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CAO America Potomac Cigar Review
By Jesse | October 22, 2007
Brand: CAO
Line: America
Vitola: Potomac 5 x 56
Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Double Connecticut
Binder: Brazil
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Italy
Body: Medium
Strength: Medium
Box Price: $121.50 (Box of 20) Buy it now.
Description: The CAO America was added to the CAO stable of cigars this year at the RTDA/IPCPR Trade Show. Like most CAO cigars, it is a good looking cigar that is well constructed but unlike the others, the America has dual wrappers that gives the stick a beautiful pin stripe effect. I had a few at the show but my taste buds were so burned out by the time I tried them I couldn’t tell much about it in terms of flavor. The cigar is firm, but I did find the draw a touch easy.Lighting up and taking a few puffs I was immediately hit with leather flavor and some nuttiness. These flavors pretty much stayed consistent throughout the first half with some coffee added to the mix. At mid point, while the leather stayed dominant, the nuttiness faded to the back and allowed the coffee note to come to the front. The America stayed predominately this was for the remainder of the cigar.
I had to touch up the burn a couple times in the first half, but found for the last half, the burn stayed nice and even. While this smoke is labeled as being full bodied on CAO’s website, I don’t consider it to be more than medium myself.
Verdict: The America is a nice cigar with a smooth, leathery smoke, but it wasn’t the full bodied cigar that CAO says it is on their site. I would recommend anyone try it at least once. From what I’ve seen, it’s a ‘love it, or hate it’ kind of stick.
Similar Cigars: CAO’s Brazilia (one of America’s ’sister’ cigars) is a bit spicier, and I prefer it to the America. A few other similar, medium bodied cigars would be the Sabor Cubano or the Palmas Puro Maduro.
Popularity: 42% [?]
Tags: CAO America, CAO Cigars, Cigar Reviews, Cigars
Topics: Cigar Reviews |
October 22nd, 2007 at 9:53 am
[…] CAO America, is it marketing hype or the hot cigar on the market? Check out the full review of the CAO America Potomac over at my […]
October 22nd, 2007 at 10:10 am
I’ve yet to try a CAO of any variety, but the good reviews for the Brazil and America varieties just keep piling up. I’ll have to run down to the smoke shop and pick up a couple.
October 22nd, 2007 at 10:14 am
If you go into it knowing the CAO America is at most a medium-bodied cigar I think you can enjoy it. They hyped it up as a full-bodied cigar which had led to a ton of disappointment.
October 22nd, 2007 at 11:20 am
CAO hypes the Brazilia as a full-bodied, too, and I think it’s more on the medium to full side. Still, I tried an America last weekend and wasn’t disappointed. I’m probably going to add it to my usual cigar rotation. The Brazilia has more flavor, but I found the America to make for a more relaxing smoke–can’t quite put my finger on why.
October 22nd, 2007 at 12:14 pm
On their website they say the America is fuller bodied than the Brazilia. I have a Brazilia sitting in my humidor, I’ll have to light that up to night and see how it compares with the America fresh in my mind.
October 22nd, 2007 at 3:10 pm
As a big fan of several CAO lines, I’ve been looking forward to trying the America for some time.
Haven’t had a chance yet, but I’m already a bit skeptical. In my experience, “barber pole” wrappers are more of a gimick than a strategic blending decision.
October 22nd, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Jesse- you hit the nail on the head. I hate it. I had high expectations and it failed to live up to them. The Extreme, Brazilian, Crillo and Mx2 are far better smokes than America.
October 23rd, 2007 at 11:01 am
@Patirck: It would be interesting to try one of these cigars with just one of the wrappers on it to see how it tasted compared to the double wrapper. I noticed I could taste both wrappers on the Arganese Double Wrap I had. But I’d smoked their Connecticut and Maduro Prior to that so I knew what flavors were unique to each blend.
@MonkeyDan: I didn’t hate the cigar, but I agree it didn’t live up to its hype of being a full bodied cigar.
October 25th, 2007 at 11:15 pm
[…] Around the Blog: Matt has a Fuente Don Carlos. Cigar Jack smokes a CAO America. Stogie Review reviews a Bolivar Cofradia. Keepers of the Flame lights up a […]
October 29th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
[…] Jesse: @Patirck: It would be interesting to try one of these cigars with just one of the wrappers on it to see how it… […]
November 4th, 2007 at 9:07 am
Jesse, I agree that it’s medium-bodied. I too prefer the Brazilia line to the America, though I’ve gotta say that the presentation is awesome. They’ll definitely make any cigar collection look good.
November 4th, 2007 at 9:24 am
I’ve heard the new Brazilia Box-Pressed is pretty good. I’m planning to review that one in the coming months.
November 10th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
[…] SmokerEO 601 Ecuadorian Black Toro Cigar ReviewWin a box of Olor del Cibao Cigars. Contest ClosedCAO America Potomac Cigar ReviewSmokes, Drinks, and Eats Blog Carnival SubmissionsRocky Patel Vintage 1992 Robusto Cigar […]
November 13th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
I just managed to have one of these yesterday and I was sorely disappointed. I have to believe that this cigar was not indicative of the line, but it had a tight draw and an uneven burn. I did enjoy the flavor and smoke, but it was quite fussy. Based on what I’ve read about this cigar, I have to assume that I didn’t let it sit long enough or that it was simply an aberration.
November 13th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
@dandyman: I’d definitely give it another go. I’ve yet to have any burn issues with these.
November 17th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
[…] property.EO 601 Ecuadorian Black Toro Cigar ReviewWin a box of Olor del Cibao Cigars. Contest ClosedCAO America Potomac Cigar ReviewRocky Patel Vintage 1992 Robusto Cigar ReviewSmokes, Drinks, and Eats Blog Carnival […]
December 1st, 2007 at 6:56 am
[…] property.EO 601 Ecuadorian Black Toro Cigar ReviewWin a box of Olor del Cibao Cigars. Contest ClosedCAO America Potomac Cigar ReviewRocky Patel Vintage 1992 Robusto Cigar ReviewSmokes, Drinks, and Eats Blog Carnival […]
December 1st, 2007 at 10:59 pm
CAO doesn’t produce the best cigars in the world. They are, however, one of the biggest cigar companies as far as distribution in the world. I believe they are in 8 different countries. The CAO America line is another one of CAOs great marketing ploys - a beautiful presentation with a somewhat disappointing flavor.
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:12 am
[…] Cigar Jack and The Stogie Review both enjoyed the stick, but agreed that the flavor isn’t as full as the hype. The Velvet Cigar was also impressed, Leafy Times wrote it is “the best CAO ever,” and Cigar Command quipped “this will be a hit for CAO.” […]
January 5th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
[…] Stogie Guys salutue the CAO America Monument, also check out our review of the CAO Amercia Potomac. […]
January 16th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
[…] CAO America ($6-$8) is a beautiful-looking smoke. It’s not too full-bodied and has a bit of a chocolatey, […]
February 16th, 2008 at 11:35 am
[…] point so I withheld judgment until I got back from the show and had chance to recover. I let the CAO America Potomac rest until about October before giving it another […]
February 25th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
I just finished one. It was an easy draw and very mild. I had the Landmark and just like the Brazillia Amazon (60 ring gauge), it had an uneven burn throughout. Not to bad though.