very pretty ... CAO Sopranos

[Moglman]

I stopped by the local B&M just to see if they had anything interesting. They now have a ton of special blend pipe tobacco, but that's another thread. No Anejos yet, but they did have some Opus X and these gorgeous looking beauties. I got gouged but I'm not very good at restraint.

I picked up these 6 CAO Sopranos, 2 associates, 2 soldiers and 2 bosses. This was the first day they had them for sale, 2 each per person per day. The dang guy behind the counter was grinning pretty big with one between his fingers. These will rest a short while, maybe, we'll see, not sure, before I try one. Nice oily Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper, the binder is Honduran, and a freaky Nic/DR/Col filler combo.

[RPB67]

Nice score Moglman. I have had 1 in my humi for a month now. I bought it at an auction to benefit Katrina victims.

Nice score. Let us know how they are. I gifted mine to a London friend who is a CAO fan. I will have to wait until I can score a few more to try them.

Congrats on a great get !!!

[Andyman]

Those Cigars look nice and I love brazilian wrapper but the presentation I am not so sure about... I see Gotti smoking a Cuban anyway..

[JezterVA]

Very nice presentation. They look very tasty as well. All of my local shops suck, so I'll have to try and score a few from the web. I pretty much have to get my hands on at least a couple, as big a fan as I am of The Soprano's.

Cheers!!
Steve

[Blueface]

Man those things are oily!
They do look very good.
Have not seen them yet around me.

[Jay]

See Number 3

[ToddziLLa]

Those look tasty! I may have to stop by my B&M soon to see if they have them in.

[al two]

oooooo they look so good. gotta keep my eyes open for em.

[catfishm2]

Those look great Scott. Congrats!

[herfdork]

what is the price on these...

[ShawnP]

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM


You lucky bastard


I have yet to see these locally, but I will ask the next time I stop in my B&M.

[miki]

Those look incredibly tasty. I won a robusto from PaulHag Contest and will probably never smoke it, just look at it. It's a nice looking cigar, oily as hell

[tecnorobo]

very pretty stick.
I'm not much of a fan when it comes to CAO
but, those do look good.

[c2000]

Did you put a coat of varnish on those,,they look great,,really like that topedo,,,first I saw of these,,thanks for posting the pictures..

Jerry in Minnesota.

[Moglman]

There are a lot of mixed reviews on the Sopranos, and I dislike the marketing/branding aspect myself, but I figured I should post my thoughts.

After letting these rest a week+ in the humi, I had my first tonight. I smoked an Associate (robusto). I have to say that I really liked it. The pre-light aroma and draw were both excellent. There wasn't as much sheen as when I brought them home. It smells to me like sweet strong coffee and earth. The light was easy, and from the second or third draw I found the taste that would run throughout. Not really complex, but a smooth coffee/toffee flavor I really enjoyed. It was never harsh, kinda sweet, never sour. I think I expected a little more spice, which did pick up in the final third. The burn was off, but self correcting with some turning, and it is friggin cold with a steady breeze, so it didn't put me off, then it burned straight. The ash was firm, light grey, and held strong for about two inches, even with the wind. I think I smoked too fast bacause I was shivering, and would smoke at a more relaxed pace next time.

I have had cigars just as good for half the price, but it was still quite good. I can't justify paying the price being asked, so I doubt it will be a mainstay, but I'd still give it a thumbs up on taste and smokability. I hope CAO will realize that the gimmick isn't worth the cost, and adjust accordingly. If that happens, I'll buy them again.