(Note: This review originally appeared on CigarJack.)
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Brand: CAO
Line: Black VR
Vitola: Moby (Toro) 6 x 50
Origin: Honduran
Wrapper: Brazilian
Filler: Nicaraguan, Mexican
Body: Full
Strength: Full
Box Price: $116 (Box of 20)
A little while ago, I reviewed the CAO Black for CigarJack. Now, it’s time for its younger sibling, the CAO Black VR. Once again, Steve from Cigars International came through with this one.
The CAO Black VR is a good-looking cigar. Everything from the band, to the cigar’s oily sheen, all the way down to the extra Jackson Pollock-esque band at the opposite end of the cigar. (Then again, I don’t think I’ve ever seen an ugly CAO.)
When I lit into the stogie, it floored me with a nice 1-2 punch of a full body and a signature maduro spicyness — something I’m used to getting halfway into the cigar. I kept puffing away, a bit nervous about what the rest of the cigar had in store for me.
Then, a funny thing happened: the Black VR mellowed out a bit, giving the Brazilian wrapper a chance to sweeten the deal for me–literally. I got some hints of chocolate and leather, but as I continued, the stogie’s complexity continued to impress me.
Once again, even burn, nice white ash. A good all-around cigar.
Verdict: I enjoyed the Black VR; however, this cigar isn’t for everyone, as it doesn’t strike me as a “traditional” maduro. If I’m smoking a cigar this dark, I tend to enjoy bigger ring gauges, something this line doesn’t offer.
Similar cigars: Partagas Black