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.
"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.)
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 has announced a virtual tour of the Pan American highway from April to December 2018 with Master Blender Rick Rodriguez. His online trek will start go from North America to Mexico on the banks of the Rio Grande at Nuevo Laredo. Here the Pan Am highway became known in Spanish as the Autopista and connects to many countries to the South.
General Cigar has announces a new line of cigars for it's CAO brand: CAO Bones. But it's more than just cigars, it's a celebration of dominoes, and dice.
"Another great cigar that I enjoyed. Beautiful light chocolate wrapper with bumps and veins showing. Nice notes of sweet tea, hickory, black pepper, and butterscotch balance this cigar out. Minor splitting at the end that corrects itself. Even burn with a nice inch long ash. Great late afternoon smoke. A cigar I'd try again." -Sean F. (fullermaine)
"Overall this was a strong white and black pepper bomb. With light cedar/wood flavors and some chocolate and coffee flavors. There was some transition during the smoke which was nice. The pepper flavor however was strong and enjoyable. " -Chad M. (Chad Tchad)
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 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.
The original CAO Vision was released in 2007 and was discontinued some years later. That cigar was best know for its packing with a bright white box and illuminated interior. Both of those things are returning for 2020, but with a brand new blend.