CAO Gold Vintage

I happened to be in Holts in Philadelphia this week and they were having an event for CAO. Besides picking up some La Traviata smokes I also picked up some CAO Gold Vintage which is based on the Escaparate CAO Gold from a few years back. Seeing these new CAOs caught me by surprise as I did not expect them to be out yet. So without further adieu I bring to you the review of the CAO Gold Vintage.

Cigar: CAO Gold Vintage
Size: 6.75 x 60 (Bouchon/Figurado)
Wrapper: 2004 Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua, Honduras
Strength: Mild/Medium

Appearance and Construction (19/20): The CAO Gold Vintage features a 2004 Connecticut Shade Ecuadorian wrapper which was considered to be the best crop ever produced in the country. This figurado cigar has a flawless wrapper with a little bit of tooth. The roll of the cigar is absolutely flawless and has a nice weight to it with no soft spots what so ever. The wrapper of this cigar has an abundance of oils to it creating a nice inviting sheen. The band of the cigar is similar to the CAO Gold label but bigger. It features colors of red, black, gold. It also states Gold Vintage just under the CAO logo.

Flavor & Notes (27/30): The prelight draw on this stick offered and amazing buttery creamy note that reminded me a little bit of butterscotch. Right from the get go this cigar offered some really enjoyable notes that were easy to identify. There is a rich buttery note as the canvas which some nutty notes that compliment it well. There is definitely a note present that reminds me a lot of butterscotch making this a very flavorful stick. The second third of the cigar remains creamy with a buttery note, and the nutty notes begin begin to become the dominant note as the cigar picks up in strength becoming more a medium bodied smoke then a mild one. The final third of the cigar is very nutty albeit it slightly bitter which causes a deduction in score.

Burn/Ash/Draw (22/25): The cigar burns perfect on all the cigars I smoked in this line (three) but one of them burned really hot despite the fact I smoked it slow. The ash of the cigar held extremely well with only the slightest bit of flake in fact I was able to keep the ash for 3/4 of the stick. The draw of the cigar was idea.

Overall (23/25): It seems to me that recent CAO cigar production has stepped up a notch. This stick was a very flavorful smoke with a great burn. The last two entries from CAO have been winners. First the La Traviata and now the the CAO Gold Vintage. As a fan of CAO cigars I couldn’t be more pleased being able to add these cigars to my repertoire of daily smokes.

Rating: 91
Price: 8.00

CAO Bratalia

I was originally going to save this cigar to smoke with Jery Cruz and the boys from stogiereview.com this weekend at the IPCPR but due to some family issues I had to bale at the last minute. A part of me is second guessing my decision to do so but I know I made the right decision. So with the guys heading down to New Orleans today for for the annual cigar trade show I decide to spark up this limited edition CAO that is part of the Escaparate series. This one is exclusive to the Old Virgina Tobacco Company.

Cigar: CAO Bratalia
Size: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Unknown (Brazil?)
Binder: Unknown (Honduras?)
Filler: Unknown (Italy, Nicaragua, Peru?)
Strength: Medium/Full

On a side note, there is no official information on the make up of these cigars. The information above is a guess on my part. I would like to consider it an educated guess but only the boys from CAO know for sure.

Appearance and Construction (19/20): This cigar is different then the limited edition barber pole Bratalia of the past. The cigar has a gorgeous dark wrapper with virtually no veins. The robusto cigar is well rolled, with a nice cap. The wrapper has some oils visible and there are no soft sports to speak of. The band reminds me of a soccer club with crest in the center. The colors are a mixture of the Brazilia and Italia cigars. There is a secondary band with Old Virginia on it, the cigar shop that sells these exclusively.

Flavor & Notes (27/30): Based upon the sweetness of the prelight draw I am fairly certain there is some Peruvian tobacco present. The first third of the cigar compliments the cup of coffee I am drinking as the notes are that of coffee, light and sweet. The way I drink it which will make you purists cringe. There is wood notes there as well, so far this cigar is an enjoyable start to my day. The second half of the cigar the notes of coffee remain but there is a chocolate sweetness there as well. The final third of the cigar had some earthy notes with coffee on the finish.

Burn/Ash/Draw (22/25): The cigar burns a tad uneven, and I tried to hold off touching it up but about half way it needed one. The ash however was incredibly tight and white. It held on well past me touching it up and the draw was one of the best I ever had.

Overall (23/25): This cigar for me is as enjoyable as the mx3. It kills me that such a good cigar is limited to one store, and while the price might be a little bit high I could see this becoming a go to smoke. The is an exceptional smoke that I thoroughly enjoyed to the nub.

Rating: 91
Price: $12.00

CAO Costa Rica

We would like to take the time to welcome a new sponsor of acigarsmoker.com. Corona Cigar Company based in Florida has jumped on board of our growing list of sponsors. Corona Cigars has two locations in Orlando, Florida and a third location in Lake Mary-Heathrow, Florida. In addition to there classy looking retail establishments they also have a great Internet sales website. So if your in the market for cigars be sure to pay them a visit and let them know you found them via this website. It is companies like this that help acigarsmoker.com continue to grow.

Today’s cigar is Corona Cigar Company exclusve. According to the Corona Cigar Co.the CAO Escaparate Costa Rica cigar is unlike any cigar you’ve smoked before.  The CAO Escaparate Costa Rica is  a medium bodied cigar that has a naturally fermented, chocolate-brown Costa Rica maduro wrapper, an Ecuadorian binder and aged Nicaraguan filler grown in Esteli, Jalapa and Condega. The CAO Escaparate Costa Rican is a smooth earthy cigar that is one of the most complex, flavorful cigars that  I’ve ever smoked. The aroma is sweet with a woody note but the flavor offers notes of coffee and earth with a slight undertone of spice.  Impress your friends with this super premium, ultra exclusive cigar.

Let’s see if I agree with them, shall we?

Cigar: CAO Escaparate Costa Rica
Size: 6.25 x 54 (Belicosa)
Wrapper: Costa Rica Maduro
Binder: Ecuador
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium

Appearance and Construction (19/20): The stick is box pressed and features a gorgeous looking wrapper which is rolled seamlessly and has virtually no veins. The cigar has two bands, the top one denoting the cigar is the Escaparate Costa Rica and features the colors of that countries flag. The band at the foot denotes the cigar comes from the Corona Cigar Co. The cigar has a silky smooth appearance that looks incredibly tasty.

Flavor & Notes (26/30): The pre-light rutual reveals notes of spice on the foot of the cigar. Once I cut the cigar with my Xikar Cigar Scissors the draw revealed sweet citric notes that almost border on lime. Upon lighting the cigar strong dry notes of earth begin to emerge with just enough pepper to keep it interesting. As we progress into the 1st third the cigar becomes less dry. The notes of earth remain and there is some coffee notes that get stronger as the cigar progresses through this section. The 2nd third of the cigar the coffee notes really take hold and the cigar has a nice underlying sweetness to it as well. The final third notes of mocha emerge with coffee remaining as well. The cigar has a dry finish.

Burn/Ash/Draw (22/25): As the cigar progressed the burn became uneven. Around the halfway point I had to touch up the cigar but it slowly began to become lopsided again. The ash was extremely firm with a salt and pepper ash. The draw was difficult on the pre-light, but once I lit it up it was perfect.

Overall (22/25): The cigar was good but it was no where near the wow factor that the MX3 gave me. If your a CAO fan like me, you should try these. They are a good smoke, but they lack the killer instinct.

Rating: 89
Price: $80.00 a 5 pack

CAO Colombia

Last week I decided to call up Serious Cigars to order some sticks that Jerry from The Stogie Review suggested. In the process of getting these cigars I asked Ron over at Serious what he had that was new and he informed me of these sticks which are a limited production run much like the Escaparate series and are available ONLY from Serious Cigars.

Cigar: CAO Colombia
Size: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Unknown
Filler: Columbia
Strength: Medium

Appearance and Construction (19/20): The reddish brown habano wrapper looks like it would fit in well on the courts of Roland-Garros. The hue of this wrapper is simply gorgeous and despite its significant veins the stick is visually outstanding. There are a fair amount of oils and a slight tooth on this firm cigar. The colorful band is stunning and an eye catcher to say the least.

Flavor & Notes (27/30): The cigar on the prelight had some acidic notes that reminded me of leather and they put me off a bit. The first third of the smoke there were some notes of coffee and nuts.As we entered the 2nd third there was a brief introduction of leather with coffee and a slight mocha. The final third of the stick the coffee notes faded and the finish had some similarities to bread.

Burn/Ash/Draw (21/25): The medium gray ash had some flake to it and had trouble holding on at times. The burn was a little off on my samples but almost all tended to self correct during the first third with only 1 needing some encouragement. The draw of the cigar was acceptable but I wish there was some more volume of smoke.

Overall (21/25): To tell you the truth after 3 cigars I am not sure how I feel about this stick. The mx3 spoiled me when it comes to escaparate cigars. I guess the verdict is if you are a fan of CAO cigars head out and try these. I plan to order more to have on hand. If you are not a fan of CAO these will not change your mind.

Rating: 88
Price: Call Serious Cigars For Details

CAO MX 3

These cigars have been on my list to try since I first heard them mentioned on twitter and having just received them from W Curtis Draper in Washington DC I couldn’t wait to smoke one. Normally I smoke 2 cigars or 3 cigars before I write a review here on my site. But with this cigar I am reviewing it on the fly on twitter and setting up the post for you all to read.

According to Jerry over at The Stogie Review:

The story behind the MX3 is that it is one of the 11 original blends that CAO stocked in its Escaparate at CAO HQ in Tennessee. It was created exclusively for the CAO Escaparate. (The Escaparate houses 330,000+ cigars in an ‘in-the-round’ walk-in humidor).

Over the course of the past 5 years, CAO made the decision to make some of their Escaparate blends/brands available at select retail tobacconists across the country W. Curtis Draper’s has the exclusive on MX3 and is available in two sizes (robusto and a torpedo).

The CAO MX3 are available ONLYat W. Curtis Drapers in D.C. (800) 572-2382. Tell them you heard about the cigar at stogiereview.com and decided to order based upon the review at acigarsmoker.com

Cigar:CAO MX3
Size: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: CAO Secret (My Guess: Connecticut Broadleaf)
Binder: CAO Secret (My guess: Brazilian Maduro)
Filler: CAO Secret (My Guess: First 2, plus a small pct of another)
Strength: Medium/Full

Appearance and Construction (18/20): The first thing that amazed me was the amount of oils on this cigar. The wrapper had some veins but nothing out of the ordinary. The roll of the cigar is perfect, with the seams hard to find. The cap is well placed and there are no soft spots.  The band has been reworked to a silver label with black writing. A secondary band the name of W Curtis Draper which I can understand, but could do without…

Flavor & Notes (28/30): After using my multi tool cutter from Xikar to clip the cap I was eager to get the pre-light notes, and I was amazed by the rich notes prior to smoking. After lighting the cigar the notes reminded me of a rich chocolate cake. As we continue through the first third of the smoke I am in heaven. The chocolate begins to fade and the espresso notes take center stage. As the cigar enters the 2nd third, the notes of coffee are joined by some earthy notes. The cigar remains rich, but it steps down a notch from the first third. The final third of the cigar had some cedar notes before slowly regaining the richness found in the first third. So in a sense, this cigar came full circle with the final notes being a strong espresso with some earth.

Burn/Ash/Draw (25/25): The burn of the cigar was fairly even with the oils visible around the burn line of this incredible smoke. The tight ash is white as it burns and turns dark as it cools down. The draw had a slight resistance which slowed down the smoking speed. This turned out to be a good thing otherwise I would of smoked it too fast and not have gotten the true experience of the MX 3.

Overall (23/25): One of the best maduro cigars I ever had, and this cigar ranks #2 for me in cigar of the year voting. I am totally floored by the rich flavors, great construction and the flawless burn. The one draw back is that W. Curtis Draper is the sole retailer with these cigars so instead of supporting my local economy I will have to support the economy of a power hungry Washington DC and order these by phone.  I actually burned my fingers and lips smoking it all the way down til I could hold it anymore.

Rating: 94
Price: $11.00