CAO La Traviata Radiante Maduro (6x52)

There was much anticipation amongst BOTL's about this cigar and I have been hearing about it for some time now. After smoking it I can tell you that the anticipation should not be excited expectancy like Christmas Morning, but more like nervous, gut churning anticipation prior to having a root canal at the dentist.

The cigar appears, benignly enough, with a rich looking maduro wrapper that has satisfying oils and some prominent veining (that has me a bit concerned about burn performance). There is some significant tooth to this cigar and the cigar pre lighting ritual is going well for me at this point. An inspection shows me that the cigar is neither too loose or too tight and I anticipate that I will not have any issues with the performance of the draw. The pre light aroma shows some dark chocolate notes and an essence of dark fruit that has some citrus zest. The pre light draw has some thready notes of pepper and earth, but I am immediately on notice because I taste a fuel like presence in the draw.

The cigar opens with exactly what I feared. The core profile shows acrid notes of burning fuel, similar to how kerosene smells when it burns and leaves that taste in your mouth from the oily smoke. I am very put off early on and I am struggling with the idea of putting this down (you should note that at this point two fellow BOTL's were also smoking this blend and one had already put it down and the other was leaning that way), because I almost never put a cigar down in the early moments. At the back of the palate there are some thin presentations of earth, but the fuel taste has fouled the entire early experience. The draw is fair, but is a bit tight for me, this could be a blessing as I can control the amount of putrescence that enters my mouth and thus infects my palate. The burn is controlled and even at this point.

The first half continues with horrible intentions in an uninterrupted fashion. The core profile continues to show notes of burning fuel and it is beginning to scorch my throat a bit, not an experience that any smoker looks for. At the back of the palate I am struggling to find fleeting hints of earth and wood, but again the fuel taste permeates the entire smoke. The draw continues to be fair and the burn is performing well, which is really the only redeeming quality of the smoke at this point.

The final half of the cigar does not improve either and the only reason I have not put it down, as my two friends already have, is because I am just an optimist hoping to find something positive in this experience. Alas, it is not to be. The core profile continues to be scorched and fuel like and there are no redeeming parts of the smoke at this point. The draw and burn remain the same. I release it with nearly a third of the cigar left.

The only saving grace is that I was at a nice dinner with great company or this cigar would have befouled my entire day. Don't waste your time and money, you would be better off in a sweat tent with 1000 citronella candles.

Appearance- 90 a great looking smoke
Taste- 70 my lowest score possible as I found almost no value in the smoke
Construction- 87 above average but not great
Strength- 70 very difficult to judge due to the burning fuel character of the profile
Overall- 79 a very poor cigar and I would rate this as a must miss

CAO La Traviata Radiante

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