auburnfan1980
11-29-2008, 11:16 PM
As promised in a previous post, here it is...burning the midnight oil...light-headed after getting my a$$ kicked by a new blend from the marketing masters, CAO International.
I walked into The Briary in Birmingham, Alabama on Friday to pick up a couple of new sticks and in no way expected to see this new offering from CAO. As a HUGE fan of the La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero line, I couldn't believe my eyes as the guy at the shop told me they had JUST opened the box, and I purchased the first two sticks fresh off the shelves. Ladies and gentlemen, without further adieu, I present to you my take on this promising new stick.
CAO Lx2 Toro (6x50)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Ligero leaf from both Dominican Rep. and Nicaragua
Nice, fresh cut
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/379/img8657cf6.th.jpg (http://img210.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img8657cf6.jpg)
Sorry for the blur
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/5201/img8660ai8.th.jpg (http://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img8660ai8.jpg)
Prelight aroma: sweet, leathery
Construction: Nice, solid throughout- firm, with no soft spots. Cap had a few minor flaws and knots in it.
First 3rd:
Producing plenty of smoke after a fairly easy light. Immdiately after the first few puffs, I detect a leathery feel with a pronounced spiciness lingering in the back of my mouth. Earthy undertones are also detected at this point.
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/745/img8661bh6.th.jpg (http://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img8661bh6.jpg)
Second 3rd:
Gray, flaky ash producing copious amounts of blu-ish smoke. Spice certainly still remains, but leather is becoming dominant. I can tell already this is definitely a full-bodied cigar. Spice slightly remains, but continues to give way to open up with flavors of toasted wood with a hint of sweetness. VERY pleasing flavor and VERY full...would love to smoke one of these with more age on it. Towards the end of this stage, spice continues to dissipate, with creamy tones and the slightest bit of mocha flavor coming through.
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/6848/img8662zf7.th.jpg (http://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img8662zf7.jpg)
Final 3rd:
This has been an absolute surprise as the flavors become more complex, but not like a mish-mash of flavor...more of a consistent complexity, if you will. Cream has overtaken all spice, and a very slight tangy, not citrus, but a tangy/acidic kick comes into play. Towards the very end, a slightly pronounced licorice flavor is a perfect end to this stick which never gets harsh as I continued to "nub" this one til about half an inch was left.
http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/596/img8663mb3.th.jpg (http://img212.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img8663mb3.jpg)
Overall Impression:
As well as one can tell with a single offering from a new blend, this would certainly be my favorite cigar made by CAO. Jeff Tinnell, the area rep for CAO, said this stick would rival the LFD DL, and thus far, I believe he's correct. I've tried nearly every CAO blend offered, and while I've found most to be quite one-dimensional (which is not always a terrible thing), this one certainly goes above and beyond anything else they've created to date...including the Sopranos and Vision lines. CAUTION: Eat before smoking, as this is one to be reckoned with, and I was certainly getting a buzz...even in the middle of the stick. If you've never been a fan of CAO, but enjoy a full-bodied cigar, I would encourage you to revisit this brand, giving their new offering a try. :tu
Construction: 7/10
Draw: 8.5/10
Burn: 8.5/10
Flavor: 9/10
OVERALL: 8.25 :tu
Thanks for taking the time to read!
Jason
I walked into The Briary in Birmingham, Alabama on Friday to pick up a couple of new sticks and in no way expected to see this new offering from CAO. As a HUGE fan of the La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero line, I couldn't believe my eyes as the guy at the shop told me they had JUST opened the box, and I purchased the first two sticks fresh off the shelves. Ladies and gentlemen, without further adieu, I present to you my take on this promising new stick.
CAO Lx2 Toro (6x50)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Ligero leaf from both Dominican Rep. and Nicaragua
Nice, fresh cut
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/379/img8657cf6.th.jpg (http://img210.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img8657cf6.jpg)
Sorry for the blur
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/5201/img8660ai8.th.jpg (http://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img8660ai8.jpg)
Prelight aroma: sweet, leathery
Construction: Nice, solid throughout- firm, with no soft spots. Cap had a few minor flaws and knots in it.
First 3rd:
Producing plenty of smoke after a fairly easy light. Immdiately after the first few puffs, I detect a leathery feel with a pronounced spiciness lingering in the back of my mouth. Earthy undertones are also detected at this point.
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/745/img8661bh6.th.jpg (http://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img8661bh6.jpg)
Second 3rd:
Gray, flaky ash producing copious amounts of blu-ish smoke. Spice certainly still remains, but leather is becoming dominant. I can tell already this is definitely a full-bodied cigar. Spice slightly remains, but continues to give way to open up with flavors of toasted wood with a hint of sweetness. VERY pleasing flavor and VERY full...would love to smoke one of these with more age on it. Towards the end of this stage, spice continues to dissipate, with creamy tones and the slightest bit of mocha flavor coming through.
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/6848/img8662zf7.th.jpg (http://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img8662zf7.jpg)
Final 3rd:
This has been an absolute surprise as the flavors become more complex, but not like a mish-mash of flavor...more of a consistent complexity, if you will. Cream has overtaken all spice, and a very slight tangy, not citrus, but a tangy/acidic kick comes into play. Towards the very end, a slightly pronounced licorice flavor is a perfect end to this stick which never gets harsh as I continued to "nub" this one til about half an inch was left.
http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/596/img8663mb3.th.jpg (http://img212.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img8663mb3.jpg)
Overall Impression:
As well as one can tell with a single offering from a new blend, this would certainly be my favorite cigar made by CAO. Jeff Tinnell, the area rep for CAO, said this stick would rival the LFD DL, and thus far, I believe he's correct. I've tried nearly every CAO blend offered, and while I've found most to be quite one-dimensional (which is not always a terrible thing), this one certainly goes above and beyond anything else they've created to date...including the Sopranos and Vision lines. CAUTION: Eat before smoking, as this is one to be reckoned with, and I was certainly getting a buzz...even in the middle of the stick. If you've never been a fan of CAO, but enjoy a full-bodied cigar, I would encourage you to revisit this brand, giving their new offering a try. :tu
Construction: 7/10
Draw: 8.5/10
Burn: 8.5/10
Flavor: 9/10
OVERALL: 8.25 :tu
Thanks for taking the time to read!
Jason