CAO announced today that Zócalo is coming back, now as a regular production cigar. The name comes from a celebratory city square in Mexico. Zócalo was first released in 2018 as a limited edition blend and in just one vitola. The new regular production version of Zócalo comes in three sizes. It was the first CAO cigar to use a Mexican wrapper. We reviewed the original back in 2018 and gave it an 89.
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.
"A cigar with some of the classic notes and transitions that mesh well together. Always been a fan of red pepper and coffee notes in cigars, and to end with a mellowed out cinnamon bread, was very rewarding. I wouldn't run out and buy boxes of these, but I could definitely smoke this again." -Doug S. (Unpossible_1)
"This was a solid cigar overall. The initial flavors were very good. My only complaint about this cigar is the final portion changed significantly from the first two portions, and the flavors became more muddied. As it stands, I would gladly smoke another of these again, and would happily recommend to a friend to give a try." -Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
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.
"The flavors in the cigar were very muted and hard to pull out. The strength was very well-mannered, but the cigar never really developed into anything stellar. It was an enjoyable experience, just not a memorable one. I wouldn't hesitate to hand this cigar to less experienced smokers, as there is nothing in it that would discourage it. It would hold up nicely with black coffee late in the morning or bourbon in the evening. Most beers would probably overrun it." -Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
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.
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·"Long story short, it was OK. Short story not so short, the first two thirds were tasty, and seemed to be cohesive. The final third just failed in my estimation. The flavors were unpleasant and harsh. If this cigar could have continued the same flavor profile, I would have rated it much higher. " -Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)
"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)
"Overall, this was an outstanding cigar, all the flavors were very enjoyable with vanilla, baking spice, cedar, cashew, and finishing off with some roasted coffee. The texture and temperature of the cigar was very enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this cigar to friends and family and look forward to seeing what it is." -Angel M. (Angel)