Background:
Through my travels I stopped by Emerson's Cigars in Chesapeake, VA this past summer. I asked them if they had any cigars I couldn't find anywhere else and the lady helping me led me straight to the CAO Habano. I asked her for the details, and all she could tell me was it had a considerably aged Nicaraguan Habano and binder/filler from unknown origin. She said "these are really good, you should try them." Skeptical, I grabbed a corona and took it home where its sat in my humidor since about June.
Vitals:
Country of Origin: Honduras
Length: 5 1/2
Ring Gauge / Width: 42
Prelight:
The aroma was a little hard for me to pinpoint, but 'wet leather' is what came to mind. Appearance wise, it looked of clean construction with slight bumps and slight veining. Once cut, the draw was very good, leaning towards the firm side.
Once lit:
The volume of smoke was good. I immediately starting picking out an almost buttery almond/toasted almond taste. The finish was medium and sweet. About an inch into it, I was getting slight pepper. I was amazed at how creamy and delectable this thing was. With subsequent puffs, I could feel the flavors coating my mouth with its creaminess. The burn was a bit uneven at times, but some light touch-ups corrected it.
Halfway through, the spiciness was gone and never returned but the sweetness was prevalent through the finish and the roasted nuts and almond taste was still there along with a sweet finish. The rest of the stick remained consistent with this until I put it down, regrettably, with an inch left due to time constraints. I must mention that the aftertaste on this after having put it down for a little while was actually pretty satisfying.
Closing:
I liked this cigar. Flavor-wise it was a nice change from the oscuro kick I had been on lately. Price wise, these can be had for 5-6/stick online and a little higher in the store. Overall, I think these are a good buy.
Pictures follow. Pardon the incompleteness of the 'start-to-finish' photos.
Through my travels I stopped by Emerson's Cigars in Chesapeake, VA this past summer. I asked them if they had any cigars I couldn't find anywhere else and the lady helping me led me straight to the CAO Habano. I asked her for the details, and all she could tell me was it had a considerably aged Nicaraguan Habano and binder/filler from unknown origin. She said "these are really good, you should try them." Skeptical, I grabbed a corona and took it home where its sat in my humidor since about June.
Vitals:
Country of Origin: Honduras
Length: 5 1/2
Ring Gauge / Width: 42
Prelight:
The aroma was a little hard for me to pinpoint, but 'wet leather' is what came to mind. Appearance wise, it looked of clean construction with slight bumps and slight veining. Once cut, the draw was very good, leaning towards the firm side.
Once lit:
The volume of smoke was good. I immediately starting picking out an almost buttery almond/toasted almond taste. The finish was medium and sweet. About an inch into it, I was getting slight pepper. I was amazed at how creamy and delectable this thing was. With subsequent puffs, I could feel the flavors coating my mouth with its creaminess. The burn was a bit uneven at times, but some light touch-ups corrected it.
Halfway through, the spiciness was gone and never returned but the sweetness was prevalent through the finish and the roasted nuts and almond taste was still there along with a sweet finish. The rest of the stick remained consistent with this until I put it down, regrettably, with an inch left due to time constraints. I must mention that the aftertaste on this after having put it down for a little while was actually pretty satisfying.
Closing:
I liked this cigar. Flavor-wise it was a nice change from the oscuro kick I had been on lately. Price wise, these can be had for 5-6/stick online and a little higher in the store. Overall, I think these are a good buy.
Pictures follow. Pardon the incompleteness of the 'start-to-finish' photos.
