CAO Criollo Review

[Darwin]

CAO Cirollo – Bomba
Year N/A
Country: Nicaragua PURO
Length/Ring: 6 x 50
Shape: Toro
Wrapper: Natural
Strength: Medium

Construction Comments: A Solid, Perfectly constructed cigar with a beautiful unblemished dark natural wrapper.
Prelight aroma and flavor: Very mild aroma and taste.
Drink: Newcastle Brown Ale

Smoking Notes: When I lit this one off I immediately smelled roasted chestnuts followed by rich leathery cocoa and plenty of sweet, rich, nutty smoke with a long finish. There was not even a hint of heat or pepper but was very smooth and easy to smoke. The cigar burned well with no travel and had firm draw which really helped this cigar last a good while.

Overall Experience and Rating: While not the most complex cigar it has great flavor and aroma in spades. I think this is the perfect morning or late night smoke and would make a great daily cigar. A chocolate milkshake you can smoke. I give it a B

[Gumby-cr]

Nice review BigD. I haven't come across a CAO cigar that I haven't enjoyed yet myself.

[JAX]

Excellant review!

These have been touch and go for me over the years; some better than others, but none the less a great smoke and great review.

[wilsondude]

Thanks for the review; think I'll try one. I am developing a nice selection of mild smokes along with my fave full bodied cigars; IMO it's great to have choices for diff occasions.

[Darwin]

I agree 100%. I could smoke one of these any time of day but not so for the La Flor so a wide variety is nice to be sure.

[Python]

Nice Review!

[dartstothesea]

I wasnt really feeling this cigar the first time around, i think im going to have to revisit this guy.

[Acesfull]

sounds about right D. I've never had construction issues with CAO's and I've been smoking alot of them lately

[Stevemal]

Great review BigD and spot on. I really love the CAO Line, except for the Cameroon, just not my taste. But the Criollo is a fine smoke.


Steve

[riverdog-cr]

Nice review Big D and a very nice smoke for my taste as well. An anytime of day cigar for me too. Really works well with coffee and a dog walk for the cool fall mornings we are starting to have. I've liked the Criollo's in every size and vitola I've tried, all the way down to the small ones.

[anton]

great smoke.

[6clicks]

Nice revire and right on the money. I too am a CAO fan.

[s.tyler]

just smoked one of these and found it lacking. wrapper split while i was toasting the foot and it went out several times. 1st 3rd tasted too much like a filterless cigarette - dry and not very flavorful. became a bit better in the 2nd 3rd but not a cigar i will buy more of.

[orca99usa]

I haven't come across a CAO cigar that I haven't enjoyed yet myself.

I hadn't either - until I smoked the CAO Black from a CAO sampler I bought. It made me nauseous. Just to make sure it wasn't just me being out of sorts that day, over time I tried the other three and they all had the same effect. No idea why.

I tried the Criollo later and was left unimpressed. Then again, I apparently don't have the sensory apparatus necessary to discern a lot of different flavors in cigars.

[winston]

I really love these CAO's great cigars.