CAO The SopranosSM Edition Receives “Outstanding” Rating from Cigar Aficionado CAO, one of the world’s foremost premium cigar manufacturers, was awarded a ‘90’ (“OUTSTANDING”) rating for its CAO The SopranosSM Edition Associate cigar in the February issue of Cigar Aficionado magazine, widely heralded as the ultimate authority on premium cigars. In addition, CAO The SopranosSM Edition Associate made the distinguished list of “The Best Cigars of 2005,” as selected by Cigar Aficionado. Of the hundreds of cigars rated by Cigar Aficionado last year, only 25 were chosen for this honor. The Associate was lauded as a “...gutsy, flavorful smoke with coffee, dark berry and charred wood flavors.” Launched last August, CAO The SopranosSM Edition marks the first time that HBO® has officially licensed a cigar to be made to commemorate the award-winning television series, The Sopranos®. In the same issue, CAO’s other new release, CAO Cx2, placed among the top 3 cigars in the magazine’s ‘robusto’ tasting, outscoring some of the world’s finest cigars. Packaged in 20 count boxes, CAO The SopranosSM Edition is available in three shapes: Associate (5” x 52), Soldier (6” x 54), and Boss (7” x 56). For more information on CAO The SopranosSM Edition, please visit www.caocigars.com. THE SOPRANOS and HBO are service marks of Home Box Office, Inc. ----------------------------------------------------------CAO International, Inc. is the producer of one of the country’s top lines of premium cigars, Meerschaum pipes and pipe tobaccos. Founded by Cano A. Ozgener in Nashville as a labor of love thirty-eight years ago, today CAO products can be found in every continent in the world with the exception of Antarctica. CAO produces seven cigar lines that have all been rated ‘90’ (“OUTSTANDING”) or above, by Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Insider.