Cusano P1 Robusto

Specs:
Price: ~1.49 for a unit from a 5-pack of Cusano bundles
Size: 5X50
Filler: Dominican
Binder: Dominican
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade Maduro
Humidor Time: Directly from smoke shop to desktop humidor for about a day
Smoke Time: ~ 30-45 minutes
Drink: I did not, but I could see a red wine being an excellent match

Some Interesting Points on the Cigar:

• The cigar is part of the bundle series that cusano puts out.
• Bundles are sold 2o a piece and price at $52.99 @ Famous Smoke (the robusto size).
• This bundle cigar is rated a 9.0 by Smoke Magazine.

Appearance and Construction:
This is one of those cigars that I would categorize as "rugged" looking. It had some very noticeable veins, and had a big "seam" of a vein that had the look like that was the spot where the cigar was sealed up by the roller, thus finishing the creation of the cigar. The construction itself, minus some of its appearance, was good for what one expects from a bundle line of cigars. I was impressed by just that alone, especially since the cigar is put out by Cusano cigars!

Pre-Draw:
The cut was as clean as could hope for from a bundle cigar. Cold flavors were rich and hearty. Black coffee jumped out from this unlit cigar, and had some underlying peppery spice to it. Seemed like some sort of "corojo-maduro hybrid" to me.

Smoke:
First 3rd:
Body: Medium-Full.
Very thick, dense smoke from the draw. I detected a mildly peppery, sweet, hearty smoke. I could really see the parallels between this cigar and a steak dinner. Quite pleasing! The smoke scent was of what one would expect from a maduro: sweet natural-tobacco, and black coffee.
Finish was long and lingering. The finish had a syrupy-like weight to it, and was slow to dissipate. The finish still reminded me of that steak dinner!

Second 3rd:
Body: Medium-Full
Smoke was slightly more peppery than the first 3rd. I could also detect a more sweet, floral flavor. The finish was creamy, and as it dissipated had a dry-fruit flavor (maybe similar to raisins.)

Last 3rd:
Body: Full
Spicier, with a walnut-taste. Smoke was still rich and dense. The cigar to the touch was warm, so I attribute that to the more fuller, spicier smoke. At about a thumb-size amount of cigar left, I put my smoke down.

The Verdict:
The cigar gets an 8.5 from me. The Cusano P1 was a great cigar, almost ignoring the fact that it was from a bundle line. The burn was only slightly uneven during the duration of the smoke, and the ash retained its shape very well and stayed attached for about as long as I allowed it to. I can therefore say that this bundle cigar had better construction than just by its appearance. I would have to agree with Smoke Magazine's 9.0 rating. It was a great cigar and I would recomend it to anyone that likes fuller cigars and is someone that isn't scared of the quality of dirt-cheap bundled cigars!

Until Next Time,
Keep Lighting Up