CAO Cigars

So I know this line has had some love lately, namely the Italia, Brazilian but I've only had a couple and wondering if it is worth picking up some more of these cigars. My local shop is having a push for them and while I was told good things about them, I wanted to get some feedback from some of you. I've had the Sopranos, and CX2. I liked the sopranos, but wasn't too fond of the cx2, though I do have another sitting in my humi which I'm hoping with a couple of months it will be more to my liking. I have picked up a few America's and am looking forward to them. Cigar Aficionado did a interview with Tim Ozgener in their recent edition and while reading it I was intrigued to give them all a try, but I'm cheap and try to nit pick. In the interview he's asked to rank the mildness to strongest and from the pack the gold, cameroon, cx2, then criollo. I have to say though I wasn't wow'ed by the cx2, I definitely know that I wouldn't like the gold or the cameroon since I do like stronger cigars but anyone have the Criollo?

The MX2 and the Brazilia are ranked the strongest, but which would you guy's say would be better? Anyway thanks for any info..

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madurofan

Bad Andy:
madurofan:
phobicsquirrel:
Anyone have the CAO VIsion yet? I'm intrigued...
Garbage. IMO. Its a mild cigar with no flavor. Of course CA rated it high, so if you have a CA approved pallete you may taste shitake mushrooms, grown during a particularly wet winter, on a north facing slope and picked just a tad too early and oh yea don't forget the floral notes. JMO ...

Pick up a CAO Cameroon or CX2 more medium bodied and much more flavor. Even the Gold which I'm not a big fan of has more flavor than the Vision.
Sounds like someone is on shrooms...

Or just making fun of Cigar Aficianado and the 42 flavors they get out of the inch of cigar they actually smoke.

j0z3r

You mean you don't taste 42 different flavors and you smoke more than an inch of the cigar?! Absolute rubbish sir, I dub thee non CA approved for cigar smoking.

phobicsquirrel

So Maddy, I take it you didn't care for the vision? Come on where's YOUR vision.. lol. I've heard a lot of mixed, more disliked reviews on the vision. Overpriced for sure. nice humi though.. I still want to try one but Not for 20 some odd dollars. And yeah, CA does come out with some strange stuff, I pick up their mags once and a while but man, sometimes I wonder who tastes some of this stuff.

madurofan

j0z3r:
I dub thee non CA approved for cigar smoking.

Why, thank you, kind sir.

madurofan

phobicsquirrel:
So Maddy, I take it you didn't care for the vision? Come on where's YOUR vision.. lol. I've heard a lot of mixed, more disliked reviews on the vision. Overpriced for sure. nice humi though.. I still want to try one but Not for 20 some odd dollars. And yeah, CA does come out with some strange stuff, I pick up their mags once and a while but man, sometimes I wonder who tastes some of this stuff.

I had a Vision of a cigar that actually tasted like something, lol. Yea the pricing is retarded on that stick, I think most of it went into the fancy, schmancy label and box.

The only time I pick up CA is when I'm in an airport. I don't know why but for some reason I found it tolerable while in an airport but I don't even bother reading the reviews. I'll look at the rating but not the detail of the review. Occasionally they'll shock the crap out of you and actually do an interview with someone who works in the cigar industry.

phobicsquirrel

madurofan:
phobicsquirrel:
So Maddy, I take it you didn't care for the vision? Come on where's YOUR vision.. lol. I've heard a lot of mixed, more disliked reviews on the vision. Overpriced for sure. nice humi though.. I still want to try one but Not for 20 some odd dollars. And yeah, CA does come out with some strange stuff, I pick up their mags once and a while but man, sometimes I wonder who tastes some of this stuff.
I had a Vision of a cigar that actually tasted like something, lol. Yea the pricing is retarded on that stick, I think most of it went into the fancy, schmancy label and box.

The only time I pick up CA is when I'm in an airport. I don't know why but for some reason I found it tolerable while in an airport but I don't even bother reading the reviews. I'll look at the rating but not the detail of the review. Occasionally they'll shock the crap out of you and actually do an interview with someone who works in the cigar industry.

I've had the MX2, CX2, Brazilia, Soprano, and America. I really liked the America, very smooth and creamy, I liked the soprano but that's been it. The rest I really didn't like. I have the LX2 in my humi, so I'm hoping I'll like it. I would say give the America a try.

madurofan

I've had pretty much every common CAO and a few that are exclusives or limiteds. I like the America and the Soprano although I didn't think the Soprano was worth the money but HBO had to get a piece for the marketing right. Actually to tell you the truth it'd be easier to list the CAO's I don't like. I do not like the Brazilia I think its flat, the Vision of course is rubbish and I'm not big on the Gold. The MX-2 is my favorite cigar when I'm drinking bourbon something about it and a nice glass of Evan single barrel.

I got to try the LX-2 a few months before it was released. The owner of the B&M I frequent gave me one that a rep brought him its been a while since I smoked it but I remember enjoying it and it is a little power house. It doesn't have a lot of complexity but its strong and powerful.
I've had the pleasure of trying a couple of CAO's out of their limited edition humidors as well. Including a CAO Habano thats exclusive to my B&M.

Actually you know what, I'll go ahead and admit it for the first time, right here, I'm a CAO whore. I love 'em.

jlzimmerman

I love the CAO Gold for a lighter cigar. Creamy, smooth....just melts the worries away.

These Filthy Hands

I've like the CAO's that I've had. Italia, Brazalia, Mx2, and Lx2. I just had the Lx2 last night. It is a powerful little turd but the flavor never changes, it's peppery from beginning until end. But still, not a bad stick.

phobicsquirrel

madurofan:
I've had pretty much every common CAO and a few that are exclusives or limiteds. I like the America and the Soprano although I didn't think the Soprano was worth the money but HBO had to get a piece for the marketing right. Actually to tell you the truth it'd be easier to list the CAO's I don't like. I do not like the Brazilia I think its flat, the Vision of course is rubbish and I'm not big on the Gold. The MX-2 is my favorite cigar when I'm drinking bourbon something about it and a nice glass of Evan single barrel.

I got to try the LX-2 a few months before it was released. The owner of the B&M I frequent gave me one that a rep brought him its been a while since I smoked it but I remember enjoying it and it is a little power house. It doesn't have a lot of complexity but its strong and powerful.
I've had the pleasure of trying a couple of CAO's out of their limited edition humidors as well. Including a CAO Habano thats exclusive to my B&M.

Actually you know what, I'll go ahead and admit it for the first time, right here, I'm a CAO whore. I love 'em.

A closet CAO lover.. lol. I've really only liked the soprano, and the America and since Kuzi has started me thinking about Honduran tobacco, I can see that my tastes lean towards it more and more. That and Dominican. I am looking forward to the LX2 though.

madurofan

phobicsquirrel:
madurofan:
I've had pretty much every common CAO and a few that are exclusives or limiteds. I like the America and the Soprano although I didn't think the Soprano was worth the money but HBO had to get a piece for the marketing right. Actually to tell you the truth it'd be easier to list the CAO's I don't like. I do not like the Brazilia I think its flat, the Vision of course is rubbish and I'm not big on the Gold. The MX-2 is my favorite cigar when I'm drinking bourbon something about it and a nice glass of Evan single barrel.

I got to try the LX-2 a few months before it was released. The owner of the B&M I frequent gave me one that a rep brought him its been a while since I smoked it but I remember enjoying it and it is a little power house. It doesn't have a lot of complexity but its strong and powerful.
I've had the pleasure of trying a couple of CAO's out of their limited edition humidors as well. Including a CAO Habano thats exclusive to my B&M.

Actually you know what, I'll go ahead and admit it for the first time, right here, I'm a CAO whore. I love 'em.
A closet CAO lover.. lol. I've really only liked the soprano, and the America and since Kuzi has started me thinking about Honduran tobacco, I can see that my tastes lean towards it more and more. That and Dominican. I am looking forward to the LX2 though.

Like I said don't expect the LX-2 to be a flavor bomb it has ok flavor but its rather simplistic. Its all about strength and power.

phobicsquirrel

Maddy you weren't kidding. The LX-2 has no flavor, man it's just peppery and strong especially through the nose. I smoked this thing and was thinking when things were going to change but nope, just the same all the way through. I like strong cigars but give me some flavor..

urbino

I haven't been terribly impressed with CAOs. The Brazilia was good, and I still have an Italia that maddy sent me to try, but the CX2 and the L'Anniversaire Cameroon were both let downs.

madurofan

Try it again. Its a very simplistic cigar, if you don't like pepper as the dominant flavor she'll dissappoint. I like it but its definetly simplistic. If you get used to the pepper you'll notice subtle other flavors but it the pepper was overpowering to you, yea you're right she's flat.

kuzi16

it wouldnt surprise me that the Lx2 is flat. Yes ligero is a good leaf but so much of it would tend to knock down the complexity.

I felt the same way about the Brazilia...
and by the same way i mean "it was a bit flat"
im stickin with the italia as my favorite "Cow"

madurofan

kuzi16:
it wouldnt surprise me that the Lx2 is flat. Yes ligero is a good leaf but so much of it would tend to knock down the complexity.

I felt the same way about the Brazilia...
and by the same way i mean "it was a bit flat"
im stickin with the italia as my favorite "Cow"

I did get a clarification on what exactly was Ligero in the Lx2. I know this was a topic of debat in the past. There are two different Ligero fillers, neither the binder nor the wrapper is Ligero. I'd still recommend the Lx2 but you need to be aware that its more about power and spice than complexity.

madurofan

Another interesting tidbit. CAO lists that damned Vision as a Medium-Full cigar?!? Um NO!

phobicsquirrel

I don't think that the Lx 2 will be one I'd recommend but indeed it did have a punch. What would you call the vision?

madurofan

phobicsquirrel:
I don't think that the Lx 2 will be one I'd recommend but indeed it did have a punch. What would you call the vision?

Mild, MAYBE Mild-medium.