Via David Savona,, at Cigar Aficionado:

Tobacco growers in the Dominican Republic are reporting an outstanding year in terms of overall yield.

A consistently sunny climate, cool nights and perfectly timed rain have combined for what some are calling the best crop in recent history.

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Summary:

A solid cigar that delivers excellent flavor in a mild to medium-bodied smoke. Never bitter, never harsh, always flavorful — but one dimensional and much milder than its dark Oscuro wrapper might lead you to expect. Very sensitive to humidity as well, and its finicky nature loses it points because of the effect it has on draw, burn and flavor. Still, a very good cigar and a definite step up from the regular Onyx line.

Background Information:

This beautiful 7 inch, 50 ring gauge, figurado is long for a traditional Belicoso. It is a mild to medium-bodied cigar with an Oscuro Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and a Nicaraguan binder. The filler a blend of Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian tobaccos. Manufactured by Tabacalera de Garcia Ltd. in the Dominican Republic for Altadis.

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A special announcement from the Fuente and Newman families:

“We are pleased to announce the eighth annual Cigar Family Celebration in the Dominican Republic from February 21-25, 2006. Our annual gathering of CFC members last came to the Dominican Republic in 2004, and we are excited to return in 2006. This year the headquarters of CFC 2006 will be based at the Gran Flamenco Beach resort in Puerto Plata.

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From Rich at Cigar Cyclopedia:

Los Angeles, November 23 – Just when you think the Cigar Renaissance will slow down, it keeps chugging along.

Figures for U.S. imports of premium cigars for the nine months ending September 30 were released by the Cigar Association of America showed that imports kept pace with the hot 2004 totals and then did just a bit more.

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Summary:

The new Cusano 18 Paired Maduro Churchill is medium to medium-full bodied with a quiet power like you’ll find in some Cuban cigars. Creamy and refined, it is an extremely flavorful and balanced smoke. This cigar is very new, but has already won a place in my humidor. While quite good now, I believe that it has the potential to become great after a few months of humidor rest. Highly recommended, and a Best Buy at the price.

Background Information:

At 7 1/2 inches with a 50 ring gauge this cigar is slightly longer than a classic Churchill, slightly shorter than a classic Double Corona, and a little fatter than both. It is a full-flavored cigar with a double-cured Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper over a San Vicente Dominican Olor binder. The filler contains the same 18 year old Dominican Olor aged tobacco as the Cusano 18 Double Connecticut, blended with Dominican Piloto Cubano. In addition, the filler also contains Brazilian Mata Fina Maduro leaf. Manufactured by Tabacos Dominicanos S.A. and blended by master craftsman Hendrik Kelner, creator of Davidoff, AVO, Paul Garmirian and The Griffin’s cigars, at his Tabadom factory in the Dominican Republic for Cusano Cigars.

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If you like the Cusano 18 or the Cusano Corojo cigars as I do, then you have two guys to thank.

Two Guys Smoke Shop in New Hampshire.

The Fall issue of Smoke Magazine has a condensed version of the story. Michael Chiusano, the man who developed the Cusano line and branded it with an easier-to-spell-and-pronounce phonetic version of his family name explains, “I thought I was just going to make 50 boxes and send them to my customers in the investment business as sort of a thank you.” That’s not how it turned out, fortunately.

Michael, prior to creating one of the hottest cigar companies around, worked as a money manager for Shearson Lehman and later started his own investment firm. Cigars were a hobby and diversion for him, not a business. Then, on a trip to the Dominican Republic in 1995 to help set up financing for a sugar cane maufacturer, Chiusano was given a locally made cigar as a gift by a family member of the plantation owner. The tobacco for the cigar had been grown on spent sugar cane land, and processed in their own factory. Michael smoked the cigar a few days later and was amazed at how good the flavor and draw was.

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