Cigar part of “gift with purchase” at event
Background
A couple weeks ago I took a look at the first of 3 blends included in 2020’s CAO Tour Sampler, available only if you went to an event where CAO Brand Manager (and Master Blender), Ricky Rodriguez, was present. What I should do this week as I’m getting ready to take some notes on this cigar is tell you the story Ricky told us when he was in the shop. But I’ve been sworn to secrecy, and I have to take that pretty seriously…that and the fact that he threatened death if I told anyone (not really, but his eyes indicated it was so).
No new blends, as far as I can tell, since the last CAO tour sampler, but I think these may be new sizes. Also, there are no blend details for any of them. Today I’m smoking what appears to be a Lonsdale-ish size of the CAOHU0116 and I’ll be pairing it with Colonel E.H. Taylor Bottled In Bond Bourbon…mostly because I keep seeing the bottle while I sit at my desk, but forget about it once it’s time to pour. Honestly the bottle is too tall to live with my other bottles, so it has a spot that’s only in my sight-lines when I’m at my desk.
Notes
The CAOHU0116 had a glossy, oily wrapper leaf that was the color of milk chocolate and smelled of leather, bell peppers, and earth. The foot of the cigar was rich and pungent with earthiness and a little cedar. The cold draw was excellent and had notes of semi-sweet chocolate, espresso bean, and earth.
Once fired up, I got cedar up front with earth and leather following closely behind. After that was a slight sweetness mixed with smoky, roasty coffee notes. Further puffing revealed a good amount of black pepper. The Bourbon was thick and almost syrupy, even after I added some water to bring the proof down and the flavor out. I got tons of honey and vanilla, along with a little spice that lingered a while.
The CAOHU0116 smoked along very nicely with continuing earth and semi-sweet chocolate and coffee. The level of pepper spice was outpaced slightly by the spiciness of the bourbon, which also brought a whole new level of sweetness to the proceedings. It all made for a very enjoyable Sunday afternoon.
