CAO TO LAUNCH CIGAR THAT USES SOUTH AFRICAN TOBACCO AND ALL AFRICAN FILLER BLEND.

Cory Beardsley, Brand Manager for CAO, said, “When we launched Amazon Basin over a decade ago, we had no idea how much it would resonate with fans. Sourcing rare tobacco from the rainforest, transporting it by canoe, and growing it on unspoiled land was a logistical nightmare—but we knew the end result was a cigar worth the effort. We’re thrilled to bring back this special blend for 2025 and answer the calls for more Amazon Basin.”

CAO Amazon Basin centers on a rare tobacco called “Bragança,” which is organically grown on unspoiled tropical land in the Amazon Rainforest. Seedlings are transplanted directly into the soil a full yard apart, resulting in less than half the yield of other tobacco plants.

The leaves are rolled by hand into tubes called “carottes,” where they undergo six months of natural fermentation. They are then transported out of the rainforest by canoe, taken to the mainland and ultimately brought to the CAO factory in Esteli, Nicaragua.

There, CAO’s blenders allow the aromatic Bragança leaf to take center stage, surrounded by tobacco curated from four different countries. With a hearty Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper from the highest priming, a Nicaraguan binder, and Dominican and Colombian tobacco in the filler to compliment the Brazilian Bragança, the CAO Amazon Basin experience is as exotic as the tropical rainforest from which it originated.

Handcrafted at STG Esteli, this medium-bodied CAO blend is earthy and nutty with notes of caramel, briny nuances and a pleasantly dry finish, offering an adventure into the unexpected. CAO Amazon Basin comes in 18-count rustic wooden boxes. Cigars will begin shipping to retailers in early January.

CAO Amazon Basin (6” x 52) – SRP per cigar $14.49