Tonight’s cigar
July 28th, 2009
Archive
Posts Tagged ‘CAO’
Review: CAO Italia Largo
May 18th, 2009
CAO Italia Largo
Size – 6.5 x 50
Age – About 1 year
Cost – $6
Wrapper – Habano (Honduras)
Construction – A nice looking, mostly symmetrical cigar with slightly pronounced veins from a good rest in the humidor. The wrapper had a small crack and flake of wrapper missing at the foot but the cigar withstood a punch cut and held together nicely.
Burn – Mostly even with one touchup needed. I did note that this cigar liked to be puffed a little more frequently than most; it would probably have gone out if I stuck to the usual draw every 1-2 minutes.
Ash – Ash was very light grey, nearly white. It held for 3/4″ at a time.
Draw & Smoke – Draw was somewhat loose and a fair amount of smoke was produced with each puff. Very little smoke came off the foot while it was resting in the tray.
Flavor - The initial flavor profile was somewhat sweet (not from a sugared cap, thankfully) with some coffee notes and a very slight spicy tingle. The one thing that stood out from the start of this stick was a really nice smooth spice and mocha aroma; this is a great aromatic stogie. The second half of the Italia brought a little more toasty tobacco and woody flavors and the sweetness diminished. Coffee and espresso flavors persisted but were not dominant, with all of these tastes and the great aroma blending into an interesting and complex smoke.
Strength – Med/Full
Rating – 9/10
Value – 7/10
Drink – Grapefruit soda
Notes – I received this cigar from a friend and did not know the vitola. It was 6.5″ long which should make it the Largo, but the Largo is usually sold tubed, and I received this one “naked”. Nevertheless it was properly cared for and should represent the brand well. I’m not sure exactly what part the Italian tobacco played in this cigar, but the blend is solid and it has earned a well deserved slot in the “just over value price” section of my humidor.
Review: CAO LX2 Robusto
February 27th, 2009
CAO LX2 Robusto
Size – 5 x 52
Age – About 1 month
Cost – $5-6 online
Wrapper – Sun grown (Nicaragua)
Construction – The LX2 is very well constructed with the only flaw being a couple of veins on an otherwise beautiful chocolate brown wrapper. There was a wrapper crack in the foot but I believe it’s because I received these direct from CAO with no cellophane. Symmetry was good with the cigar having a very slight oval shape and a small bump at the head. (8/10)
Burn – Burn was slow and steady. It was never 100% even but it was close. 2 relights were needed during the smoke. (6/10)
Ash – Light grey, compact and held in nice 1.5″ lengths.
Draw & Smoke – The CAO website says the LX2 is “draw-tested”. I have no idea what this means but it appears to work as draw was perfect and a voluminous amount of smoke was produced in each puff.
Flavor – The first inch of this cigar was packed with black pepper and another kind of pepper – the slow and lingering burn of chile peppers. It didn’t taste anything like a New Mexico green chile, but it felt like one. Other flavors were wood and earthy tobacco. The black pepper tingle faded by halfway and some cocoa emerged in the second half along with a small touch of sweetness. The aroma of this cigar is what I call the “cigar lounge smell”, an enticing blend of rich tobacco, spices and chocolate.
Strength – Med/Full
Rating – 8/10
Value – 6/10
Drink – Red Zinfandel. A very nice pairing, with the dark berry notes of the wine offsetting the pepper and complimenting the touch of sweetness in the LX2.
Notes – As every review of this cigar on the planet will tell you, LX2 stands for “ligero times two”, alluding to this cigar’s double dose of stonger ligero leaves from the top of the tobacco plant. It’s a powerful but not overwhelming smoke that makes a great nightcap. The $5-6 range is not what I would consider a value or “everyday” cost; it’s also a crowded field with a lot of excellent cigars like the Arturo Fuente Hemingway and the Oliva Serie V competing for your 5-spot, but the LX2 muscles its way into the upper portion of the list and is definitely something to add to your humidor.
A winner is me
February 17th, 2009
The other day I began using Twitter, convinced I could find some fellow cigar enthusiasts. I was not disappointed; there are lots of aficionados tweeting all the time! If you haven’t looked into it I’d recommend it. One of the first users I followed was http://twitter.com/caocigars. As it turns out, they were planning on giving out a prize to their 500th Twitter follower which just happened to be me.
A few messages and a couple days later, I receive a box with a nice note from the marketing director (who is the one Twittering) and a 5 pack of CAO LX2s! I’ve had the Brasilia, Italia, MX2 but had never tried the LX2. Thanks CAO!