CAO L’Anniversaire Toro

This was my first CAO. I bought it after reading June's CA and it received a good rating. The stick has a 55 ring gauge so I was expecting a good amount of flavor even for a Cameroon. However, someone stole the flavor out of this thing. I usually like a little resistance from the draw but this Toro didn't put up a fight. It felt like sucking air through a small pvc pipe. The burn on the first and second cigars were really uneven. The cigar looks better than it tastes

The problem I have with CAO is there are to damn many of them that taste the same and are a bit over priced. That said I like this cigar, even though it really doesn’t have that much more to offer, aside from shape, than many other similar cigars on the market. The flavor which was medium to mild, is very mellow, construction, appearance and smoke output were good. Towards the end I thought the stick lost its character/complexity but, at least for the day, my smoking experience was satisfied. I would wager that the majority of us who smoke CAO wouldn’t be able to distinguish half the CAO’s from the other half of the CAO’s. Still I will continue to buy them…but ask for a discount!

First of all this cigar is interesting looking. I'm not sure if I've ever seen a square stick before. Besides the odd shape(which is in no way a negative aspect) the cigar looked wonderful. Upon lighting it I was astonished. The taste was unbelievable, and I was tempted to say it was the best cigar I had ever smoked. Almost a surplus of good creamy smoke. I just couldn't get over it. Then I reached the middle of the cigar, and the taste went bad on me. I don't know how to describe it exactly, but it was awful. I will assume it just needs some time in the humidor(I have one in there waiting right now), and I will give this one another shot.

Unique square shape easy to hold. Did i taste carmel? I think i did. Very mellow.

Rectangular box press with nice wrapper and cap. The pronounced rectangular shape gives it an unusual feel. The easy initial draw yielded nice quantities of smoke, and the mild start developed into more full flavor/pepper along the way. A very nice smoking experience but a little pricey.

Nice shape very uniform, great smoke for weeked yard work when you need to savory every draw. Perfect smoke for a beginner who is a bit timid. Rated high (92) by CA at one point if that matters. buy by the box at $6.00/ea

A beautiful rectangular pressed cigar with a flawless- silky wrapper. Pre light aroma was faint but upon lighting- it started off with hazelnuts and white pepper. The stick seems to richen and mellow about halfway through into tabacco elegance. A medium bodied cigar with a slightly uneven burn- but that doesn't matter. A tad pricey and perhaps lacking in dimensionality but overall- an enjoyable cigar.

Nice-looking box-pressed stick. Solid construction. No soft spots. Tiny veins. Started with a tight draw, but opened up after the halfway point. Tasted of mild leather and straight tobacco. Fairly muted, earthy taste that remained one-dimensional. Perhaps a touch of vanilla bean by the halfway point, but nothing more complex. Gray ash. Smoked in the early afternoon - paired well with a cup of coffee. Overall, nothing special. Was gifted this one, and wouldn't buy more.