CAO Concert
Tuesday, September 18th, 2012Thanks to General Cigar, owner of the CAO brand, for sending me some samples of the cigar up for review today.
Back in the day, pre-General Cigar buy out, CAO was known for it’s flashy packaging and presentation. It looks like General is returning to that with the CAO Concert. It is said that this is inspired by CAO’s roots in Nashville. The cigar band is basically a guitar pick, along with a couple of guitars, which are complete with an “F cut.” I only point this out for the music geeks out there.
In the end, I don’t care about any of this. Read on, and see if the cigar delivered where it counts.
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Rosado
Binder: Connecticut
Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran
Size: Roadie 5.5 x 54
Price: $6.75
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The wrapper was shiny, a little toothy, had minimal veins, and a mild earthy aroma. Off of the foot, I could only smell a mild cedar, and a touch of pepper. Overall, this cigar was solidly and evenly packed. This led to a draw that was a little on the tight side, but it was well within my tolerance. The pre-light draw had a woody and earthy flavor.
The ash held for just over an inch, and the burn required one minor correction.
Flavor:
The first third had no buildup. Immediately I was greeted with a dark woody flavor. Up next was zingy pepper, followed by earth and hay. The smoke feel was thick, dry, and had a generic tinge of sweetness.
The second third kept the same core flavors as the first third. The main difference was a bitter sweet note. The pepper lost a little zing, but kept enough so that I had to pay attention when retrohaling. The smoke feel wasn’t as dry, resulting in less craving for water.
A bitter cocoa developed in the last third. It mixed with the ever present wood, earth, and peppery spice. The smoke feel remained dry, and bordered on creaminess.
Conclusion:
While the CAO Concert didn’t bring anything new to the table, it was a solid medium bodied cigar. Construction, ash, burn, and flavor were all consistent. I think the price point was met, and if I see them on the shelves, I may smoke one from time to time.
