Cusano M1

There are normally two criteria that I think about when I buy a cigar. The quality of the smoke and the price I pay to get that quality. I look at some of the more expensive sticks and wonder if they are really worth it. On the other hand I look at the cheap ones and think "wow I bet those are crap". Ultimately I'm looking for something that I will not only like but also something that I will ad to my rotation of frequent smokes. Most of the time the only real way to tell is to just walk around the shop, grab a little bit of everything, smoke them all and filter out the bad.

After reading a post on The Humidor (danshumidor.blogspot.com) about the quality of the Cusano C10, I decided I'd give them a try myself. I picked up the Cusano M1 Robusto for $3.39.

One thing I like about Cusano is that they try and make quality cigars affordable. They are often half the price of most "Brand Name" cigars and from what I've seen there is little sacrifice in quality. This cigar uses Dominican binder and filler with a Connecticut shade wrapper.

The cut and light were easy. I hate cigars that don't stay lit. When I'm playing cards or drinking scotch I like to be able to set my cigar down for a minute and come back to it fully lit and ready to go. This cigar stayed lit perfectly. This surprised me since I've smoked $18 cigars that I've had to relight more than a few times in a sitting. The draw was very nice producing mouthfuls of smoke with ease. The taste was smooth somewhere between mild and medium. No flavor transitions. Just an easy consistent creamy smoothness.

In the end I definitely recommend the Cusano M1 as an inexpensive, enjoyable. everyday cigar.

Great for the money.

Have I smoked better? Yes.

Have I paid a lot more for something a lot worse? Definitely.

Would I smoke it again? Absolutely... (In fact I bought 2 more this afternoon).