In the cigar industry, new blends and samples are released on a regular basis - we know because we enjoy them. Unfortunately, out of the hundreds of samples received throughout a month, only about 1 to 2 percent are noteworthy. Luckily, Man O' War just so happens to be a diamond in the rough – an incredibly tasty cigar that captures the essence of Cuba in every puff!

Hailing from Tabacalera Fernandez in Nicaragua, Man O' War is not for the enthusiast who enjoys a light and mild blend. As its name suggests, this cigar is full-bodied and full-flavored, but still maintains a smooth character due to its expert craftsmanship. Man O' War was developed by Abdel Fernandez, a protégé of Don Alejandro Robaina, the man who is considered to be the "Godfather" of tobacco. After spending most of his life studying in Cuba under Don Alejandro, Abdel Fernandez moved to Nicaragua to begin producing his own cigars. Currently, Abel (also called AJ) currently produces Rocky Patel Fusion, Rocky Patel Double Maduro, Indian Tabac 10th Anniversary, Padilla Habano, and Sol Cubano Cuban Cabinet. With these brand names under his belt, it is no surprise Man O' War is taking the industry by storm, tantalizing palates with its complex aromas featuring spice, coffee, cocoa, peat, cedar, and a very slight hint of sweetness in the aftertaste. This cigar uses 100% Cuban-seed Nicaraguan filler, wrapped by an oily, Habano Ecuadorian wrapper, which creates strong, robust nuances upon lighting that eventually mellow into a smooth finish with hints of pepper and vanilla. Truly, a masterpiece!

Q: What does the cigar term "canoeing" refer to?

A: The term "canoeing" is used to describe a cigar that is burning unevenly in one particular spot. The burn looks like a sharp "v" on the side of the cigar. Since cigars are considered an art form, there are proper and improper ways to hold, cut, and light them. If the foot of a cigar is not properly lit using a match or a torch lighter, then it may burn unevenly or "canoe." Canoeing is not only an effect of an improper light, but also may be a good indictor that the cigar is not properly made. When a roller bunches tobacco for the filler, it is not uncommon for some of the leaves to have veins. This does not typically effect the cigars burn, but if large enough, they can create a looser air passage in the filler resulting in a "canoe" as part of the cigar starts to smoke faster than the rest. Additionally, this same effect can happen if the bunch has soft spots that make way for more air passages versus the rest of the cigar's filler.

Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon - When it comes to blending cigars, Cameroon wrapper is by far one of the hardest to work with, which is why Mike Chiusano was immediately up to the challenge. Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon is an excellent choice when looking for a complex, full-bodied cigar that truly captivates the essence of Cameroon leaf.

Cusano LXI Habano Sun Grown - LXI Habano Sun Grown is another excellent blend hailing from world-renowned cigar maker Mike Chiusano. Known for his mild to medium-bodied cigars, LXI Habano Sun Grown is a welcomed edition to the Cusano line, becoming its first full-bodied powerhouse.

Gurkha Turk - Gurkha has outdone themselves again, this time using a rare strand of Turkish tobacco to round out a blend simply called the "Gurkha Turk."

Man O' War - Manufactured at Tabacalera Fernandez in Nicaragua, Man O’ War is by far one of the best full-bodied cigars currently available. Not only are the tobaccos perfectly blended to create incredible complexity, but the quality and construction is also top-notch.

Rocky Patel I-Press - A limited blend from Rocky Patel, I-Press is a must try, especially for die-hard RP fans. Wrapped in a dark maduro leaf, I-Press is a box-pressed cigar that provides a rich flavor and slow burn.

There are many impressive cigars on today's market that utilize a maduro wrapper. However, after reviewing the blend, construction, overall quality and price, 5 Vegas Series 'A' stands on its own. Series 'A' features a tri-country mix of quality fillers wrapped with an oily Costa Rican maduro leaf. Once complete, the cigars are then aged for 6 months before they ship for distribution. 5 Vegas Series 'A' is robust, yet rich, offering many nuances of pepper and earth which are then masked by a sweeter aroma and a slight after taste of cocoa. The cigar is just as smooth as it is complex, and is also a perfect "everyday" cigar due to its price. The packaging is nothing to overlook either. Each stick comes wrapped in cedar sleeves while each box is constructed solely from Spanish cedar. Medium to full in body, yet just as rich and mellow as Partagas Black Label, Series 'A' should be a staple in every maduro lover's humidor.

Alpha (6" x 52) Robust during the first 2 inches, but mellows to become richer in flavor towards the band. Produced many hints of pepper, which blended well with the chocolaty aftertaste. Also offered an easy draw, slow burn, and thick smoke. 90/100 [Buy Now]

Artisan (5" x 52) Great size. Well blended and extremely complex offering nuances of earth, peat, and cocoa. The initial light was not as robust as the other sizes but the cigar still changed in flavor from inch to inch. Toothy wrapper that burned evenly and slow all the way to the nub. 90/100 [Buy Now]

Anomaly (4.5" x 44) A spicy, 25-minute cigar. Offered the same complexities noticeable in the larger sizes, with added pepper, and burned evenly throughout. 89/100 [Buy Now]

Archetype (6" x 50) Great draw. Again, the flavors were very robust towards the foot of the cigar and slightly mellowed towards the head. Noticed more peppery nuances over sweetness but the wrapper was cloaked in oil, which coated the palate. Cool burn. 89/100 [Buy Now]

Apostle (7" x 50) Draw was a bit tight but still allowed all complexities to be enjoyed. Noticed few veins in the wrapper and this size burned slow, providing more than an hour of enjoyment. The sweet aftertaste was not as prominent. 88/100 [Buy Now]

5/31/08: Alex and Tim make an impromptu phone call to Rocky to discuss his recent hit blend, the Decade. Or do they? Tune in to this hilarious edition of CCOM Media, or else we'll prank you, too! [Listen Now]

Cigar.com(CC): How are things at Cusano?

Mike Chiusano(MC): Never better – all my wrapper is ready and I've never been this excited about Cusano and Cuvee. Truly, I feel like one of the luckiest men alive.

CC: Lets get right into the meat of it. In addition to releasing Cuvee Rouge and 151 earlier this year, you just launched two new lines, Cusano Rare 59 Cameroon and Cusano LXI Sun Grown. Can you describe these blends for our readers and what you had in mind when you were blending them?

MC: We are very excited about our new releases. For Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon, an East African Cameroon wrapper was used to create a sweet, slightly above medium-bodied smoke with full-flavored richness. The burn and draw are "perfect." This aged Cameroon is a delicate wrapper and the filler tobacco is as full as can be without losing the sweetness that Cameroon is famous for. A special Dominican wrapper is included in the filler to gently tweak up the power. The number 59 denotes my brother Joe's birth year as a signal for Cusano's next generation of exciting proprietary blends.

For Cusano Habano LXI Sun Grown, we combine heavy, Habano-seed Ecuadorian and Dominican wrapper, grown in full sun to complete this full-flavored blend. Multiple Dominican ligero fillers create complex, palate tingling sensations with spicy nuances in the throat, while highlighting the sweet notes offered by this Dominican wrapper grown exclusively by Cusano. LXI is the Roman numeral equivalent of '61, my birth year to denote the beginning of Cusano's new status as a fully integrated grower and roller of specialty products.

CC: Despite your new releases, your Cusano 18 remains one of the most cult like cigars out there. Were the new lines intended to complement Cusano 18?

MC: Yes, the new blends actually complete the Cusano line in terms of the increasing strength profile. Where Cusano 18 Double Connecticut is smooth and Cusano Corojo 97 and Cusano 18 Paired Maduro take you into fuller bodied blends, Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon and Cusano Habano LXI Sun Grown pick up where the Paired Maduro left off. These progressively increasing strengths are exactly what we wanted to achieve.

CC: Lets change gears and talk about your new expanded operations in the Dominican Republic. Recently, you opened your first facility in the Dominican. How will this help Cusano and what are your expectations?

MC: Cuvee Rouge, Cuvee 151, Cusano LXI Sun Grown and Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon are all blends that we produce in our new, larger facility. These stronger new blends are full-flavored like all of our brands but they are also fuller bodied cigars as well. We will gain much more flexibility with respect to the "exotic" wrappers and blends that we can create. Anything you can imagine we can do!

CC: Why will only part of the production for your cigars now take place in this facility and not everything?

MC: We are only making the new, fuller bodied blends in our new facility. The original portfolio is our core. Great cigars at reasonable prices never go out of style. The facility opens up the opportunity to explore and have a lot more fun blending and testing different tobacco. We will have a specialty, small run area which makes only the finest cigars imaginable.

CC: How many cigars will you make this year?

MC: We are on track for at least 5 million handmades. That does not count small cigars or cigarillos.

CC: Wow! That is more than Padron, La Flor Dominicana and several other noteworthy factories.

MC: Cigar Aficionado said the same in a recent issue where they wrote a very honest and realistic story about us. I guess they say we are a "solid mid-sized player". We prefer to stay below the radar and just keep doing what we do well.

CC: Has your growth been rapid or gradual?

MC: Thanks to guys like you and your customers, it has been a "dream come true". We have had to constrain our growth to manageable levels (average annual increase is about 34%) over the past 13 years. We like to stay quiet and let the other guys be king of the hill. For us - we just enjoy great cigars and feel like consumers deserve a break. A lot of consumers seem to agree.

CC: Where will we see Cusano three years from now?

MC: Hopefully, just doing what we do best. We plan to continue to explore new ideas and to continue to listen to our customers and ourselves. Our goal is to consistently over deliver on our promises. We believe price is what you pay and value is what you get. As long as cigar enthusiasts continue to be happy with what we deliver – then we're happy, too.