Thursday, July 21 2011
RICHMOND, VA -- A proprietary wrapper tobacco cultivated in Honduras’ celebrated Olancho, San Agustin valley graces CAO OSA Sol, the first new collection created for CAO under the auspices of General Cigar.
Rick Rodriguez, who spearheads CAO’s new product development, collaborated with a hand-picked group of in-house cigar experts in blending OSA Sol. He began the process with Olancho San Agustin wrapper tobacco from the proprietary 2008 crop. Ideal climatic conditions that year led to the expression of essential oils on the leaf. When processed, the natural oils contribute to the cigar’s uniquely robust, earthy flavor and full-bodied aroma.
To achieve its uniquely balanced, medium-bodied taste, Rick and his team have punctuated the flavorful OSA wrapper with a hearty Connecticut Broadleaf
binder, and a
blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran filler. The result is a provocative taste that celebrates the nuances of Olancho San Agustin tobacco.
Ed McKenna, CAO’s senior brand manager, commented, “We created CAO OSA Sol in the CAO tradition of developing exciting new tastes and eye-catching packaging. Considering the cigar’s distinctive flavor and accessible price, we’re confident that it will appeal to a wide range of discerning premium cigar enthusiasts.”
Accessibly priced and set to debut at retail in September, OSA Sol will launch with three frontmarks, each housed in boxes of 25. Lot 50 (5” x 50) will be available for $5.75 per cigar, or $143.75 per box. Lot 54 (6” x 54) will be available for $6.25 per cigar, or $156.25 per box, and Lot 58 (6 ½” x 58) will sell for $6.75 per cigar, or $168.75 per box. All of the above are suggested retail prices.
OSA Sol is protected in a handsome box which pays homage to CAO’s tradition of innovative package design by highlighting the San Agustin region. The box’s eye catching color scheme celebrates the whitewashed curing barns located on the very farm where the tobaccos were cured. Much like the cigars contained within, the handsome box is sure to be treasured by discriminating premium cigar smokers.
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