As our stalwart readers may have noticed, the website took a bit of a break at the beginning of the month. I actually went a week or so without smoking any cigars, which is rather typical of this time of year. As the weather cools down, I tend to move inside, where I'd rather puff away at my pipe than a cigar. However, I recently had the opportunity to try a Cusano Corojo '97 Robusto, which is a lovely Dominican Republic stick. It's only 5 inches long, but packs quite a wallop and overflows with flavor. In appearance, this cigar is dark and slightly oily, giving one a promise of strong smoke and strong flavor. It does not disappoint.

It starts out spicy and hot right from the first light, filling my mouth with a surprise peppery bite that made me question my ability to finish this fine looking beauty. However, it quickly mellowed into a rich, full-bodied smoke with flavors evocative of its dusky appearance. I tasted cocoa and coffee at first, though as the smoke continued there were strong flavors of grass and greenery. It almost transported me away to some sort of jungle paradise in my mind. The smoke was thick and creamy, providing almost a buttery mouth feel, and as I continued through the cigar, I swear there were a few hints of peppery clove in there, as well.

The cigar also held its ash well, in a solid, compact whitish gray form. I didn't fear it flaking off onto my smoking jacket at all, and it cooperated with me quite well when I tapped it into the ashtray. Overall, this smoke was a really magnificent experience and I'd love to have a few dozen more of these.