CAO L’Anniversaire “Maduro” Robusto

The appearance of this cigar was good. The wrapper was dark, but had a mottled appearance to it. The prelit aroma was cedar and chocolate aromas. The draw was on the loose side. The flavors were coffee and chocolate almost all the way through. If I could put espresso in a pipe and smoke it, it would be this cigar. I enjoyed it. The white ash fell off about every half inch. It got hot and bitter towards the last inch and a half, so I left it at that. This was a good smoke, I just wish the draw was a little tighter.

Down to the last few from a box gifted to me in late '03. Many have been plagued by a tight draw. When they're right (like the one I'm working on right now), they're not bad. Wood, a little molasses, clove on the finish. The only complaint about the flavor is a bitter background note that fades in and out. Not overwhelming, but a minor annoyance. I thought age might take of that, but no such luck. Weak ash. Typical CAO -- an above average blend spoiled by erratic construction.

Nice sweet smooth beginning, this cigar moves quickly. Burn was perfect all the way. Leather and cedar take over about halfway, not much to write about from there on. Left about 1 1/2 to 2 inches for the worms.

I don't know if it's that I changed or CAO changed but everything I have been smoking of theirs has not been that great and they used to be one of my favs. This last one had great eye appeal but once lit you couldn't get any smoke. The draw seemed fine but there was no smoke. Taste was decent for the first half after that got real bitter.

Last one, I promise; but this was in between my 1st and 2nd review... pretty good, but last 2 inches killed it. Construction and burn were fantastic, but it was strong and a little harsh without much flavor. I think I got a bad bunch of 5.

Ironically I am the last reviewer, and uh... the second try of the robusto is an unwelcomed one. This time the cigar was bitter, overly spicy, and quite harsh. Yes, it burned evenly and had nice ash, but this is not the CAO I know...

Recommended by another consumer in the local cigar store as a medium sweet maduro, I tried it, and wow... this Maduro line has become my favorite. Gets fuller as you near the band, I can definately sense the choco and toasted nutty taste. Burn was imperfect and draw was a little too loose (quite the opposite of the churchill).

The appearance of this cigar is great. A nice dark oily wrapper with a good looking leaf and a nice box pressed finish. Burns well but requires a bit of correction. The taste is that of classic maduros, with a hint of chocolate with a roasted nut taste.

This stick was on the spot with a dark wrapper that had lots of oil and smooth appearance. The pre lit draw was peppery and left a little sting. The foot lit even and burned that way all the way to the nub. The taste was medium to full and had lots of espresso and wood with a peppery finish to it. A must try Maduro.

This brick-shaped cigar has a dark and silky smooth wrapper and looks good. The draw is a bit too loose and easy, but it puts out a huge amount of smoke; the burn is not exactly straight but it's consistent, and the cigar performs well down to the last inch. Although the flavors don't change much from beginiing to end, it's still a tasty smoke: lots of medium to full-bodied earthy, spicy, and coffee flavors; the cigar itself burns with a nice aroma of burnt coffee as well. I've liked all the different C.A.O.'s that I've tried, and this one is no diffferent.

This cigar had a full-bore maduro start, turning medium in body (almost disappointingly so after the start) with pleasantly oaky and toasty flavor. The maduro through the rest was fleeting but tasty. The second half had a couple of occasional harsh puffs but was otherwise very good.

Beautifully made, dark and oily. Classic CAO toastiness. Burn was great but the draw may have been a tad snug. Solid flavor. Seemed to get a bit hot the last 1/3.

Now that’s what a maduro is supposed to look like! The wrapper was so dark it looked like it might have been dyed black, and the waxy oils gave it a soft suede look. Construction was above par, though it burned a little uneven for the first ¼”, it quickly corrected on it’s own. Against the contrasting midnight black wrapper, the ash glistened snowy white, and held its shape despite the blustery spring evening. Though it’s not too cold around here this time of year, the warm coco taste of the first few puffs was pleasant, and reassuring, and as I smoked, the flavors slowly matured to roasted nuts, and toast. At the risk of being a bit nitpicky, I only have two complaints. At about the ½ way point, the flavors started turning a bit harsh, which had it continued would have soured me to this stick, but to my delight, after purging, and allowing the stick to settle for a while, those wonderful toasty flavors came back and allowed me to smoke it to the nub. Though I love the flavor of the maduro wrappers, the one drawback is they often leave a bitter aftertaste on your lips. I recommend being careful to not lick your lips when smoking a maduro. If you must moisten them, a nice glass of scotch, or a snifter of brandy works nicely.

Tried this cigar after a bad experience with the CAO MX2...this cigar changed my outlook on CAO, the cigar had a great draw and perfect burn, and the flavor improved as the cigar went on. I will buy some more of these to age in the humi, a good smoke if you like a nice Maduro.

Dark, oily maduro wrapper had me salivating as I cut into the cigar. Having smoked 5 of these so far, the draw was just a "little" tight on average and the burn needed adjusting from time to time. Medium bodied with tastes of leather and cedar really standing out, flavors were all well balanced and pleasant. Burned cool up until the last 2 inches, then it became too hot for me. A good "outdoors" cigar to smoke when you're low on cash.

Dark, oily maduro wrapper had me salivating as I cut into the cigar. Having smoked 5 of these so far, the draw was just a "little" tight on average and the burn needed adjusting from time to time. Medium bodied with tastes of leather and cedar really standing out, flavors were all well balanced and pleasant. Burned cool up until the last 2 inches, then it became too hot for me. A good "outdoors" cigar to smoke when you're low on cash.

My first try in the L'Anniversaire line. Started off with a tough draw and an uneven burn, then a third of the way through, POW! Wonderful favors of coffee, nuts and spice. Cool and creamy without getting hot. Would I buy a box of these? Oh yeah!

Found one in the bottom of the humidor that must have been there for some time. Wonderful semi-sweet chocolate flavor. Very rich, but not at all overpowering. Reminded me of the original L'Ann Mads, until its burn became uneven and the flavor became somewhat bland midway through. Flavor picked up again towards the end with less chocolate but more intensity. Great cigar

Had one with a bailey's on ice and thought I died and went to heaven. A real nice draw and burn, and great flava! NOT A MILD MAN'S CIGAR

Had two of these and thought it went better with a red wine or port that brought out the chocolate tastes of this stick. Nice aroma and good burn.

The only cigar that I've ever had to top this is the Padron Anniversario Exclusivo Maduro. The CAO is packed with rich flavor, burn is consistent, and also I have NEVER had a bad one.

Really sweet stick with not much strength or spice. I used to fancy a maduro now and then but lately they've all left me flat. This was no exception. Lots of flavor is one thing, but please don't feed it to me with a slingshot.

Wonderful flavors - And Long Finish... One of the best cigars around!!!!

Very dark and strong. Hope age will mellow it out...

Woohoo...Dark and powerful. Woody flavor with hints of pepper!
Not what most people would expect of a cee-gar. 🙂

Best "Smoking moment" I've ever had.

I tried three of these and each time I came away unimpressed. It was strong but the flavor of the cigar seemed flat to me.

A bargain given the price for this delicious smoke.

This is a strong cigar....well made,
pleasing to the eye and a delight to smoke.
Increasingly hard to find and when available,
usually commands a premium price

While this is a quality smoke, I was a little disappointed. From all the hpye about it, I expected a lot more from the flavor.

Full bodied, smooth, leathery, spicy

Great cigar for the money

Dark oily wrapper, they smelled great. I knew I would like this before I lit it up. Nice dark cocoa\coffee taste. A new favorite.