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Cigar of the Week

Cigar of the Week: CAO Black Gothic (Torpedo)

(Note: This review originally appeared on CigarJack.)

CAO Black cigar #1

Brand: CAO
Line: Black
Vitola: Gothic (Torpedo) 6 x 52
Origin: Nicaraguan
Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran, Mexican
Body: Medium
Strength: Medium
Box Price: $118 (Box of 20)

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve posted a review, but I’m glad to be back!

Steve from Cigars International sent me a few of the CAO Black and CAO Black VR (stay tuned for that review later) stogies to check out. (Thanks, Steve!)

Now one of the top brands in the industry, Nashville-based CAO really started on what would become its road to fame in the mid-90s, when the company released the Black. After smoking this, you’ll be able to see why the company became a hit.

As you can see, it’s a good-looking cigar. When packed, it’s wrapped in a thin slice of cedar wood, but after peeling back the cedar, I noticed the wrapper was especially smooth.

Upon lighting up, the cigar had a very even draw and produced a ton of smoke. The Black tasted sweet and nutty at first, but as I continued smoking, it turned a bit spicy…cedary too. (Although that could’ve just been from the way it was wrapped.) All in all, the CAO Black throws a lot of different flavors at you, but I found that it’s a good, well-balanced smoke.

Now about its structure. With many of my past CAO smokes, I’ve noticed they all burn quite evenly and have solid, white ash. The Black is no different; it’s solidly-constructed and is a low-maintenance cigar.

Verdict: Nice medium-bodied, complex smoke. I’d certainly smoke the CAO Black again!

Similar cigars: Rocky Patel Vintage 1999