Video review HERE.
(Description provided by STG)
Buckle up CAO fans. CAO will release its largest full-time Flathead cigar to date with an 8” x 60 monster smoke named after the hefty component of a car’s exhaust system.
Called “Resonator,” the cigar is handmade in Nicaragua at STG Esteli, with the same, top-rated blend that comprises the rest of the Flathead franchise.
The box-pressed behemoth features a US-grown Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Connecticut Habano binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos and packs a powerful punch with notes of leather and molasses.
The cigars are packed in 24-count boxes engineered with a plasma-cut metal lid that doubles as the ultimate in garage art.
CAO Flathead Resonator (8” x 60); SRP per cigar $12.79.
The cigar is long, big, and dark. It has a weighty feel in the hand.
The test draw after cutting the cap was good with some firmness. The initial flavors at light up were lemon, brown sugar, and dark chocolate. There was black pepper rated at 7 1/2. The lemon is quite prominent and hopefully it will tone down.
At the first third (48 minutes) there is a lot of dark chocolate and very little sweetness. Plus, the lemon, while somewhat decreased, is still in the way. It's not combining well with the dark chocolate. The cigar is medium bodied, leaning toward medium to full. The finish is dark chocolate with good lingering black pepper. The notes aren't working well together. The dark chocolate is ok but the lemon detracts. I rated the first third 86.
As I moved through the second third (1 hour 33 minutes) the cigar improved. The lemon is way down and the brown sugar increased and works well with the dark chocolate. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is unchanged. I rated the second third 88. If the lemon can go away entirely I think the cigar will be much better.
The cigar lasted a very impressive 2 hours 13 minutes. The cigar is the best it's been at this point. The lemon is gone. There is a lot of brown sugar and dark chocolate. They combine nicely. The black pepper is at least 8. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is unchanged. It took a long time to get to this point but it was worth the wait. It's too bad the first third had so much lemon which detracted from the enjoyment. I rated the final third 92. If you can make your way through the first third and most of the second the final third is very good.
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