“QUICK PUFF” – CAO MX3
Dec 6, 2009 Cigar, Quick Puff
Tonight’s “Quick Puff” Review is the mysterious CAO MX3 Robusto.
CAO maintains an inventory of specific tobacco that they use in special blends called “The Escaparate Collection” The collection is an assortment of different cigar blends that utilizes these special tobacco lots. What makes these blends unique is that they are generally not released to the public or released in very small amounts since there is not enough of the Escaparate tobaccos to be used in standard release blends.
One of these mysterious, Escaparate cigars is the CAO MX3. The MX3 is available only at Drapers Tobacconist in Washington D.C. – (800) 572-2382. It is exclusive to them and will most likely remain so as long as they last.
The MX3 is a very rough looking stick. It has a lumpy, bumpy wrapper, but is firmly packed. The stick is incredibly oily and is very rich looking. Nose is distinct chocolate and espresso. Maybe the ultra dark maduro wrapper has my mind playing tricks on me, but I swear I smelled chocolate covered coffee beans. Draw was a little firm for my liking. It took me two good draws to pull enough smoke for one normal draw. Bothersome, but not a deal-breaker. The MX3 is a simple, but amazing flavor profile. It’s basically chocolate, coffee and light wood. What makes this cigar special is the intensity of those flavors and how they mingle together so nicely. Simply put, this cigar was delicious.
It’s disappointing how difficult these are to obtain and how limited they are. This is truly a wonderful smoke that I would buy again and again if readily available. As it is I will certainly pick up more from Drapers and hide them away. Definitely a contender for Top 10 Cigars of the year.
Tags: CAO, Draper's, Escaparate, MX3
CAO La Traviata Divino
Oct 21, 2009 Cigar
Tonight’s review is the La Traviata from CAO.
The La Traviata brand began its life at the turn of the 20th Century in Cuba or, more precisely, in the Tabacalera Cubana, Agramonte no. 106, in Havana. Over 100 years later, CAO has resurrected the La Traviata name, abiding closely to its original Cuban roots in presentation and taste. CAO La Traviata is a full-bodied, full-flavored cigar that combines an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with a Cameroon binder and incorporates two different ligero filler tobaccos from the Pueblo Nuevo farm in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. “The inspiration for La Traviata came from smoking numerous classic Cuban cigars,” said CAO President Tim Ozgener. “We wanted to create a cigar that appealed to sight, smell, and taste. The oily sheen of the Ecuadorian wrapper compels you to pick it up. The pre-light has a distinct pepper and leather nose. The flavor bombards the palate with intense, rich notes of cedar, anise, and leather, evolving along the way into a lush and creamy finish. We’ve also stayed true to the original La Traviata vista and artwork circa 1901-1904.”
Packaged in 24-count boxes, CAO La Traviata will be available in three shapes: Divino (5″ x 50), Radiante (6″ x 52), and Intrepido (7″ x 54), and will have a suggested retail price range of $4.95 to $5.75 per cigar.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Size: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
Origin:Honduras
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaraguan and Dominican
APPEARANCE and CONSTRUCTION – (16 of 20 pts.)
I was astonished at how oily this cigar was. The wrapper is fairly smooth with a medium brown color. The oils coming off this stick simply glisten. The most oily CAO cigar I’ve seen to date. The double cap was a little sloppy including a miscut on the edge. There was one medium sized vein running down the length of the cigar, but nothing too terrible. Overall decent construction
SMOKING CHARACTERISTICS – (22 of 25 pts.)
Wrapper had a distinct aroma of fresh cut wood. The foot gave me more of a sweet aroma, like sweet tea. Clean cut with a punch cutter. Cold draw was perfect. Lit perfectly and stayed lit throughout. Draw remained very good. The burn line tended to be a little thick, but not too bad. Ash had a small amount of flowering, but again nothing too bad.
FLAVOR – (26 of 30 pts.)
I got a nice range of flavors from the La Traviata. First third had some chestnut and earthy flavors. There was a little spice in the back of the throat that stayed in the background for the whole smoke. The nuttiness turned into some sweet hay flavors around the second third. Wood notes also came in the second third and they remained into the final third. Final third remained with the woody notes as well as a return to some of the earthiness in the first third.
OVERALL IMPRESSION – (21 of 25 pts.)
The whole time I was smoking this cigar, I really wanted to like it. It looks beautiful, it’s priced amazingly well, and it’s got good availability. I can honestly say I did like it. Didn’t blow me away, but I did sincerely enjoy it. What I like most about it is the price. For the money, I think it’s a great smoke and more than worth what you’re going to pay for it. This would be something you could turn to as your everyday smoke. It’s got a nice range of flavors, good transitions, and burns well. All at a great price.
TOTAL SCORE – 85
Tags: CAO, LA Traviata
