Noob Adoption reviews for April #2

[Blues Tiger]

For my second review this month, I chose the CAO Criollo. I will include some pictures below as well. I have had one of these before, but I didn't really pay much attention to it. I remembered it was a decent cigar, nothing special but nothing bad either. This time wouldn't prove much different.

Pre-light Inspection:
The cigar looks very nice. The color of the wrapper is a dark butternut brown with a slightly oily appearance. The foot looks well constructed and the cap has an attractive pig tail. After removing the cellophane, the cigar has a pleasant sweet aroma. I clipped the pig tail cap off with my Palio and checked the draw. The draw was a little loose.
First Third:
I toasted the foot with my triple torch lighter. The cigar started to burn very easily and quickly. The first few puffs were a little harsh perhaps due to the quick start. The first flavor I notice is a mild, fruity sweetness. After giving it some thought, the way I would describe it would be "banana nut bread". The ash only held on for about 1/2", but remained intact in the ashtray.
Second Third:
During the second third, the nutty sweet taste continued with a small amount of spice now in the mix. The body was medium, not too mild but not too strong. The ash held longer this time. The burn remained pretty even with no noticeable problems.
Final Third:
The last third remained slightly sweet mixed with more spice. The nutty taste was replaced by a more heavy 'wood' flavor. The aroma from the cigar was very pleasant. The cigar body now was on the medium/full side. I continued smoking until I almost nubbed the cigar, but the burn was just too hot to continue much further.

Overall, I would give this cigar a solid 6.5/10. Much like my first experience, this cigar was enjoyable, but not enough to become a regluar smoke for me at this time. It does have a nice flavor and is somewhat complex, however this cigar will only be good every once in a while for me.
Now for the pics:











Blues Tiger

[MarkinCA]

[SIZE=3]Excellent review Jay and top notch photo's of the Criollo. I pretty much agree with your review, its a stick that I'm not anxiously awaiting to re-visit...[/SIZE]