CAO Cameroon L'Anniversaire
Size: 5 x 50 Robusto
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
It's a gorgeous day today, though for the last few days it has been windy here in Orange County. I was concerned that the high winds may play hell with my smoking, so instead of selecting a first time try cigar, I went with a stick from a box that I have had sitting for the better part of a year. I love the CAO Cameroons, having tried my first one a couple years ago, and I had found it to be a very flavorful and satisfying cigar. I've yet to be dissapointed by these, so I purchased a box of the Robustos along with a box of Punch Rare Corojos, and let them sit in my humidor. I have had a few over the course of the last year, and all of them were good, but this particular stick was outstanding. I don't know if it was just the mood I was in, if it had finally hit a point in the aging that changed it, or what, but that didn't matter as I was loving it!
On my initial inspection of the cigar, I found the construction to be of great quality, with a nice firmness to the cigar and a very, very sharp box press. The wrapper had a couple smaller veins that stood out from the rest, and the color was consistent throughout. The foot was well bunched and uniform, and the cap was devoid of any flaws. I made a quick, clean cut with my Xikar guillotine cutter, and took a prelight draw. I cound not discern any specific tastes, though I did find the draw to have a slight resistance that was perfect, not too easy, not too hard. I toasted the foot, lit it, then took a nice, long draw.
Right off the bat, I was getting lots of cocoa and expresso flavors, with a nice amount of tobacco on the finish. The strength was a solid medium, and the finish was perfect though clean. The smoke was ample, aromatic, and sweet smelling, though the wind carried it off too quick for me to enjoy it much more. This was a very good cigar already! The burn was good, with an ash that was weak and had banding of different hued grays.
The second half of the cigar gained strength to put it to a medium-full side of the spectrum, and the tobacco flavor became more robust and up front on the flavor profile. The cocoa and expresso stayed consistent, while a touch of wood took up the rear from out of nowhere. Still a great cigar! The burn was staying nice, despite the wind.
I loved this stick! It never got hot, the strength stayed medium-full, and the flavor was dead on delicious! This cigar reminded me of the first one of these I ever had, which leads me to believe that the rest of the box must be aging nicely. I can't wait to fire up another one!
Size: 5 x 50 Robusto
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
It's a gorgeous day today, though for the last few days it has been windy here in Orange County. I was concerned that the high winds may play hell with my smoking, so instead of selecting a first time try cigar, I went with a stick from a box that I have had sitting for the better part of a year. I love the CAO Cameroons, having tried my first one a couple years ago, and I had found it to be a very flavorful and satisfying cigar. I've yet to be dissapointed by these, so I purchased a box of the Robustos along with a box of Punch Rare Corojos, and let them sit in my humidor. I have had a few over the course of the last year, and all of them were good, but this particular stick was outstanding. I don't know if it was just the mood I was in, if it had finally hit a point in the aging that changed it, or what, but that didn't matter as I was loving it!
On my initial inspection of the cigar, I found the construction to be of great quality, with a nice firmness to the cigar and a very, very sharp box press. The wrapper had a couple smaller veins that stood out from the rest, and the color was consistent throughout. The foot was well bunched and uniform, and the cap was devoid of any flaws. I made a quick, clean cut with my Xikar guillotine cutter, and took a prelight draw. I cound not discern any specific tastes, though I did find the draw to have a slight resistance that was perfect, not too easy, not too hard. I toasted the foot, lit it, then took a nice, long draw.
Right off the bat, I was getting lots of cocoa and expresso flavors, with a nice amount of tobacco on the finish. The strength was a solid medium, and the finish was perfect though clean. The smoke was ample, aromatic, and sweet smelling, though the wind carried it off too quick for me to enjoy it much more. This was a very good cigar already! The burn was good, with an ash that was weak and had banding of different hued grays.
The second half of the cigar gained strength to put it to a medium-full side of the spectrum, and the tobacco flavor became more robust and up front on the flavor profile. The cocoa and expresso stayed consistent, while a touch of wood took up the rear from out of nowhere. Still a great cigar! The burn was staying nice, despite the wind.
I loved this stick! It never got hot, the strength stayed medium-full, and the flavor was dead on delicious! This cigar reminded me of the first one of these I ever had, which leads me to believe that the rest of the box must be aging nicely. I can't wait to fire up another one!
