I wonder if it was bad marketing. I never thought much of Cusanos, even though I had never partaken of any of their lines. The cheesy bands, and artless copy just left me flat. Then awhile back I picked up an Exclusivo Preferido on shape principles alone. When I started the stick, I thought, dang, there goes seven bucks! Finely constructed, with a perfect burn, but lacking any flavor (sort of a cool looking Macadoodle). Things started to pick up a little with the texture (mouth feel to the smoke, not sure how to really convey that). Then the flavor rolled in. Nothing aggressive, but like fog seeping in from the treeline. I am fond of descriptors, but specifics eluded me in this case. I thought that I had ended up with a fine and tasty but delicate stick that was unfortunately mild. Upon standing, I realized it had slipped me a mickey, and my brain swooned a little more than expected. Leap forward to this afternoon, and I was perusing my newly acquired Cusano sampler, and on recommendation of a herf partner (Don Johnson/pardon any spelling errors) I slipped a Killer Cameroon from its tray. This cigar had what must be the toothiest wrapper I have ever seen. It was somewhere on the order of 80 grit sandpaper. The draw was perfect, and the burn couldn't have been cleaner. As with the Exclusivo, I started out disappointed (I'm just so used to cigars that either telegraph their charisma from the start or stay dull for the duration). The flavor picked up through the entire stick, with the paramount when the stub was just a little nubbin. Again, I was at a loss to describe it. The best I can manage is that it had smooth, tasty richness. I was reticent about the purported power, as I prefer my cigars to be welter weights. As it happened, I had nothing to fear, but it did pick up steam all along. Even the strength had perfect manners, it didn't so much sock you, as kind of lean on you like being in front of a big dude at a rock concert. I was just really struck by the fineness of these cigars. The progressive nature of the delicate flavor, and metered strength points to both artful blending, and expert construction. I think a major PR revamp is in order. Let's see, which one next. Maybe the Hermanos maduro? Oh, but I see you there Corojo. I think it's going to be a good week.
