Video review HERE.
CAO presents “Bones,” a collection made to celebrate the memories that are made when a great cigar is lit and the games begin. Bones was named after dominoes and dice, the deeds that are best done with a cigar in hand and in the company of friends old or new.
CAO’s blender/brand ambassador Rick Rodriguez said, “Bones is about kicking back with your friends with a cold beer in your hand, playing a game, smoking, grilling, talking a little trash, and having the time of your life. And that’s what CAO is about, too. It’s about being yourself, enjoying the people you’re with and not having a care in the world while you’re having your cigar. Most of us need a break right now and Bones is just the cigar for that.”
Rick and the Nicaraguan-based CAO blending team set out to make a medium-to-full-bodied smoke that could easily be the topic of conversation or take the backseat during a game night or any smoking occasion with fellow cigar smokers. Rick and the team also developed the blend to complement a wide range of libations that go hand-in-hand with a handmade cigar.
Bones features a four year old Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over a Connecticut Shade binder. The blend is comprised of two varieties of Honduran tobacco from Jamastran and La Entrada, along with Nicaraguan Estelí and Dominican Piloto Cubano. Bones is a meaty smoke that delivers bold notes of wood, nuts and vanilla.
Bones is a full-time addition to the brand’s top-rated lineup and is handcrafted in Nicaragua at STG Estelí. The brand will ship on August 4th to cigar retailers across the country and will be available in four sizes, each named after classic games of dominoes. Each box contains 20 cigars, comes with two standard 16mm dice and is outfitted with a felt-covered inside lid which is a suitable surface for playing dice.
Chicken Foot (Robusto): 5” x 54 – SRP per cigar $7.49 REVIEWED TODAY
Blind Hughie (Toro): 6” x 54 – SRP per cigar $7.99
Matador (Churchill): 7.25” x 54 – SRP per cigar $8.49
Maltese Cross (Gigante): 6” x 60 – SRP per cigar $8.99
The cigar is fat and dark. It has a nice feel in the hand.
The test draw after cutting the cap was very good. The initial flavors at light up were a tangy cedar with citrus influence, brown sugar, caramel, nice amount of cinnamon, a very leathery nutmeg, and earthy black coffee. There was a nice amount of black pepper rated at 7 1/2. A nice sweet, tangy, leathery start.
At the first third (23 minutes) not much had changed from the initial flavors at light up. The only thing that was different is the nutmeg is a little more prominent. The black pepper has increased. The finish has some influence from the citrus/cedar and nutmeg with a very nice amount of lingering black pepper. The cigar is medium bodied, leaning toward medium to full. The first third is pretty good. I rated it 94.
Moving through the second third (41 minutes) the leathery nutmeg is quite pronounced. With it the sweet notes of cedar/citrus, brown sugar, and caramel have decreased. The earthy black coffee is holding a nice base. The cigar is now medium to full bodied. The finish has some leather on it now to go along with the citrus/cedar influence and nutmeg. The lingering black pepper remains very good. I rated the second third 93.
The cigar lasted 55 minutes. It held served from the second third through the end. Nothing much changed. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is unchanged. This was an enjoyable cigar. It was also a quick smoke. I held the score of 93. You can purchase these cigars HERE.
Overall Score: 93.33
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