CAO Amazon Basin Toro Review.
Brand History
CAO International, Inc. is the producer of one of the country’s top lines of premium cigars. Founded by Cano A. Ozgener in Nashville as a labor of love 41 years ago, today CAO products can be found on every continent in the world with the exception of Antarctica.
They have a terrific reputation of delivering quality products at fair prices. The line consists of a wide variety of blends such as American, Brazilia, Colombia, Criolla, Flavours, Gold, Italia, L’Anniversaire Cameroon, L’Anniversaire Maduro, Lx2, Mx2, OSA Sol, Sopranos and Vision, La Traviata, Brazilia, America, Italia, CAO Gold, and CAO Maduro as well as unique flavored brands like Moontrance and Eileen’s Dream.
Amazon Basin is described as a small batch, limited release. This cigar incorporates rare tobacco from a remote region of the Amazon rainforest known as Bragança. This tobacco is organically grown on unspoiled tropical land and harvested only once every three years. The seedlings are transplanted directly into the soil a full yard apart. As a result, this results in a small yield which is half of other tobacco plants. All of these factors lead to Bragança being a rare tobacco.
Appearance:
This Amazon Basin has a toothy, brown wrapper that is evenly colored and has a slight, oily sheen. Its pre-light aroma is big and very aromatic, with some rich hay and soft earthy notes. It is both smooth to the touch and firm in the hand.
Journey Profile:
1st quarter: A balanced flavor on the palate worked towards a harmonious journey as I began enjoying this cigar. There were some earthy tobacco characters along with hints of nuttiness and bit of tartness coming into play. The cigar produced big volumes of smoke that filled the air. 2nd quarter: The draw was smooth with a slight resistance. There were awesome sweet tones in the aroma with underlining spice that slowly mellowed themselves out. The strength was full and the flavor remained steady. 3rd quarter: Spicy notes in the nose lingered on the palate. This cigar has great complexity, introducing some creaminess in this portion of the smoke. In addition, there was more earthiness to the flavor along with coffee notes. 4th quarter: You will find plenty of heavy tobacco and an earthy hay texture. The cigar offered a full-flavored experience, delivering more clouds of impressive thick smoke and an even burn.
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Final Thoughts:
The CAO Amazon Basin is truly a voyage into the jungles of the Amazon. It is a medium-full body in both flavor and strength and it is well worth the experience and journey. The flavors intensified as the cigar was smoked and maintained an almost razor edge burn. It offered a creamy texture with plenty of dense smoke that filled the air with richness. Overall, it has outstanding construction and burn with plenty of complexity throughout. The CAO Amazon Basin is a must try.
Myron Gooch Sr.
Reviewed at: La Casa Cigars and Lounge Las Vegas, NV.
Time Smoked: 1 hour 50 minutes.
Cost: $11.99
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra.
Binder: Nicaragua.
Filler: Dominican Republic, Colombian, Brazilian Braganca.
Size: 6” x 52.
Rating: 90
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