CAO Angry Santa Review

5/20/2014

Cigar: CAO Angry Santa
Size: Toro, 6.5"x52
MSRP: $6.60
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Origin: Honduras

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Prelight: At 6.5”, this is a long toro, brandishing an extremely artistic band (minus the date I Sharpied on when I received this stick) that is over-sized and showcases a gaunt, diseased-looking Santa puffing away, the smoke creating the CAO brand. There are some thick, ugly veins on the wrapper that smells floral and woody. The densely packed foot is pure cocoa heaven. A v-cut gives a cold draw that is not too tight and tastes of wood and chocolate.

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1/3: Starts out with a bit of pepper, but that fades quickly and cream is the primary flavor. There is a woodiness to the first third, but not exactly cedar. Maybe it’s psychosomatic, but I feel like it’s pine. This woody, creamy flavor is joined with the sweet earthiness of dried fruit and nuts by the end of the first third.

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2/3: The ash is gorgeous on this cigar, and I can tell that construction is A1. Now, cedar is evident, but I still feel like there is a bit of pine in the background along with nuts. Is someone roasting chestnuts on an open fire while I sip a creamy coffee waiting for jolly ol’ Saint Nick?

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3/3: The final third starts as cream and cedar. The hint of coffee I was picking up has died off, as well as the piney taste. Every once in a while I taste a hint of mint. Slowly, hay creeps in and the cedar takes on more of a charred wood flavor, but there is something else – baking spice. Again, maybe the name of cigar has me overthinking, but I believe it’s nutmeg.

Overall: CAO nailed it with the naming of this cigar. I know it was a holiday release, but the flavors also remind me of the Yuletide. The construction and burn was perfect, and the flavors evolved just enough to keep me interested, but so much I had no idea what was happening. This is a great cigar, especially for the price point.