The Felipe II Reserva “N” is a petite corona with a lot of heart. Made in Felipe Gregorio’s Nicaraguan factory with filler from the Condega and Jalapa regions, a binder from Esteli, and a shade grown Habana 92 wrapper, this is a mighty little smoke.

Especially nice at this time of year for those of us who are relegated to smoking in the great outdoors– big flavor in a ten to fifteen minute smoke. Long enough to enjoy the cigar, but not enough to succumb to hypothermia.

You might say that I have no grounds for complaint, seeing that I reside in the Mojave desert. And you would be right. I am in no danger of frostbite as I walk down Las Vegas Boulevard. But the nights can still drive the mercury down, sometimes as low as 35 degrees.
Okay, it’s not the battle of Stalingrad. But I do remember years ago when I lived in rural Minnesota — so I do know what real cold is. And if I had to pick a quick smoke to puff in the garage for ten minutes, this little 4.5 x 44 beauty is what I’d grab:

It’s a smooth, rich smoke with a nutty, creamy base and some coffee notes. No harshness to speak of, but if you get greedy it will in turn get a little bitter. Take your time and resist the urge to huff it. And to gild the lily, it’s reasonably priced.

Stay warm and fire one up!

The filler in the Cusano 18 line is reportedly 18 year old Dominican Oro. It was originally grown on an experimental basis by Hendrik Kelner, producer for Davidoff and many others, in an attempt to develop a Dominican wrapper leaf. Evidently that didn’t work out– according to an interview with Michael Chiusano in Smoke magazine they couldn’t roll a cigar longer than four inches with the resulting product. So after many years it found its way into the filler for the Cusano 18.

Both the binder and the wrapper are Connecticut Shade, and it’s a handsome wrapper, as you can see here:

There are spots of green which I wasn’t able to pick up with my camera (still working on that lighting thing.) Aside from that, it’s a truly gorgeous cigar.

It was given a very respectable 91 by Cigar Insider, and at around 3.00 US it’s also eminently affordable. I wouldn’t rate it as high as that, I’m afraid.
It starts out a little rough, and it has an aftertaste I don’t particularly care for. For a mild to medium bodied smoke the nicotine content is quite high. On the plus side, it burns evenly with a lovely aroma. Woody with a caramel overtone, and a little vanilla. There’s also a nice spice here. For three bucks it’s definitely worth a shot.

It sounds stupid to say these might improve with age, seeing that they’re made with 18 year old filler, but they still seemed a little young to me. I might put a few away as an experiment, mad scientist that I am…emphasis on the mad. If I can find a Paired Maduro version I’ll be a maduro scientist!

Bwaa haa haa!!!

… here comes my wife with the fire extinguisher again. Gotta run.

The first post warrants a super premium cigar, which is exactly what this one is. Some preparation is required for this Nicaraguan puro– a substantial meal, for starters. This is a powerful smoke.

It’s pressed and absolutely solid. There was a slight imperfection in the wrapper near the head, but nothing to worry about. (This was a gift. Had I picked it myself I might have selected a different stick from the box.) Having snipped the tip, I applied the torch.

Starts out a little peppery, but quickly calms down to what seems a fairly typical Padron. Now this was a little disappointing– typical is not what I expected from a Serie 1926. But about a third of the way in the flavor began to rise, and by halfway I had ascended to the seventh heaven, where the cigar gods live and look down, laughing at we poor mortals. Yea, through the valley of the shadow of Vueltabajo… Yes, this is the kind of euphoric reverie this cigar can inspire.

The 1926 serie is composed of all sun-grown tobacco, which makes it a rich and powerful smoke. The maduro has an exotic sweetness that rides on top of the strength, lending an additional element to the complexity of the blend. The flavor profile will be familiar to fans of Padron, but it’s a powerhouse. Much stronger than any Padron I’ve had the good fortune to sample.

The only downside to this dark brown bomb of delight is the price. Made in a very limited quantity, and marketed to upscale folks — Robb Report readers, for example– Padron can afford to ask top dollar.
Is it worth it?

I don’t know. I might have to sample a few more to find out. Christmas is only eleven months away…