Went down to the local shop this afternoon with high hopes of watching the Steelers game with the guys and enjoying a good smoke. Instead, I ended up with a double dose of disappointment. The game was blacked out for one. And two, I decided to try a C.A.O America which I have been highly anticipating due to it's quality anatomy. I have to say though that I was kinda let down by it's lack of performance. Had a wonderful aroma before lighting, lit well and burned evenly. Other than that though, I am of the opinion that it's flavor wasn't anywhere near what I had expected. I had purchased two sticks (torpedoes) and had put one away. I'm going to give it another shot after some aging with hopes of redemption but I'm not counting on anything.
I remember when CAO was rolled in Costa Rica by Don Douglas. It was a classic cigar with very high ratings.
When Don Douglas gave up making CAO the task moved to Perdomo and the entire cigar changed. They were not rolled well, being underfilled and weak of draw, and the tobaccos just weren't the same.
Then they started coming out with many new blends and the quality improved quite a bit (Criollo, Brazilia) and the innovations were interesting as well (MX2, CX2). I still refuse to smoke a flavored cigar though.
Marketing is a way to get you to try their product, but the only thing that will KEEP you buying the product is quality, and I would have to say that CAO quality has improved quite a bit in the past couple of years. (and NO I do not currently smoke many CAO's)
Doc ***** Tobacco is a filthy weed, I like it...
SNOB Member 1033 1/3
Posts: 9332 | Location: New York City | Registered: May 02, 2002
Any sentence begins like this usually doesn't end well.
"I just tried the new CAO ______________and..."
Although in fairness, CAO no longer has the market cornered in stupid marketing gimmicks that appeal solely to the knuckle draggers and "more money than brains" crowd.
I have to agree with the sentiment on CAO I've never been impressed with their stuff, but they suckered me into buying a sopranos just out of my love for the show. I was pretty sure that torano made most cao's now with the flavored and vision coming out of la aurora. Could be wrong though.
I am a big CAO fan - I like the Gold natural for an early smoke; I like the MX2; the Brazilia is one of my favs; the Italia, Criollo, and Cameroon are all nice for a change of pace; the extreme is a good smoke, too.
Granted, it seems the Vision has some non-fans, and I have not tried one, but the others I have tried are quality.
_____________________________________ The journey of a thousand miles sometimes ends very, very badly.
No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people. -H. L. Mencken
Posts: 1288 | Location: Bugtussle, MS | Registered: August 24, 2006
I would have to say from the CAOs i have tried they are all below average for me. If i receive one to try or for a gift i smile and will try it. But i have yet to find one i would buy.
Originally posted by MeanWillieGreen: I am a big CAO fan - I like the Gold natural for an early smoke; I like the MX2; the Brazilia is one of my favs; the Italia, Criollo, and Cameroon are all nice for a change of pace; the extreme is a good smoke, too.
Granted, it seems the Vision has some non-fans, and I have not tried one, but the others I have tried are quality.
Don't get me wrong...it's the new, more gimmicky stuff from CAO that most people seem to despise. I still think the Gold is one of the most flavorful mild smokes around, and the new Gold Maduro and 10th Anniversary perfectos are good, too. An aged Cameroon (not the CX2, however) has proven to be a wonderful, spicy cigar and a good MX2 is enough to satisfy my craving for a fat maduro cigar as well as any other.
But the Vision? The Sopranos? The America? Ask yourself: which came first, the cigar or the marketing? The smokes I've come to like best over the years usually started off with a bunch of people coming up with a blend they liked, and then deciding what the potential market and price points would be.
It's the same thing with, say, movies. For instance, a movie excutive sees a high-grossing hit like "Halloween" and says, hey, we gotta make a movie to capitalize on that niche. Meanwhile, at another studio, another executive just screened a movie he loved and says, yeah, we'll buy it and we'll figure out a way to find an audience for it.
If CAO were a movie studio, they'd be making "Friday the 13th 3-D." Don Pepin's making "Il Postino."
Originally posted by scroggers: I have to agree with the sentiment on CAO I've never been impressed with their stuff, but they suckered me into buying a sopranos just out of my love for the show. I was pretty sure that torano made most cao's now with the flavored and vision coming out of la aurora. Could be wrong though.
yup torano does make the sopranos one.. Im not a big CAO fan either, but I actually like the sopranos edition. good average everyday cigar.. plus peopl love it when I give them a stick for "the sopranos"..
Posts: 66 | Location: LI,NY | Registered: March 08, 2007
Originally posted by MeanWillieGreen: I am a big CAO fan - I like the Gold natural for an early smoke; I like the MX2; the Brazilia is one of my favs; the Italia, Criollo, and Cameroon are all nice for a change of pace; the extreme is a good smoke, too.
Granted, it seems the Vision has some non-fans, and I have not tried one, but the others I have tried are quality.
Don't get me wrong...it's the new, more gimmicky stuff from CAO that most people seem despise. I still think the Gold is one of the most flavorful mild smokes around, and the new Gold Maduro and 10th Anniversary perfectos are good, too. An aged Cameroon (not the CX2, however) has proven to be a wonderful, spicy cigar and a good MX2 is enough to satisfy my craving for a fat maduro cigar as well as anyother.
But the Vision? The Sopranos? The America? Ask yourself: which came first, the cigar or the marketing? The smokes I've come to like best over the years usually started off with a bunch of people coming up with a blend they liked, and then deciding what the potential marketand price points would be.
It's the same thing with, say, movies. For instance, a movie excutive sees a high-grossing hit like "Halloween" and says, hey, we gotta make a movie to capitalize on that niche. Meanwhile, at another studio, another executive just screened a movie he loved and says, yeah, we'll buy it and we'll figure out a way to find an audience for it.
If CAO were a movie studio, they'd be making "Friday the 13th 3-D." Don Pepin's making "Il Postino."
never tried cao....,. and for a very silly reason.... the look of the label didnt appeal to me, but after reading this. I'm getting a gold when I go back to the shop this weekend.
................................................................................. "whatever is worth doing, is worth doing well...."
Posts: 521 | Location: nj.....ny | Registered: September 18, 2007
I like MX2,Italia, L'Anniversaire Maduro. I think people buy into the marketing hype pay top dollar and are severly let down. The last time I did that was when the CX2 came out.
can't stand the MX2, but the cameroon is a decent smoke. I am actually looking forward to the American. It is certainly a conceptually interesting cigar, and I have heard good things about it from friends who have had them. Full and unbiased report (haha, yea right...) as soon as I smoke one!
Bear
Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today. -James Dean
All I know is that I got three boxes in my shop last Thursday and they are gone already. CAO's Hollywood style marketing is nontraditional for the cigar market but the cigars are typically very good. The Ozgeners are very good people and I find most of their cigars to be of high quality and taste. Besides Carlos and Charlie Torano make all their non-flavored stuff so you know the construction will be flawless.
FSN #12
...come in here dear boy, have a cigar, you're gonna go far.....Pink Foyd
Posts: 775 | Location: Evans, GA USA | Registered: April 02, 2004
I picked up a box of Vision Epiphanys a few months back because they looked interesting. I took them out of that stupid box they came in and put them into one of the drawers in my cabinet next to my other NCs.
There's no way they're worth $15 a piece but I have to say that they're a good smoke. $10 a stick in box quantities.....so it's not so bad.
I'd recommend them. A great golf smoke.
Posts: 222 | Location: Playa del Carmen, MX | Registered: July 11, 2007
I also have never tried a CAO, partially because of the negative press and mediocre reviews that i have seen of their cigars and partially because of the "studpid reason" listed earlier, the band is a little to flashy, it kindof turns me off.
Originally posted by fragle2: I also have never tried a CAO, partially because of the negative press and mediocre reviews that i have seen of their cigars and partially because of the "studpid reason" listed earlier, the band is a little to flashy, it kindof turns me off.
Try them. If you are really into cigars you should try CAO out. To summarily ignore a brand as big as CAO because of something someone else said or because you don't like the way they look is a bad idea. I'm not just pimping CAO because I own a shop. I'm pimping CAO because I like most of their stuff like Criollo, MX-2, CX-2, Soprano's, Gold Label, Gold Label Maduro, L'Anniveraire Maduro, etc... If I was gonna pimp a brand just to suck up the company it would Ashton so I could get more VSG's in my shop for me to smoke.
FSN #12
...come in here dear boy, have a cigar, you're gonna go far.....Pink Foyd
Posts: 775 | Location: Evans, GA USA | Registered: April 02, 2004
I hear what you are saying, and have been meaning to try some of their stuff for a while, but I am on a lot tighter budget while I am back at college. Therefore I do not like to experiment that much, I tend to buy things that I know I like. Now come Christmas break, when I go back to work for a month, I will most likely try one or two of them and then base further purchasing decisions off of that. As for the band, it is more of a small part of the reason why i have never tried one, the larger reason being the mediocre reviews. While this has no influence over my own taste, it does slightly influence my decisions. Who knows, i have a little cash in my pocket and might pick one up this weekend. Thanks for the suggestion though, I always appreciate feedback from more experienced smokers.
