Tag Archives: CAO

by Craig Vanderslice | May 1, 2022 · 9:46 am

A Selection of Cigars: Hits and Misses

This is going to be a bit of a weird post. I, of course, smokes a bunch of cigars this week, and had some mixed results. I probably should follow the rule of not saying anything at all if you don’t have anything nice to say, but it’s not all negative. SOme of it is personal preference, some of it is something else. There are also some standout cigars that I’ve probably mentioned here before but merit repeating. Let’s start with the CAO Arcana Firewalker. This cigar is a nice, big 6½” x 56 cigar, with a massive band. It employs a strange method of fermentation for one of the Nicaraguan filler leaves where they bury the pilon in volcanic soil for two months. Sounds like a fun story, and I don’t doubt it, but this wasn’t where I had a problem. The cigar tasted fine, I rather enjoyed the flavors. It was kind of bready, with a little cocoa and some spice, very nice. When I received these samples they were bone dry, as measured with my Humidimeter. Bone. Dry. The first one I smoked just kind of flaked apart. I let them rest in the humidor for a couple months, I guess, to get some moisture into them. When one had achieved what I felt was an acceptable level of internal moisture content, I gave it another go. For whatever reason, the Ecuador Habano Rosado wrapper on this one just wouldn’t burn. It was like the original H2000 wrappers 20 years ago. I would feel safe making childrens pajamas out of this wrapper, it was so flame retardant. I gave up on it with about 2 inches to go, after just about emptying my lighter relighting it. I guess I’ll leave the remaining samples in the humidor, and if I see some in a shop maybe I’ll try one to see if my batch was an anomaly. I hope it was because it was a good tasting smoke and I like the first Arcana a lot. If you’re keeping score at home, this is a miss.

One cigar I had which isn’t new, but one I really enjoy and bears repeating is the Crow Corona from Blackbird Cigars. I’m generally a toro guy, but I think I like this in the 6″ x 44 corona the best. The narrow ring adds a little more of an edge to the San Andrés wrapper that I like. I always like a good Mexican maduro, and this one really made me happy. I’m to understand that Blackbird has opened a new, larger factory in ght Dominican Republic. I’ve been a fan of their cigars, I can’t recall having a bad one, with the Crow being my favorite. They do a really nice job with Sumatra wrappers too. I will be putting some more Crow Coronas in my humidor, for sure. In case you were wondering, this is a hit!

Another repeat is the Yagua. I smoked one from a 2021 box this week that was amazing. J.C. Newman just announced that they are shipping the 2022 release, with a second wave due in November. These have aged well, the one I smoked was practically round, which was strange. They say that this is wrapped in an “underfermented” Broadleaf wrapper. whatever that means, I ‘d say it works. I had some distinct sensations of black licorice several times while smoking this cigar, and I really liked that. I enjoyed it so much I was tempted to smoke one the following day, alas, I should have followed my instincts! Again, a hit.

The Drew Estate Freestyle Live event is coming up on Thursday, May 12, and receiving a lot of buzz, so I figured I’d give the Mystery Cigar in the pack a try and see what the deal was. I tried the 6″ x 60 gordo first. This digital event is happening on the eve of the Florida Barn Smoker, and the cigars in the pack happen to be the same sizes that the 20 Acre Farm Mystery cigars were presented, leading some to believe there may be a connection. It’s possible, although many cigars are offered in robusto, toro and gordo, so that’s a bit of a stretch. I personally didn’t really like the cigar I smoked, it was heavily woody to me, and that’s not my preference. I don’t like FSG tobacco, so there could be something there, and I’m also not a big fan of the original Herrera Esteli, so it could be a variation on that. I don’t think it’s a riff on the MUWAT, as I grabbed a fiver of Baitfish yesterday and forgot how good those little guys are! I’ll suffer through the rubusto I guess and see what I think of that size, maybe it’s different. I’ll be very disappointed if those guessing it’s in the Nica Rustica line are right. Big miss.

Let’s finish strong. OK, I lied. I picked up an Aganorsa Leaf Rare Leaf Toro yesterday because I’ve been wanting to try it. It’ a 6″ x 54 with a “Nicaraguan Café” wrapper, and Aganorsa Leaf binder and fillers. I’ve been having trouble finding cigars in the Aganorsa range that suit my palate, quite honestly. Sadly, this was another one that did not. I’m sure it’s a great cigar, it certainly performed well, but the flavor left me wanting. This was another that I’ll call wood heavy in the flavor department. I also found it slightly drying. It was a bit sneaky strong. Everyone has different tastes, that’s what makes cigars so much fun, this one wasn’t for me. I’ll keep working thought the range, and I know there are a lot of cigars made by Aganorsa that I like! Unfortunately a miss.

That’s it for today, I’ll be smoking a few favorites today! My part-time retail experiment has come to an end. ore on that, maybe, another time, but it was fun while it lasted. My Friday evenings are now free, who wants to herf? Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Aganorsa Leaf, Arcana, Blackbird, CAO, cigar, cigars, Crow, drew estate, Firewalker, Freestyle LIve, J.C.Newman, Rare Leaf, Yagua

by Craig Vanderslice | April 17, 2022 · 9:42 am

Upmann, CAO and Black Label Trading Co. Cigars and a Rant

There seem to be few cigars in Altadis portfolio that fit my preferences. I probably say this every time I post about an Altadis cigar, and it probably doesn’t endear me to the marketing folks there! I do have some friends there that are aware of my feelings. I keep trying though. There are exceptions, and I can pretty much count on enjoying anything Altadis produces in conjunction with A.J. Fernandez. I smoked the z Nicaragua Heritage by A.J. Fernandez in the Toro size this week and was pretty surprised. This is a 6″ x 54 toro with a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper. The binder and fillers are all Nicaraguan tobaccos grown by A.J. Fernandez. I found this to be a powerhouse cigar, much stronger than I expected. I likened to to the Gispert Intenso. I personally liked it a lot, but I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who enjoys the original H. Upmann by A.J. (which I also enjoy!). It’s a totally different cigar, the difference between a Latte and an espresso, I would imagine.

I’ve had the occasion to smoke a couple of the new CAO Pilón Ańejo cigars over the past couple weeks, and the one I smoked yesterday was fairly impressive. The first one I smoked maybe wasn’t rested sufficiently from it’s travels. This 5½” x 54 robusto has an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper. The blend is rich and savory, consisting of Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers, a Honduran Habano binder and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. Curiously, this is a different blend than the original Pilón, which has an Ecuador Habano wrapper and Nicaraguan binder. That kind of blows my plan of doing a back to back comparison between the two! I like Sumatra wrapped cigars, so this one works for me. It was a good, smooth cigar without any problems. I found it to be enjoyable, pleasing woody flavors without much sweetness. A good cigar. I may still pull out a Pilón from the original release and see how it stack up against this one, just for kicks.

OK, here’s my rant of the week. I know it’s Easter Sunday, and happy Easter and passover for those of you who celebrate. Earlier this week the CRA posted this meme, and the subsequent apology, on their Facebook page, and it caused a bit of a kerfuffle.

There were those who defended it, thought it was funny, etc. While it might be funny in a Facebook group that is predominantly a men’s social group, it’s not the kind of thing I believe the folks at Cigar Rights of America should be devoting their resources to. Let’s set aside the misogynistic nature of the meme, make no mistake, the divisiveness of the message was no small part of the backlash that this caused. I take issue with the fact that I’m paying the CRA to advocate on behalf of the cigar industry, and I have been since 2009. It’ not a lot of money, but the point is that our money isn’t to pay for an entertaining Facebook group. Whoever is running things there, and I don’t think that’s clear since Glynn Loope left, should be posting legislative updates up the page, not funnies. The CRA complains about membership and wants to be taken seriously and fails to set a good example of why they should be in a public forum. I hold them to a higher standard. I think their apology missed this point. Anyway, that got my hackles up this week!

Last night I went over to Son’s Cigars where James and Angela Brown (and Levi) from Black Label Trading Co. were there holding an event. This was possibly the biggest event at the shop since they opened last summer. Angela Brown is rarely at events, and I had only met her at an IPCPR show several years ago, so it was nice to see her again. there was a contingent there from Mane Street Cigars in Woodbridge, NJ for the event, and I’ve known Alex, who manages the shop, for many years (here’s the story of when I met Alex). I selected and smoked a Lawless Churchill, 7″ x 48 (close enough), with an Ecuador Habano Rosado wrapper and Nicaraguan Binder and fillers. This was a delicious cigar, it’s really right in my wheelhouse. It has rich, dark fruit and cocoa flavors. I must grab a handful next week when I’m back at the shop. It might be one of my favorites in the line. Lovely cigar, lovely people, good times.

That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as A.J. Fernandez, Añejo, Black Label Trading Company, Black Works Studio, CAO, cigar, Cigar Rights of America, cigars, CRA, H.Upmann, Lawless, Oveja Negra, Pilon

by Craig Vanderslice | April 12, 2022 · 6:10 pm

News: CAO Releases “Borealis” To Canadian Market

I would normally skip a press release like this, but there’s something important about this I wanted to point out. No offense to my Canadian readers, but they represent a fairly small portion of my readership. Notice the box and bands on this new CAO release below. Not pretty or very imaginative, are they? This is what’s known as “plain packaging”, and this is how cigars have to be packaged in Canada (and Australia, I believe). In Canadian Cigar stores the windows have to be blacked out and you can’t see the cigars before buying them. They all have to have this same, drab band and box. Imagine how easy it would be to counterfeit cigars like this? If we aren’t careful in the U. S., this is going to happen here. That would suck. I may never know how this CAO cigar is, maybe one of my Canadian readers will let us know!

CAO leads the pack in bringing the world’s most unique and unexpected tobaccos to its fans. The brand team has gone deep into the Amazon jungle, to the wilds of Africa, and to Italy, Columbia and many points in between to create exciting blends. And now, with their newest release, CAO Borealis, CAO has set its sights on the North.

A new expression made exclusively for the Canadian market, CAO Borealis features a rare Canadian tobacco in its blend.

CAO Borealis gives a nod to the awesome skylights that only occur in locations as targeted as pinpoints on a map. This speaks to the fact that geography and climate are pivotal in so many ways, just as they are for tobacco. It’s why the CAO team ventured to the province of Ontario, where Canada’s highest quality farmland is located. There, in the province’s Southwest corner, near the Great Lakes where humidity and warm evenings prevail, a special Cuban-seed variety of dark air-cured tobacco is grown.

Rick Rodriguez, CAO’s blender/ambassador said, “When you think of great tobacco growing regions, tropical climates and hot, humid growing seasons come to mind. That’s of course true. With ‘Borealis,’ we wanted our fans to experience something new, so we once again took an unconventional path. This time, we’re featuring Canadian tobacco and are delivering a blend that has an air of something different. It’s an experience that’s enjoyable and colors slightly out of the lines. A cigar you’ll want to talk about. And that’s exactly what we wanted to deliver.”

Wrapped in Ecuadorian Habano Viso, with a Nicaraguan binder and a filler that blends Nicaraguan tobacco with Cuban-seed Canadian leaf, CAO Borealis is a true medium-bodied cigar that’s subtle in its uniqueness and deep on intricacy. The experience brims with notes of spice, cedar, pepper, nuts, and cocoa.

CAO Borealis will be available in two frontmarks, both packaged in 20 count boxes (5-4 layout), and released to all Canadian provinces. The line is handcrafted at STG Esteli and will ship to select retailers on April 11.

CAO Borealis Robusto (5” x 52)

CAO Borealis Toro (6” x 54)

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Tagged as Borealis, CAO, cigar, cigars, Plain Packaging

by Craig Vanderslice | March 17, 2022 · 8:12 pm

News: CAO Presents Pilón Añejo

Here’s some news from General Cigar about a new CAO cigar, which is interesting since Rick Rodriguez recently announced that he will be retiring after 22 years with the company. I’ve known Ricky for a long time, although I never get a call when he’s in the area, like right now! I’d love to have gotten to see him one last time. Maybe he’ll stop by Son’s tomorrow night, but I somehow doubt it. I’ve liked a lot of what he’s done with CAO, and I think his contributions will be missed, to the point where I wonder what will become of the line. I enjoy the Pilón line, I look forward to trying this aged version, especially up against some old Pilóns I have in my humidor!

CAO is set to launch a blend called Pilón Añejo which pairs labor-intensive fermentation and finished cigar aging to deliver a cigar of great depth and character.

The limited-edition line will ship to retailers in April and a total of 5,000 boxes will be released in the US.

CAO Pilón Añejo is made with the same circular pilón fermentation technique as CAO Pilón, the collection that launched in 2015. However, that is where the similarities end. CAO Pilón Añejo features a unique blend of tobaccos that are met with aging after the cigar is finished, to release an intriguingly complex smoke.

Rick Rodriguez, CAO’s blender/ambassador commented, “With CAO Pilón Añejo, we’ve combined pilón fermentation which does such incredible things to the tobacco, with a full two years of aging of the finished cigars. Together, these methods add a whole new dimension to the blend. We’ve ultimately created a layered smoking experience that we could not have achieved through any other processes. This cigar is just a pleasure to smoke, and the team and I are really proud of it.”

Handcrafted in Honduras at STG’s HATSA factory, CAO Pilón Añejo relies on the pilón process of natural fermentation to heighten the smoking experience and aesthetics of the Cuban seed Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper. The blend is rich and savory, consisting of Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers, beneath a Honduran Habano binder. CAO Pilón Añejo is a medium-to-full-bodied smoke that bears a deep, rich color and an array of notes including wood, earth and toast, with a touch of spice.

CAO Pilón Añejo will be presented in 20-count boxes, in the three sizes listed below.

CAO Pilon Añejo Robusto (5.5” x 54) — SRP per cigar $8.89

CAO Pilon Añejo Toro (6” x 52) — SRP per cigar $8.99

CAO Pilon Añejo Gigante (5.88” x 60) — SRP per cigar $9.29

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Tagged as Añejo, CAO, cigar, cigars, Pilon

by Craig Vanderslice | October 6, 2021 · 9:46 pm

News: CAO 60 Torque Announced For Holiday Season Release

I’ve had a busy week so far and went out this evening to a cigar event which I’ll talk about later. In the meantime, here’s some news from CAO about a new cigar that’s coming out for the holiday season. It’s a large cigar, 8″ x 60. Not sure that’s all that necessary, but there are a lot of people who like that big a cigar! I’ll give one a try, but it’ll take me 3 hours!

CAO 60 KICKS THE HOLIDAYS INTO HIGH GEAR WITH TORQUE

CAO never makes a quiet entrance. With its new release called “60,” the brand is firing on all cylinders, launching what will likely go down as the most bad a$$ premium cigar release of the holiday 2021 season.

The limited edition smoke called “Torque” will debut as the biggest in the CAO lineup. The blend is medium-full in body, and made with Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos of different primings to deliver spice and dimension. With a Nicaraguan Habano binder and rich Honduran Habano wrapper, Torque delivers a big, bold smoking experience.

Rick Rodriguez said, “With 60, it was either go big or go home, and of course we went big with the blend. This cigar is equivalent to revving the engine of a classic muscle car. It’s bold, it demands attention and when you light up a Torque, you’re in for a great ride. We hope that our fans enjoy Torque as much as we enjoyed creating the cigar for them.”

CAO 60 Torque comes in a tin modeled to look like an oil can that Steve McQueen might have had in his garage. The tin holds eight Torque cigars and will sell for an SRP of $100, until the limited release is sold out. CAO 60 Torque began shipping to retailers this week and is handmade at STG Esteli in Nicaragua.