Wednesday, June 08 2011
Country of Origin: Honduras
Size/Strength: 5" x 56 / Full
Wrapper: Honduran Habano
Filler: Italian-grown Habano seed, Nicaraguan, Peruvian
Binder: Honduran Habano
Presentation: Box of 20 cigars & 5-Packs
This is one of those cigars that I'm really nutty for. First, I like its 5" x 56 dimensions. I also love its unique blend, which includes Italian-grown Cuban seed longfiller, Nicaraguan, and a spicy Peruvian leaf. The smoke has great balance, lots of caramelized flavors, and one of the most impressive aromas ever to infiltrate your olfactory senses.
The CAO Italia edition has been around since 2004, and what made this cigar unique at the time was the Italian filler leaf. The back-story is, the Cuban seeds from which the filler leaves are grown were brought to Italy about 46-plus years ago. This has given them many generations to perfect. The tobacco is also grown in the southern Benevento region, popular for growing grapes used to make some of Italy's finest wines. Due to its ideal soil and climate, the tobacco lends an earthy sweetness to the smoke and balances well with the heartier Nicaraguan, Peruvian and Honduran leaves.
The Honduran wrappers are buttery smooth and have a rich oily sheen. The smoke has a very earthy base underscored by flavors of spice, some herbal and leathery notes, and an appealing sweetness that lingers throughout the entire journey. The Ciao also improves nicely as it smokes, moving from a medium-bodied start, to a more full-bodied smoke just past the halfway mark. It's also so well-balanced you don't get that bitterness that tends to sneak in during the last act in so many cigars.
IMO, this is one of CAO's best cigars for its marvelous mix of tobacco flavors, aroma, and consistency. I've smoked a lot of these since their debut in several sizes, too, and never had to put one down prematurely. I would also recommend the Italia Ciao to newer cigar smokers who are ready to move up to a real major league cigar. This one's got it all.
See pricing and offers for all CAO Italia cigars.
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