CAO Mx2

[Jakadasnake]

Has anyone ever had a problem with this cigar? Or am I doing something wrong?
I went to the Humidor (the store, not the cigar-fridge I wish I had in my closet) and bought one of these sticks. I chopped the tip off, lit up, and noticed an astonishing problem with the draw. I could hardly get any smoke out of it and it felt like I was sucking on an oversized pencil... no air flow whatsoever.
A couple employees were kind enough to poke some holes in it but that didn't seem to work, so I tried another. Lit up, it was fine at first but then had the same problem again. Sucking on a pencil.
I love the taste, but I wasted 7 dollars today on a cigar that wouldn't smoke. I'm just wondering if perhaps there's some way to smoke it wrong, or if that particular cigar is just really really low-flow. Or if I had really bad luck.

[Sawyer]

Sometimes you just get a plugged cigar. When I was smoking a lot of maduros this was one of my go-tos. I have a had a few that were plugged or didn't smoke right but overall I enjoyed them. It could be a storage problem at the store or just a fluke. I would try again if you really like maduros because I think this is one of the better ones out there.

[brcrane14]

Are you talking about The Humidour on York Rd in Timonium? Small world.

I had the Mx2 about 2 weeks ago, and also purchased it from The Humidour and mine had a perfect draw. My guess is it might have been a dud stick :-(

[LkyLindy]

Great smoke no problems with the draw--a dud is not unusual but you tried 2?? strange

[CBI_2]

I have had several of these. The first one had the same issue as yours. It was so bad that when I tried to knock the ash off in a metal ashtray it actually made a tinking sound. It was almost like there was a rock in it.

Others including the one I fired up after tossing that one were great smokes. I couldn't really explain why it happened, but when they work right it is a very good smoke.

[Tenor CS]

Seeing this thread made me break out the MX2 that I had in my humi. Fired right up, no draw problems. At first I was scared, because the cigar is rock hard. But I've been puffing away for a good 5 minutes now and it seems to be fine. I agree with those who said sometimes it's just a bad luck of the draw and you get a plugged stick.

[Freelee711]

I had the small cigarillo size and I had a bit of a tight draw. Then again...I was playing basketball at the time and wasn't really paying attention.

[cateyes033]

Had several of these great smoke but sometimes you do get a tight draw try rolling it between your fingers from end to end to loosen it up a bit usually works for me I don't poke I save my poking for my wife...

[nozero]

I've only had one and I had the same problem. Mine started off tight, but OK and tasted great. After the first inch and a half it was like sucking on a rock. I plan to give another one a go eventually.

[pearson]

I have had this prolbem quite a bit with the MX2, I love the flavor but hate the tight draw. and I have had more then 5 of them.

[gnukfu]

I have only smoked one of these and it wasn't plugged. Smoked great - it was around a double corona size.

[EastBay]

CAO? Construction problems? You don't say... (sorry for sarcasm).

Read my posts elsewhere. Besides Brazilia and Italia I have had some serious issues with ALL of their other lines in recent times. Load of money wasted on what used to be some of my favorite smokes (back in '99-02).

Just re-read this thread and see how many experienced draw problems with just this one line. At the price charged you'd expect an occasional cigar to have a problem, but it doesn't seem to be.

Thankfully, at this point I just have Brazilia and Italia lines left and a few of Anni Cameroon, which are tight, but (still) smokeable (although nowhere near the quality/flavor they used to be a few years ago). I am no longer a buyer. I'll happily spend my money on anything Padron, DPG, 601, Camacho, Taboo, NUB and a few others. Still have to evaluate Olivas.

[truegritt]

I have had two and had one bad

[Jakadasnake]

Thanks for the feedback... it sounds like I'm not the only one.


I was just a little baffled. I had just watched a CAO dvd on my previous visit to the store, and included in their process is the use of a draw machine. That's why I couldn't understand how there was still a tight draw. It was exactly as Nozero describes - alright at first but after an inch and a half it was sucking on a rock.


I enjoy CAO's other products, they're one of the first cigars I ever smoked (Moontrance), but I'll have to be wary of the Maduro from now on. One dud is a fluke, two in a row is a problem.

By the way, brcrane, I'm speaking of a Humidor in San Antonio.

[wharfrathoss]

most maduros (especially double maduros) have thick wrappers that hold a lot of moisture-combine that w/the higher RH that most shops keep their humi at & it makes for a hard draw-try dryboxing for a few days or store 'em at a lower RH (65% ish) b4 smoking