A couple weeks back I received a comment on YouTube asking me to review the Cusano Corojo 1997. After reading the comment I added the cigar to my shopping list and headed to my local cigar shop a few days later.
This particular cigar has an Ecuadorian Sungrown Corojo wrapper from the 1997 harvest as well as a Mexican Binder and Dominican Filler. The dimensions are that of a Toro and measure in at six inches by fifty ring gauge.
After pulling the cigar from the cellophane sleeve, I noticed that it has a light oily sheen and a toothy appearance. I gently pinched the cigar and found it to be nice and firm with a soft texture. At this point I went ahead and punched the cap of my cigar with my handy plug cutter and found the pre light draw to be free with little resistance.
After a quick toast and light I was greeted by thick clouds of flavorful smoke. The initial flavor was woody with a mellow spice that tasted very crisp and clean. The body was in the medium realm and the finish was about medium as well.
As I worked my way into the cigar a little further, the flavor began to change slightly. The woody flavor was still the dominant component while a leathery flavor began to enter the picture. The spice started to pick up a bit and become a bit intense when blown through the sinuses. Overall the flavor mixture was crisp and clean, which blended well with the medium body and finish I was experiencing at this point.
The second third of the cigar was not much different from the first with the exception of a sweet tobacco flavor added to the mix. The body and finish were both medium and the flavor profile was still dominantly woody with a leathery background flavor. The draw continued to be free with little resistance and produced a powdery light colored ash. The burn was fairly even and produced a light resting smoke that filled the room with a mild aroma.
As I smoked deeper and deeper into the final third I was met with a little disappointment. I began to get some harsh chemical flavors that were very unappealing. When blown through the sinuses this chemical flavor almost took my breath away. Purging the cigar several times seemed to help, but only for a few puffs.
In the end I was happy with the cigar. It smoked very well and produced a very enjoyable flavor profile. The only downside being that cigar produces a harsh flavor when it is about two inches in length. This may not be a problem for many people, but for those that like to smoke their cigars down to the nub, they will be cut a little short.
I would definitely recommend picking up a Cusano Corojo 1997 to try. At a price point of around 4.00 I don’t think that you will be disappointed by its flavor and performance.
Hey Walt,
Great review! I had picked up a box of the Cusano Corojo ’97 Torpedos back in August ’06 and pretty much had the same experience as you did. I had a few left that were tucked away in my hummidor and after about 5 or 6 months they really aged well. Thanks again!
-Eric D.
Maryland
Nice review Walt. Congratulations on your one year site anniversary by the way! Keep up the good work.
I found these at:
http://www.coronacigar.com/events/index.asp
for $67.95 for a box of 20 in the toro size for an online retail site with a good price. I didn’t buy any becuase I’m on cigar probation for a while heh. Must smoke more to make space 🙂
I smoked the Cusano 18 Natural a few weeks ago and dang, really impressed with the cigar especially for the price. Better wrapper on it as well and not so “cartoony”. I have to admit, the cartoony wrapper made me leary to try this cigar but based upon your review, I’ll put it on my list.
As a side, I like your details of cutting and lighting on the video’s. Helps out new smokers providing good help and hints so please keep it a part of your videos. My thoughts anyway.
Dave
Walt – I’ve had some of the other offerings from Cusano but not this one. Sounds a bit different than the other blends with them being on the creamy side and not the spicey side. Looking forward to trying.
Do you think you guys can rotate the days you do your reviews? I know Kirk and I go out and buy cigars on Fridays based on Jerry’s Friday review but it be cool to have our Friday ritual be one of your cigars but that means you’d have to post on a Friday instead of Jerry. Or maybe reserve Friday as a joint review by you and Jerry? Just some ideas…
Vic,
Rotating the reviews shouldn’t be a problem. We started doing the reviews this way due to a problem we were having with our calendar, so to make things simple we just started posting on the same day every week.
Dave,
Thanks for the price at Corona Cigar. At 67.95 I think they are a great buy.
Vic, Dave, and Eric
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment
Don’t pay attention to Vic, he hasn’t been right since he gave up his Blackberry for an iPhone. He doesn’t notice that I try to buy each cigar you guys review during the week when I go shopping on Friday.
I like the consistency you guys have. I know on Mondays I will wake up to Walt, and Wednesdays to Brian and Fridays to Jerry. Brian’s reviews gives me a nice break from watching the videos so the layout and consistency is working for me.
Just my 2 cents…
I was wondering why my PIN messages were getting bounced. I’m not upset at the iPhone but using Cingular? Come on man!
Thanks for the feedback guys, just like with iTunes, if the masses want it, we will deliver it.
I know we’ve thrown around the idea of a joint video review for awhile but that maybe something we do inbetween episodes of “Your Questions, My Answers”.
Great review Walt!
I was the one that requested this review, so I was especially pleased to see this one come across the wire. Very informative and actually prompted me to go pick up a couple after the review…. at which time i had a very similar experience to yours regarding taste profile, aesthetics, etc. I’m tacking on a box of torpedos the next time my CAD starts twitching and punching in visa numbers online…..
You and Jerry were great on DWSC #101 as well ! 🙂
Best Regards,
Jayson
i was really glad to see this review. i’ve seen these many places in my area, but i must admit too, the band made think twice. i compare it to the ‘One off’s’ orange peace symbol on their band. i imagine myself passing one of those around in a 70’s VW van, commenting on the grooviness of the flavor profile. just doesn’t seem to go together, huh? i will have to pick a couple of the Cusano’s up now. I’ve tried the 18 year Cusano and it was very tasty.
i’m glad i could give those Camacho Liberty’s a good home. i know you’ll enjoy ’em! (i just felt like a proud parent seeing their kids on TV….lol.) can’t wait for the review.