Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon Robusto

Score: 9.1

By Bob “The Reverend Hurricane” Meyn

Happy New Year Brothers and Sisters! As I contemplated what cigar to bring to the uptown Bulldog beer tavern to enjoy while watching my beloved Saints play (and subsequently drub) the Cardinals, I got to thinking: the Saints being in the playoffs is rare, so why not turn to the Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon Robusto? Let me explain why I couldn’t have chosen more wisely.

The Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon cigars are beautiful to behold, dressed up in The Rev’s favorite wrapper: a dark, oily, and toothy Cameroon leaf. The Robusto had a clean, fresh cold draw, and I lit it up with my ever-present Vector Thundra cigar lighter as easy as Drew Brees picks apart secondaries. Perfectly humidified after a dormir in my Katrinador, the stick had just the right give between the fingers with nary a hint of crackling.

The flavor was a terrific combination of spice with a trace of leather in the first half inch of the stick. This mellowed to a coffee-leather interplay that lasted for the remainder of the smoke. For my palate, the taste was a little on the uncomplicated side, but solid and never overpowering.

The burn was sharp and even throughout the duration of the smoke, and the draw was perfectly balanced – neither too much air nor too much resistance. Voluminous smoke was readily surrendered with little effort. Never was the cigar harsh or bitter. The Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon is, by my palate, a spot-on medium-bodied beauty.

As good as it tastes, where this particular stick really shines is in its construction. Now, it rains a little bit in New Orleans, and sure enough the skies opened up in the second quarter of the game sending the “Who Dats” on the patio to seek shelter. Unfortunately, cigars can’t be taken inside the bar, so I took refuge under the small overhang of the side entrance (along with two fellow herfers) where I could see both the game and still be reached by Mrs. Rev who graciously passed me pints of Franziskaner Hefe Weiss expertly poured by Jennifer, our regular barkeeper.

Despite the substantial rain, wind, wild gesticulating during multiple Saint touchdowns (and substantial beer consumption by yours truly), the Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon Robusto held its stunning gray-white ash well over three inches and never required a re-light. Outstanding performance to say the least.

The Rev’s playoff MVP is the Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon Robusto.

Scores
Appearance – 9
Construction – 10
Draw – 9
Burn – 10
Aroma – 9
Flavor – 8
Balance – 9
Total Score: 9.1

To read more of the Rev’s cigar reviews and more, visit the NOLa Church of Smokes at SocialCigar.com.