CAO Sopranos

[Moglman]

I stopped by the local B&M just to see if they had anything interesting. They now have a ton of special blend pipe tobacco, but that's another thread. No Anejos yet, but they did have some Opus X and these gorgeous looking beauties. I got gouged but I'm not very good at restraint.

I picked up these 6 CAO Sopranos, 2 associates, 2 soldiers and 2 bosses. This was the first day they had them for sale, 2 each per person per day. The dang guy behind the counter was grinning pretty big with one between his fingers. These will rest a short while, maybe, we'll see, not sure, before I try one. Nice oily Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper, the binder is Honduran, and a freaky Nic/DR/Col filler combo.

 

[joshua]

Damn, been waitin for these. They look pretty nice. I definitely will have to find some and review them for the blog since I had posted about it when they announced it.

 

[caudio51]

I've been waiting for them too.

Those sure do look tastey!

 

[tobby4]

Damn those do look pretty good, I might just have to splurge and smoke a few non-cubans

 

[jcgoldner]

They do look tasty! :lookaroun

 

[Wasch_24]

How much do those run?

 

[caudio51]

They're pricey...let me see if I can find some #'s

 

[cvm4]

They're pricey...let me see if I can find some #'s

Must be because of all the fancy bands :hammersma

 

[caudio51]

Associate - 5 x 52 - $10.25 Each / $178.50 Box of 20

Boss - 7 x 56 - $14.50 Each / $246.50 Box of 20

Soldier - 6 x 54 - $12.50 Each / $212.50 Box of 20

 

[caudio51]

Must be because of all the fancy bands :hammersma

And HBO's cut put in there too

 

[joshua]

Jeez, I wonder of cigarbid will get them eventually or what.

 

[Wasch_24]

Holy high prices Batman!!!


Dayum!

 

[tobby4]

yea maybe i need to just stick with the cubans... damn

 

[cvm4]

yea maybe i need to just stick with the cubans... damn

That's what I was thinking :eyepoke:

 

[caudio51]

I am curious to try this blend out, talk about eclectic

The limited edition cigar uses a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper, Honduran binder, and an exotic mix of fillers from Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, and Colombia.

 

[tobby4]

I am interested... but shit not that interested...

 

[tobby4]

eh well, if my B&M has em, i will pick one up....

 

[Moglman]

This was my review pasted from CS. Sorry I forgot to post here.

There are a lot of mixed reviews on the Sopranos, and I dislike the marketing/branding aspect myself, but I figured I should post my thoughts.

After letting these rest a week+ in the humi, I had my first tonight. I smoked an Associate (robusto). I have to say that I really liked it. The pre-light aroma and draw were both excellent. There wasn't as much sheen as when I brought them home. It smells to me like sweet strong coffee and earth. The light was easy, and from the second or third draw I found the taste that would run throughout. Not really complex, but a smooth coffee/toffee flavor I really enjoyed. It was never harsh, kinda sweet, never sour. I think I expected a little more spice, which did pick up in the final third. The burn was off, but self correcting with some turning, and it is friggin cold with a steady breeze, so it didn't put me off, then it burned straight. The ash was firm, light grey, and held strong for about two inches, even with the wind. I think I smoked too fast bacause I was shivering, and would smoke at a more relaxed pace next time.

I have had cigars just as good for half the price, but it was still quite good. I can't justify paying the price being asked, so I doubt it will be a mainstay, but I'd still give it a thumbs up on taste and smokability. I hope CAO will realize that the gimmick isn't worth the cost, and adjust accordingly. If that happens, I'll buy them again.

 

[caudio51]

Very good reveiw and I would say my review is similar minus the burn issue. I just can't justify the price though.

 

[pharmgator]

I smoked one of the "Soldiers", and it was very good. Dark, rich wrapper. Great pre-light draw. No problems with the burn (light grey ash). The cigar was very rich (reminiscent of the Brazilias) tasting, to me, of chocolate and coffee (I tend to lean towards sticks like this). That being said, it did leave an aftertaste on the palate (not a bad taste), so much so that when I smoked another cigar about 2-3 hours later, I had problems tasting it. Another thing that I disliked was the labeling. I thought the bands were cheesy and of poor quality, and the box itself is supposed to resemble a car trunk (rather lame in my opinion). Overall, I liked them enough to buy two more of each size, but that will probably be it for me since the price isn't justifiable. One last thing - if you plan on smoking other cigars, then make this one the last of the day.