Archive for the ‘traviata’ Category

CAO La Traviata

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

Today’s review is a fairly new line from CAO. From what I can tell, the target audience is regular people who don’t have a ton of money to blow on cigars. I was immediately drawn to this cigar after seeing it in Ed’s cigar shop. Once again, I filled my glass with water, smoked, and bring you my thoughts on the CAO La Traviata.

 

Wrapper: Ecuador

Binder: Cameroon

Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic

Size: Divino 5 x 50

Price: Around $4 to $5.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The first thing that struck me about this cigar was the oily wrapper. It had a sheen to it that made it look delicious. I couldn’t find any major flaws at all, just normal small to medium sized veins here and there. The foot had a sweet, almost pipe tobacco type of smell. The wrapper shared the sweet pipe tobacco-ish smells with added cedar notes. The pre-light draw was a little stiff, and had sweet spicy notes complimented with cedar.

The ash held for about one inch, and I did no burn corrections.

1CAOLaTraviata

Flavor:

The first third greeted me with smooth earthy and sweet cedar flavors. When exhaling through the sinus there was a sweet spice that wasn’t too strong.

2CAOLaTraviata

The second third began with the spice mellowing out quite a bit. It was still present but only with a slight kick. At around half way in, a very nice nutty flavor combined with coffee came about. I can’t think of any other way to describe it other then saying it was very nice. Woody and earthy notes lurked in the back ground. As this third came to a close, the smoke started to coat the inside of the mouth.

3CAOLaTraviata

The last third crept into the full bodied range. The peppery spice increased in strength a bit but I wouldn’t say it was strong. For experimental purposes, I exhaled an entire draw through the nose. It did punch me in the face a little, but I recovered quickly with no real pain. Woody cedary notes mixed with nuts and coffee for an interesting blend. The earthy flavors went away completely.

4CAOLaTraviata

Conclusion:

This cigar is a winner for CAO. It is affordable and you easily get your moneys worth. If I had to pick a flaw, it would be the snug draw. But even that bothered me less and less as I smoked. This is my go to stick many times when I walk into a cigar shop. I suggest you give it a try!

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