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."
"Overall, had it not been for the wrapper issues, it was a very good cigar. The flavors were pleasant and provided enough complexity to keep my interest. It would have scored higher had it not been for the wrapper. I will definitely try it again. I think the wrapper issue might have been because of increased humidity." -Sandeep (Djangos)
AllBlind Cigar ReviewsCAODaniel S.DianaFeaturedIPCPRIsaac M.Jason H.Matt H.NaturalNicaraguaRick RodriguezToro
·"This is a cigar I would smoke any day. If you are looking for a nicely flavored cigar without any pepper this would be a great smoke. The earthiness along with the smooth and creamy profile was very pleasant. There was a great blend of coffee, cocoa, hint of leather, baking spices and leafy floral. I really enjoyed this and recommend this cigar for any level of cigar smoker. " -Diana (ArmyRN)
Agustin GarciaAlanAllBlind Cigar ReviewsCAOEmmettFeaturedHabanoJiunnNicaraguaRick RodriguezRobustoSteveWes
·"Other than the strength becoming a little overpowering for me, I really like this cigar. The nice clean flavors, profile changes and wonderful construction make this a solid choice and I could easily see myself recommending this cigar to others." -Alan (Eulogy)
So, I'll start by saying I don't recall ever having any of the other Amazon blends from CAO. I have, though, seen people rave about these blends for several years now. What I can say is this cigar had a great beginning, that first third was great. Unfortunately the cigar seemed to fall down on itself. The flavors dwindled until the bitterness formed at the end. The body and the strength of the cigar seemed to dwindle the same. The cigar loved to burn, even it was wavy at all times. The draw was excellent with my v-cut. If you're a fan of this line of CAO Amazon limited releases you definitely have to add it to your list; you've already got so much invested into it. For me, though, that first third was the highlight of the cigar. After that the cigar just started fading. Fortunately that first third burned almost as long as the last two combined, for a total of a two hour smoke.
"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
CAO has announced a new cigar in their Arcana Series: Firewalker. The Arcana Firewalker follows the Arcana Mortal Coil released last year. The series focuses on old-world processing methods and a limited run. Firewalker was inspired by the Chincagre method of aging and will come in one vitola a 6.5 x 56 toro.
CAO has announced a new, stronger follow-up to the Flathead V-19 blend, Flathead V21. This brand new blend, created by Rick Rodriguez and the CAO blending team, uses a Mexican San Andres wrapper, Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and Nicaraguan and Dominican ligero tobaccos.
CAO have announced a new limited edition release that will be a part of the brand’s virtual tour of the Pan American Highway. The new limited release is called Zócalo, also the name of a city square in Mexico, this is first CAO cigar made with tobacco from Mexico.
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.