"I really enjoyed the first third and was hoping the coffee would develop a little more, or at least remain in the mix. While it left during the end of the second third, the transition gave me a chance to smoke a cigar with another profile. Both were very good." -Gregg (McGreggor57)
CAO launches an innovative AI tool, "Flathead Dream Machine," allowing users to design virtual hot rods, reflecting their passion for cars and cigars, and share their creations online.
CAO (Owned by General Cigar) has announced a limited edition follow-up to their Pilón line which has been around since 2015. CAO Pilón Añejo will use the same labor-intensive fermentation techniques along with a new blend and period of aging after it's been rolled.
"This cigar could be made 100x better if the construction was in such a way where the draw wasn't so loose. As a result of this loose construction, I feel the flavors were a bit light on the mouthfeel. Flavor-wise, it wasn't too interesting but wasn't horrible by any means as leather, char, and some other earthlike flavors were evident. Not sure if I'd pick this one up again as it just wasn't my gig to repurchase. Perhaps you might like it, give it a go!" -John A. (Bostoneo)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 80
General Cigar has announced a new series in the CAO brand: Arcana Series. The first release in this new line is called Mortal Coil. The purpose of the Arcana Series is to "highlight the secrets and traditions of old-world tobacco processing methods, passed down from generation to generation to bring out the best in native tobaccos from across the globe."
CAO is known for using some of the world’s most unique and unexpected tobaccos in its blends. Previous blends have included tobacco from the Amazon jungle, the wilds of Africa, Italy, Columbia and many more. Now, with their latest cigar, the aptly named CAO Borealis, uses tobacco from none other than Canada. This cigar is only for the Canadian market, hance the plain packaging.
CAO (General Cigar) has announced a new cigar line CAO BX3. This follows in the footsteps of cigars like MX2, CX2, and LX2 with the letters representing the type of tobacco used in the blend and the number representing the number of leaves used. In this case, BX3 refers to Brazilian tobacco times three.
Adam B.AllBlind Cigar ReviewsCAOConnecticut BroadleafFeaturedIsaac M.Jason H.John I.NicaraguaRick RodriguezToro
·"Holy hell, three hours to smoke a Toro? Sure was! And it was a great one at that. It had great flavors, good transitions, and kept my interest going, somehow, for that long. The entirety of this cigar is better than its components. Each third, when broken down, doesn't score as well to me as the entire experience. This isn't a cigar I could smoke on a daily basis because, frankly, I don't have three hours every day to enjoy a cigar. However when I find such occasion you bet I will fire this one up again. " -Isaac M. (The Nothing)
The original CAO Amazon Basin was inspired by a rare tobacco in a remote region of the Amazonian Rainforest. The initial release happened in 2014 and was re-released in 2016 and inspired several spinoff cigars in the years since. Now in 2022, the original blend is coming back again.
AllBlind Cigar ReviewsCAODaveDianaDouble ToroFeaturedJohn A.Mexican San AndresMickey T.NaturalNicaraguaRick RodriguezRyan H.
·”It started off as a tasty cigar, however it plateaued about halfway through into a steady flavor profile. The back half remained a pleasant profile but lacked complexity. Draw, construction, and burn were exceptional for this sample considering the size. Not something I’d run and grab every day but definitely smoke one here and there when I crave a large stick.” –John A. (Bostoneo)