizicke5273.. | Definitely... | Yes............ | Yes............ |
| ndv21........ | Maybe........ | Probably not... | Maybe.......... |
| prophetic_joe | Maybe........ | Probably not... | Maybe.......... |
| Steele....... | Maybe........ | Probably not... | Yes............ |
| Tdre977...... | Yes.......... | Yes............ | Definitely..... |

LAST WORDS:

Abyr: I would buy them if I found a fiver on sale.

ashauler: Good consistent performer. I only wonder when they're gonna run out of tobacco for these. No battery for the camera, sorry. I can't take pictures for shit anyway so you ain't missing much.

badwhale: Overall Impression: I truly appreciate the generosity of Shane, however the Cusano Double Paired Maduro is not for me.

buzz: Big thanks to Shane for generously giving us these cigars. Burn was uneven but it was windy out. I had to smoke it faster than I normally would (because of the wind), and so it got hot/harsh sooner than I would have liked.

cigarsarge: As most of the guys here know I like to be challenged by what I smoke...I prefer stronger cigars. This cigar while not strong is a nice change of pace. It is a good morning smoke. It has some complexity that keeps it interesting. I don't think I'd buy a box but I would be in for a box split. I'd like to keep a few around when a lighter smoke fills the bill. I gave it a solid B.

Cyris: Cigar started off pretty good and took a nose dive at the end. Mine seemed to be a bit tight. Overall it wasn't a bad cigar, but not my first pick.

Daigz: I think that this would be an OK smoke to pick up a 5-er of to keep in the humi. People who don't smoke often could enjoy one of these because it really isn't that complex. I would smoke it again if I had one but I'm not about to start searching the web for them.

Diesel Grinch: It was a good smoke and not a great one. I enjoyed it but I'm not screaming about it. I have a second I'll burn when I'm not drinking and see how I feel about it.

dr. cox: ...

Eville: The foot of this cigar was pretty uneven and concave. I had to touch it up several times throughout the smoke to even the burn back up. The draw was a little easier than I prefer, but not bad by any means. The flavor was nice but not very strong, especially for a double maduro. Maybe it would have been better with a lighter drink. I did enjoy it and want to thank Shane and Cusano for the opportunity to try this one out.

logan37: This was the first Cusano I have ever smoked. I'm now interested in what else the brand has to offer. I'll be trying other cigars from them in the future. Thanks for the smoke Shane.

Mangyrat: Not bad at all, I really enjoyed the first 2/3 but that bitter finish and large amount of smoke kind of disappointed me.

Mizicke5273: I have had a few of these with some age that are pretty outstanding to be honest. They definitely will be better with some age on them. They are reasonably priced, and can turn into a great pleaser!

ndv21: Well, it did not keep me completely interested in the cigar since it was essentially pretty mild.

prophetic_joe: A good cigar but not one I will seek out. There are just too many others out there in a similar range that I enjoy better at this point. I may buy a single here and there but I'm not going to bet on it. It's not a bad cigar by any means but it's not one I am going to rave about.

Steele: Wasn't a bad smoke though I do think I like the Double Connecticut more. I would not be opposed to smoking more but not on a regular basis.

Tdre977: I feel like the cigar just kept changing up flavor on me. This is the only cigar of the group that I've had before, and I feel like I liked the 1st one better, perhaps the 1st one had more age on it. I'd definitely like to pick up some of these to test that out.

[buzz]

PICTURES:

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PICTURES (CONTINUED):

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PICTURES (CONTINUED):

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EDITOR’S NOTE:
Thanks again to all the participants, and a very special thanks to Shane at Cusano for allowing us to enjoy this cigar free of charge! The cigars came packaged nicely in a hinged box, great presentation and no damage to the cigars at all. The box would normally hold 20 cigars, but because these are the 18 year sticks, 18 come in the box. The burn and draw seemed great for just about everyone - seems like these cigars are nice and consistent. The ash color and structure had some variances, perhaps due to the wrapper being oily. The wrapper color was a little odd to me, it almost looked purple and at the foot I had a thin 1/8'' black char line (normal), and then a 1/4'' wide area of light brown – seemed like the heat was changing the color of the wrapper. Not bad, just different than any other maduro I have had – or at least that I have noticed. I am interested in trying out the Double Connecticut to see how it compares – the Corojo ‘97 looks pretty good too. Thanks again Shane!

-Buzz

[Mangyrat]

You did a great job putting this all together buzz, thank you.

[Abyr]

Thanks again for putting this together Buzz, it looks great.

I give it 2 pinkies up.

[Cyris]

Thanks again Shane for the opportunity to review this stick. I am going to check out some of the other Cusano line if they have any at the cigar shop I go to.

Thanks Buzz for managing the reviews, great job!