Cigar Review: CAO Concert

Music to my... mouth?!  This melodious cigar is sure to please a crowd. For about $6 at Stogie Boys you can own this classic, and (spoiler alert) it's worth every penny.

I won't go into CAO's story but here are a few fun facts:

1. The CAO Concert cigar was inspired by the brand's Nashville roots.
2. Rick Rodriguez crafted this beautiful piece.
3. It is made using a combo of 4 Nicaraguan & Honduran fillers with a Connecticut binder, then rolled in a Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.
4. It is best smoked while listening to big band jazz, like the old school stuff (true story).

Upon lighting, you get hit with a peppery smell and a thin smoke. It has a tight draw, and takes a little to get going. Once in full puff mode, ya puff mode, it picks up fast with rich and strong flavors. Not for the faint of heart. The peppery start will bite, but it mellows to a woodsy taste and a tad of sweetness. I say tad cause it is mainly earthy spice so don't kid yourself!

It burned great and was a long smoke due to the tight draw. Hunker down with a good book cause it will be a while. As it burned, the spice mellowed and the sweetness kicked up. Still earthy though. It leaves a nice rich taste in your mouth, but a generally dirty feeling. It's all that flavor just hanging out for later.

I was very impressed! I am not a bold cigar guy but this stick was palatable and super complex. Standing ovation for this maestro. Solid 8 outa 10. Pick one up, enjoy.

Cigar Review: CAO LX2

Double the ligero, double the awesome (at least in this case)!

This was one of my favorite CAO's if not one of my favorite cigars. I do have to warn you, his cigar isn't for the light of heart. The flavorful punch packed by its ligeros can be a little difficult to handle...  

"LX2" stands for ligero times two. This blend has twice the ligero and hence twice the full flavor. The blenders at CAO really did a nice job though. Its full, peppery taste is balanced well and tames down the cigar a bit. You will still get lots of spice but there is a smooth sweet in there too. The fillers come from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua; and they work well to calm this ligero beast. The long leaves are wrapped in a semi-oily, Nicaraguan ligero leaf to top it off. 

This is one of those cigars that you just have to keep in the humidor. It is great to have the full range to choose from; light to full cigars.  And when you are in the mood for a full cigar, look no further. This is your ligero lover. Full and spicy but just sweet enough to be impossible to put down. The complexity and the build of the cigar were also impeccable and there is really nothing to dislike. That is why I give this cigar a very well earned 8.5 of 10.

Questions for YOU: What is your favorite "strong" cigar?

Delicious Pairings: CAO LX2 and Mount Gay Rum

You have to try this! I recently read an article from a Cigar.com catalog about pairing rum with cigars. I am very familiar with pairing cigars with Scotch, but I have yet to try rum! So this post will be all about what I learned and what you should try.

After rummaging through my man cabinet, (every man needs a man cabinet by the way) I selected a darker more complex cigar and a smooth unflavored rum. The article specifically said to not use a flavored rum, the sweetness can ruin whatever subtle flavors you are creating by the pairing. So what did I select? I selected Mount Gay Barbados Rum, it is relatively cheap and a great rum! It is like the St. Luis Rey of rums. I went with a CAO LX2 for the cigar, for its complexity and dark earthy taste. I also haven’t had a CAO in a while so this was great.

Now to the actual tasting. The whole point of pairing a cigar with a drink isn't to "cleanse the palate" from the cigar. It is to enhance the taste from the cigar, with the drink whether that be coffee, whisky, or rum. The LX2 provided a deep earthy and petty taste that was enhanced with sweet sugar from the rum. It created a truly fantastic pair and keep the mouth happy for hours! I was sitting on my porch just enjoying a sunny day, and the taste of earthy sweetness filled my senses! It was great and I will definitely try further pairings. I am planning on getting some more rums, because I think I may like a rum better with a cigar than a Scotch. I dare say it...

Cigar Review: CAO American

The CAO America…what a good idea! Cigars are great for celebrating and what could be better than celebrating with a good old American Cigar!? This was actually a pretty strong cigar. I was expecting a little less but this was a lot stronger than I anticipated. I would put it right in between medium and full on its taste. The two different wrappers really added a nice touch. It is like when a whisky distillery uses both a sherry and bourbon cask for their dram. It really brings out both flavors and blends them at the same time. You could taste the pepper of the maduro right off the bat, then the creamy nutty Connecticut wrapper to finish and mellow it out. Unfortunately the maduro won every time. I am a Connecticut guy and prefer it to a maduro, but it still made for an interesting smoke. The overall presentation and construction of the cigar was excellent. It had an average draw, great burn, and minimal blemishes. It had a nice cedar smell and tasted of pepper and a little sweet nut. I have always liked CAO and their “country” lines have yet to disappoint! Overall, I give this one an 8 of 10. It could have used a little more complexity with the other wrapper; it felt dominated by the maduro.

Cigar Review: CAO MX2

Ahhhh, this little gem was everything I hoped for. It was thick and spicy, but still retained a little sweet in the smoke. I wouldn't go for this cigar after a big meal or recommend it to a new cigar smoker. It is stronger, not quite full bodied smoke. The peppery finish is what would turn people away. It is not like dumping a shaker on your tongue, but it is definitely there. Smooth burn and GREAT presentation. CAO does a great job with their wrappers and construction not to mention their really cool and edgy labels. I still think the LX2 is a more complex cigar but this one still brings something to the table. I give it a 8 of 10.

Cigar Review: CAO MX2

I had this cigar while sitting on the tailgate of truck on a beautiful day. If no one has done this, I would really recommend it! There is nothing like a good cigar with a friend on a gorgeous day. Here is the Cigar.com bio:

“When most people think of a Double Maduro, they typically are reminded of a super dark almost jet-black wrapper. CAO has put a new spin on the term “double maduro” with a second wrapper all together. It is medium to full-bodied and slightly sweet on the lips. The aroma is rich and earthy with hints of black pepper and a long spicy finish. This cigar is ideal for the maduro lover. It is considered to be in the top five in terms of the best maduro cigars being rolled today. Like all CAO cigars, the MX2 has a flawless construction and burn that makes it a solid performer every time you fire one up.”

Anyway, upon lighting it had a hard draw, it was packed very tight and burned real slow because of that draw. It blistered a bit during the smoke and I had to relight but it was slightly windy so I do not take it out on the cigar. The taste was great, it was a spicy smoke with a medium amount of pepper on the palate. It was right in between one of the CAO Golds and a CAO LX2. I preferred the LX2, but this was a little lighter and a great smoke none the less. For some reason I still taste more sweet from the LX2, which is supposed to be stronger and more peppery. As I mentioned the actual construction came under question but I don’t think it was the cigars fault. My buddy’s cigar also went out from the breeze. Overall, I give this one a 7 of 10.

Cigar Review: CAO 65th Anniversary

I was sceptical about this one, I like CAO cigars but I figured this edition was just some promotional line. I decided on this little guy (cool tube that it came in by the way) just by chance at cigar.com, here is its bio...

"CAO 65th Anniversary was blended to match Cano’s personality; it’s rich, complex and is meant to leave you with a smile on your face. The wrapper, binder and filler were taken from various farms and specific regions of Nicaragua to compose this puro. These cigars come elegantly packaged and won’t leave you disappointed. These are a must for CAO nuts and cigar enthusiasts alike"

It had a great wrapper with little flaws and a very traditional smell. Upon cutting it had a great draw and really good burn. I lit it and was pleasantly surprised at what followed. It had a very pleasant medium taste with a great earthy flavor to it. It had no spicy after taste and finished with an easy to handle smell. There were competing earthy notes playing here and it was really really good! It was like burning a nice oaky log on a summer night. Nothing too spicy or strong yet full of flavor. No smokey aftertaste as well. I really liked it and will continue my CAO search to find their best cigar.I give this cigar a 7 of 10.