CAO Italia gondola

[Don Fernando]

This ring 54 6 inch torpedo with Italian grown filler and a nice dark silky wrapper looks classy, smells classy, and has a great construction and a nice azzuri cigar band.

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff347/cs_donfernando/reviews/CAO%20Italia/DSC01011.jpg

What I taste is a bit salty wood and tobacco but the salty flavor disappears and the cigar gets a bit sweet, sweet cedar. After about 2 inch the sweetness disappears too and it’s just one flavor: cedar. Halfway there is a period where the cigar is a bit bitter and when that disappears it is the wood again.

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff347/cs_donfernando/reviews/CAO%20Italia/DSC01015.jpg

The rum that I drank brings out the sweetness of the cigar. The smoke is ok but it could be a little more. The ash is firm.

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff347/cs_donfernando/reviews/CAO%20Italia/DSC01013.jpg

Would I buy this cigar again? No, like all CAO cigars I tried so far, once but never again.

Construction: 16 / 20
Draw: 14 / 20
Appearance: 14 / 20
Smoke & ash: 7 / 10
Burn: 16 / 20
Aroma (first part) 6 / 10
Aroma (middle part) 6 / 10
Aroma (last part) 6 / 10

[Mugen910]

Thank for the info...

[renton20]

Great review Don, I tried one back in January and had almost the exact same experience.

[Jimbo14]

I had a CAO Italia Ciao last week. It was fantastic. Maybe you just got a bad one...

[replicant_argent]

I would be excited if you reviewed the mysterious bottle of Rummy Heaven. :D

[njstone]

THanks for the review. I my opinion, the Italia is best in either the robusto, pc, or boxpress. The bigger ones loose flavor, imho.

[Don Fernando]

I had a CAO Italia Ciao last week. It was fantastic. Maybe you just got a bad one...

Nope, I smoked 2 of them and I just don't like 'em. Haven't had any CAO that I liked, period. But we all have different preferences and palates, I don't like em', that means more CAO Italia for you ;)

I would be excited if you reviewed the mysterious bottle of Rummy Heaven. :D

It was good, and now it's empty.

[OHRD]

Great review as always, the ash looked excellent (if nothing else was). What other CAO's have you had bad experiences with?

[Don Fernando]

I smoked a few, can't remember which blends but they include a gold and a Brazilia for sure.

[OHRD]

The only CAO I've had was the Brazilia and it gave me a migraine; no idea why but it did--haven't had a CAO since, though I do want to try the Criolo and the Gold. My friend also had a bad experience w/ the burn on an LX2.

[roughrider]

The Italia is my favorite from CAO.

[papichulo]

The Italia is my favorite from CAO.

I agree, the only CAO I smoke is an Italia.

[dwoodward]

Edit... really old thread lol... wow.