Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the CAO Arcana Thunder Smoke is on the darker side of medium, but does have a big greenish spot on the back of the cigar near the head. There are some decently raised, knotty veins present, with seams that are smooth, but the caps have lifting edges and some wrinkles. The band is huge and covers at least two thirds of the cigar. It is black and dark blue with pale blue text that denotes the brand, line and sub-line. The aroma from the wrapper is that of paper bag, while the foot brings prune sweetness, warm spices and a bit of wood. The pre-light draw brings stewed fruit, warm spices and cedar.
Seth: The CAO Arcana Thunder Smoke has a rich aroma. Dark chocolate, tobacco, raisins and earth on the foot. Wood and barnyard qualities as well. Solid maduro coloring. Some raisin like coloring with lighter and more purple maduro colors. Lots of veins. Leather and bumpy in texture.
John: The CAO Arcana Thunder Smoke came in cellophane and did not have a UPC sticker. It has a very large black band that covers the majority of the cigar. I weighed the cigar at 19.4 grams and measured the humidity to 55.2% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included sweet tobacco and hay. From the foot, I could detect tobacco and hay.

CAO Arcana Thunder Smoke

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with heavily toasted cedar, black pepper and some light stone fruit sweetness. At a half inch in, the black pepper is now even with the toasted cedar up front. The retrohale is toasted cedar and lightly zingy black pepper. At an inch in, some light earth joins the profile. At an inch and a half in, the stone fruit sweetness is barely hanging on. At an inch and three quarters, the pepper has mellowed to the middle of the profile with the earth moving up to just ahead of the pepper. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is now just ahead of the earth, with black pepper in the middle of the profile and a faint stone fruit sweetness in the background. The strength was slightly above medium.
Seth: Thunder Smoke begins with a rich earth and tobacco profile. Dark cocoa powder notes are present as well with some currants and leather notes. Soft sweet spices present. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: My initial flavor impressions are tobacco, hay and an earth finish at light-plus strength. As the first third settles in, some mildly dry wood joins the finish. Some time later, sweet nuttiness moves into the center of the profile at light-plus strength. Through the bottom half some earth joins the finish.

CAO Arcana Thunder Smoke

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the toasted cedar becomes a bit stale. At a quarter inch in, the stone fruit sweetness has departed. At a half inch in, some leather joins the profile. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth and lightly zingy black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, the black pepper is now in the back half of the profile. At an inch and three quarters, the earth becomes even with the toasted cedar up front. As the third comes to a close, the stale toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with leather in the middle of the profile and black pepper in the background. The strength remains at slightly above medium.
Seth: The second third begins to show more mineral spice notes with the cigar. Still rich earth and tobacco present, dark cocoa as well, but the currants have become more raisin forward. Sweeter. Leather on the finish. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: Earth and tobacco greet me in the second third with dry wood in the center and a mildly tannic finish. As the second third continues, creamy tobacco leads off, wood in the center and earth finishing.

CAO Arcana Thunder Smoke

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the earth takes a slight lead in the profile. At three quarters of an inch in, the leather increases a bit. The retrohale is now earth, toasted cedar and leather with very mild black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, a menthol note joins the profile. As the cigar wraps up, the earth is just ahead of the stale, toasted cedar, with leather not far behind. The menthol note is in the back half of the profile with light black pepper behind it. The strength remained at slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third is right in line with the second. Rich earth and tobacco followed by leather and dark cocoa. Raisins present with a finish of sweet and mineral spices. Medium-full in strength and body to the end.
John: The last third starts with creamy wood followed by a mild, tannic wood center that carries into the finish. Through the post draw that tannic wood moves up to medium strength. I find the profile to be consistent to the halfway point, where a smoked peatiness joins the finish for the remainder of the review.

CAO Arcana Thunder Smoke

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy throughout, but never needed any attention. The ash held on through each third.
Seth: The burn was wavy throughout. Not great.
John: The burn started wavy, requiring a touch-up early in the first third. The burn continued to be uneven and in the second third required a second touch-up. By the halfway point, the cigar went out, requiring a re-light.

CAO Arcana Thunder Smoke

Draw

Aaron: The cigar was packed full of tobacco and the draw was quite tight and I couldn’t do anything to open it up.
Seth: Draw was a little loose and damp.
John: The draw was somewhat into the resistant spectrum, roughly 2-1/2 to 3 notches.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with heavily toasted cedar, black pepper and some light stone fruit sweetness. Some light earth joined a bit later. The second third saw the stone fruit sweetness drop out and the cedar became a bit stale. Some leather joined a bit later and the earth became even with the cedar up front. The final third saw a menthol note join in. The CAO Arcana Thunder Smoke had an average flavor profile throughout and it was fairly mundane, even with the transitions. The tight draw didn’t help things, so I’m not sure what a properly drawing version would perform like. Maybe the others will be able to experience that. Not a cigar I’d see myself coming back to.
Seth: The CAO Arcana Thunder Smoke was a fun cigar from beginning to end. The cigar did not show a lot of transitioning, but there were complex flavors throughout. The burn and draw could use some improvement, but I also believe dry boxing these cigars for a period before smoking will help dramatically. I am not sure how these will age, for some reason I have a feeling the youth is what makes this cigar fun, but who knows. Either way, really enjoyed the blend.
John: The CAO Arcana Thunder Smoke delivered pleasant but uncomplicated flavor combinations through the entire review, at a relatively consistent medium-minus strength profile. The draw was somewhat resistant and the burn required two touch-ups and a re-light. The price point is reasonably attractive for the size of the cigar, but for me, the flavor performance just doesn’t merit something I would want to return to. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 32 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.20

Cost/Point

$2.50

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.25

Cost/Point

$2.47

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.05

Cost/Point

$2.57

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: CAO Arcana Thunder Smoke