The CAO Flathead V21 Carb was pretty monotonous and started with a typical General Cigar profile. It built in strength as it went along, but at no time did I find the profile interesting or all that enjoyable. Definitely not a cigar I see myself returning to.
I don’t know what I am doing here, but I dug this CAO Pilón Añejo Robusto! Some cool flavors here and there with a solid core of cocoa, leather, floral and herbal qualities. Great construction! Final third was not as good as the first two thirds, but overall, I thought this was a good cigar.
Quite a linear profile of musty cedar and dry earth with the profile becoming quite dry by the midpoint. No complexities or transitions to really speak of. The snug draw was a bit of a downer, but didn't have any ill effects on the performance. The price point is quite attractive, but there's nothing here that would make me want to come back to the CAO Zocalo Robusto.
Focusing on the primary growing regions of Northeastern Brazil, CAO BX3 is made with sweet and aromatic Mata Fina and hearty, vibrant Arapiraca tobaccos that are used as wrapper, binder, and filler in an exciting, four-country blend.
Wrapped in Ecuadorian Habano Viso, with a Nicaraguan binder and a filler that blends Nicaraguan tobacco with Cuban-seed Canadian leaf, CAO Borealis is a true medium-bodied cigar that’s subtle in its uniqueness and deep on intricacy. The experience brims with notes of spice, cedar, pepper, nuts, and cocoa.
CAO is set to launch a blend called Pilón Añejo which pairs labor-intensive fermentation and finished cigar aging to deliver a cigar of great depth and character. The limited-edition line will ship to retailers in April and a total of 5,000 boxes will be released in the US.
I never smoked the original so I can't say how it compares, but this CAO Vision was a fairly average experience overall. I can see it appealing to a wide range of smokers that gravitate to this basic type of profile, but I need something more to maintain my attention. With the experience I had, combined with the high price point, I don't really see myself returning to this cigar.
The limited edition smoke called “Torque” will debut as the biggest in the CAO lineup. The blend is medium-full in body, and made with Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos of different primings to deliver spice and dimension. With a Nicaraguan Habano binder and rich Honduran Habano wrapper, Torque delivers a big, bold smoking experience.
The CAO Bones Chicken Foot offered up the most interesting combination of flavors in the first third for me. The second and last thirds were consistent, but the flavors and balance didn't do enough to rise much above an average level. This cigar is a pass for me, I'd rather reach for the dynamic flavors of the Pilon or any of the Flathead series.
The CAO Arcana Mortal Coil Toro was a mostly wood forward cigar that tried at times to evolve beyond that base flavor note, but ultimately couldn't succeed. There is nothing wrong with the cigar, it just doesn't offer a profile that engaged my interest or attention other than a short period in the first third.