This is a new offering from CAO, and is the first CAO cigar that I have reviewed for this blog. It presents well with a rich, oily wrapper that has little veining. There is some fraying at the foot, but it does not appear to be an issue. The construction is firm, but I do not detect anything that would lead me to believe that there will be a problem. The pre light aroma is slightly sour, but has compelling notes of coffee, pepper and dark fruit. The pre light draw is peppery.
The cigar opens with a profile that is peppery and full of nicotine, the is a slight sourness at the back of the palate. The draw is excellent and the burn has begun in razor sharp fashion with a nice gray ash, that appears to be heavy.
The first third of the cigar shows notes of coffee and pepper, the flavor depth is a bit shallow, but the overall profile is nice. The draw has loosened and the cigar produces copious amounts of smoke. The burn has stayed consistent, but is starting to show some lopsidedness.
At the halfway point the cigar has maintained a core of coffee and pepper, the flavor has added some depth and is showing some promise. The draw is still loose and I am detecting some heat in the draw, so I slow it down and sip the cigar like a fine scotch. In slowing down I discover some added nuance in the profile and detect notes of cocoa. The burn is starting to canoe a bit, but I am attempting to smoke through it.
The final third of the cigar shows a core of coffee and pepper, but earth and cocoa tones are laced into the profile at this point. The draw has stayed loose and even though I have slowed down considerable the draw is showing some heat. The canoe has not straightened out, but I am close to the end so I leave it to it's own devices.
The finish is average and shows notes of earth and tobacco flavors.
Appearance- 91 a nice looking cigar
Taste- 88 some sour notes in the open hurt the score
Construction- 82 the loose draw caused too much heat
Strength- 88 a nice medium/full smoke
Overall- 87.25 a nice effort
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