Aaron Loomis

 John McTavish

Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the CAO Surplus Sweet Robusto varies from light brown to medium brown and has some raised veins present. The seams are smooth and the head is decently finished. The band is black and a pale greenish-gray and denotes the brand, line and sub-line. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of earth and cardboard while the foot brings a slightly sweet mix of cedar and earth. The pre-light draw brings a light mix of cedar, earth and cardboard along with a significant sweetness and mild spiciness on my lips.
John: The CAO Surplus Sweet Robusto comes in cellophane with a UPC sticker containing the cigar information, although the sticker tears when the cellophane is opened. The cigar features a single CAO Surplus Sweet band. I weighed the cigar at 13.1 grams and measured the humidity at 61.1% using the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included hay, wood and tobacco, while the foot offered a concentrated sweet wood aroma.

CAO Surplus Sweet Robusto

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with some earth, construction paper and mild black pepper along with some sweetness coming off the cap. At a half inch in, the earth and construction paper increase in fullness a bit. The retrohale is earth, cardboard and a bit of chalkiness. At an inch in, a creamy chalkiness joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the earth is just ahead of the construction paper, with creamy chalkiness just behind the middle of the profile and some mild black pepper in the background along with some residual sweetness from the cap. The strength was mild-medium.
John: The first third opens with tobacco accompanied by the immediate sweetness of the sweetened cap, which lingers well into the post draw. After a few puffs, mildly bitter hay and wood combine through the finish. As the first third settles in, the profile evolves into creamy wood leading the experience, followed by tobacco, while the sweet cap continues to provide a lingering sweetness that ties the profile together.

CAO Surplus Sweet Robusto

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, some cedar joins in, in between the earth and construction paper. At a half inch in, the black pepper increases a bit. The retrohale is now earth, toasted cedar and construction paper with a bit of chalkiness. At an inch in, the black pepper increases a bit more and the sweetness from the cap is pretty mild. As the third comes to a close, the earth is just ahead of the cedar which is just ahead of the construction paper, with black pepper and creamy chalkiness in the middle of the profile and some faint sweetness from the cap. The strength bumped up to slightly below medium.
John: The second third begins with creamy wood leading the profile, while mild tobacco occupies the center. The sweet cap continues to contribute sweetness through the finish, where it combines with mildly tannic hay and wood. Through the bottom half of the second third, earth quietly develops in the center of the profile, adding a little more depth without dramatically changing the overall character.

CAO Surplus Sweet Robusto

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the cedar and construction paper meld together with a bit of a toast to it. At a quarter inch in, that cedar/construction paper combination gains a bit of bitterness. The retrohale is now earth, toasted cedar and construction paper with some black pepper and chalkiness. At a half inch in, the earth increases in fullness. At an inch in, the bitterness takes on a vegetal note and the black pepper becomes pretty full. As the cigar wraps up, the earth is pretty far out front, with the toasted mix of cedar and construction paper with vegetal bitterness and black pepper behind. There’s some creamy chalkiness in the middle of the profile and light sweetness from the cap in the background. The strength remained at slightly below medium.
John: The final third begins with creamy tannic wood leading the profile again. By this point, the sweet cap has largely faded, leaving lingering dry wood to define the post draw. As the last third settles in, traces of the sweet cap remain detectable through the retrohale, but they continue to diminish as the cigar progresses toward the finish.

CAO Surplus Sweet Robusto

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight through the first two thirds, but the cigar went out twice in the second third requiring re-lights. The burn was a bit wavy through the final third.
John: The burn remained consistently straight throughout the entire review and required no intervention.

CAO Surplus Sweet Robusto

Draw

Aaron: The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.
John: The draw measured 42 inches of water on the Cigar Medics draw tester. Subjectively, it began between one-and-a-half and two notches into the resistant spectrum before gradually opening to approximately one notch resistant, placing it comfortably within the ideal range.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with some earth, construction paper and mild black pepper along with some sweetness coming off the cap. The earth and construction paper then increased in fullness. Some creamy chalkiness joined in a bit later. The second third saw some cedar join in and the black pepper increased through the third. The final third saw the cedar and construction paper meld together and gained a bitterness that later took on a vegetal note. Then, the earth increased in fullness, as did the black pepper. The CAO Surplus Sweet Robusto had an average flavor profile through the first two thirds, as it was focused on earth and construction paper with cedar joining the mix. The final third took a step down as the earth ramped up and vegetal bitterness joined in. This isn’t a bad sweet tipped offering as the sweetness wasn’t overpowering past the first half inch or so. At this price point, it’s a pretty solid offering for this style of cigar. While it’s not really in my wheelhouse based on the style, for those that liked sweet tipped offerings and are budget conscious, this is a definite try.
John: The CAO Surplus Sweet Robusto is a cigar whose defining characteristic is exactly what its name suggests; the sweetened cap. From the opening puffs, that sweetness establishes itself as an integral part of the smoking experience, complementing a straightforward profile of tobacco, wood and hay rather than masking it. The sweetness never feels overwhelming, instead serving as a pleasant accent that softens the otherwise dry character of the blend. The first half of the cigar is the most enjoyable portion of the experience. Creamy wood, tobacco and the lingering sweetness from the cap create a balanced profile that is easy to smoke and approachable. While the flavor transitions are subtle, the cigar maintains enough consistency that it never feels disjointed or unfocused. As the cigar progresses into the final third, the sweet cap naturally fades from the equation, revealing a profile increasingly driven by tannic and dry wood. Without that added sweetness to balance the wood, the cigar becomes noticeably drier and less engaging. There are still occasional reminders of the sweet cap through the retrohale, but they become increasingly fleeting as the smoke comes to an end. Construction is the strongest aspect of this cigar. Both the burn and draw perform exceptionally well throughout the review. The razor-straight burn requires no intervention whatsoever, while the draw settles into an ideal level of resistance after opening slightly during the early stages of the smoke. Together, they make for a very relaxed and effortless smoking experience. Overall, the CAO Surplus Sweet Robusto is a simple, easygoing cigar that leans heavily on its sweetened cap to define the experience. It doesn’t offer a great deal of complexity or evolution, but it remains balanced and enjoyable for those who appreciate sweeter cigars. Excellent construction helps elevate the experience, even if the flavor profile ultimately remains straightforward enough to earn an Average overall rating. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 5 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

4.95

Cost/Point

$0.46

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$0.40

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: CAO Surplus Sweet Robusto