CAO Concert

Early 2012 is when I first heard about a new line called "Concert".  Rick Rodriguez, the man behind the idea and blend, wanted to pay homage to CAO's legacy and to the city CAO called home for so long: "Music City"  Nashville, TN.  Rodriguez shared with me the ideas and early concepts behind the line and I thought it was a very respectable and honorable thing to do now that CAO is part of General and no longer based in Nashville.

Fast forward a few months and I was able to reconnect with CAO and Rodriguez for CMA Fest, the annual Country Music festival held where Country artists perform for fans at various venues around town.  CAO was a sponsor of the festival and used the event as an opportunity to quietly start branding the new line with live music while building up to the actual release at IPCPR today.  It was here that Rodriguez bestowed upon me my first "Concert", pre-release and fresh from the factory.  We shared a couple, and I took one home to review properly for the blog.  So let's start, shall we?

The "Concert" uses four different Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers unique only to "Concert".  It is bound with a Connecticut Broadleaf and wrapped with a beautiful chocolate-y Ecuadoran Habano Rosado.  The wrapper has a nice oily sheen, and a nice spring when pressed.  I detected earthy notes with sweet tobacco and a hint of spice in the pre-light aroma.  Toasting the foot was easy and the draw one of the best I've had in a long time.

The opening number featured flavors of hay and then a burst of pepper.  There was plenty of smoke and the stick had a great draw.  Finishing up the 1st third, the pepper started giving way to some spice flavors.

In the 2nd third, the pepper had subsided and gave way to a creamy spice taste with a bit of graham cracker.  There even seemed to be a bit of a honey in my retrohale.  The burn has stayed pretty even and the smoke still plentiful, all the while remaining cool.

The ash held on extremely well, as you can see.  On this 5 1/2" cigar, I had an almost 3" ash.  

In the last third, the intensity picked up again with a mix of spice and pepper to round out the cigar.  The burn remained even and the cigar never needed to be relit.  The draw remained constant throughout and provided a great finish to this cigar.

The "Concert" is very smooth, rich and definitely a full-medium bodied cigar.  The construction was great, and so was the experience of smoking this gem.  All of the "Concerts" I smoked were very consistent and enjoyable. Rodriguez wanted to create a "harmony" with the 4 distinct fillers, and I think he did a great job.  There will be four sizes released: AMP (5 1/2" x  46) SOLO (5 1/2" x  50) ROADIE (5 1/2" x  54) and the STAGE (5 1/2" x  60).  All things considered, he has raised the bar for the company, and for others who are releasing new products this year.  I give the "Concert" a 94.

Now to discuss the band, and the box. I think the CAO team has come up with a great concept since Nashville is known as "Music City".  I love the guitars with "f" holes and the guitar pick on the band.  And the box as a guitar amplifier is a great idea!  However, the box is more like the no longer made VOX AC50 amplifier with it's white chicken head knobs rather than the Marshall amplifier that Cigar Aficionado stated in their article on the "Concert". (Sorry, that's the musician in me coming out).  I know that there will be contests, and "swag" offered at events, so there will definitely be a great deal of fun surrounding the promotion of this release.  Look for a September release and a tour stop near you later this year and into next.

UPDATE: (Sept 16, 2012)  After having a few of the Concerts now that they have been officially released, I would like to say that the flavor profile is almost identical to what I had before.  The graham cracker is a little lighter than I remember, but that's about it and see no reason to deviate from the 94 rating I gave them earlier.  Congrats guys! 

Bellaterra Cigars: Black and Tan, Double Deuce

A few years ago, a gentleman by the name of Mike Murphy launched Bellaterra Ranch Wines.  Not long afterwards, he started  having conversations with people who requested a cigar to pair with his wine.  Being a fellow Brother of the Leaf, it didn't take much convincing for him to start his own cigar line, and after 3 years he partnered up with CAO to launch the cigar line. After the General buyout, Murphy aligned the company with Torano and then released new blends.

I was fortunate to have tried out a couple of Bellaterra's cigars.  One, known as the "Black and Tan" in lancero (their newly released robusto is currently being used for their "Big Ash Challenge") is the one I selected for this review.  The other one is the "Double Deuce" in robusto that I decided to try out while on the boat one day, but wasn't selected to be reviewed properly (and now wish I had).

I headed out to the back deck with the "Black and Tan" and a bit of Myers's dark rum.  The lancero had a two-toned, double maduro wrapper (with a Connecticut wrapper which covered most of the cigar), was well constructed with only small visible veins and a little spring when pressed between my thumb and fingers.  Smelling the foot revealed a pleasant odor of sweet tobacco with just the slightest hint of hay and barnyard.  Toasting the foot was a breeze, and the burn remained constant and pretty even throughout the entire cigar.  Additionally, a good amount of smoke emanated from the stick for the duration of the evening.

Into the 1st third, I was greeted with creamy, coffee filled notes.  Halfway through the 1st third, however, I noticed leather coming into play with the coffee fading away.  Finishing up the 1st, leather stayed prominent with the occasional hint of coffee.

Heading into the 2nd third, leather lead the charge, but the creamy, coffee notes came back to the forefront with a brief introduction of cocoa as well.  After a few minutes, these notes went back into hiding, and leather and hay came back to the forefront.  

Ending the 2nd third, and entering the last third this ping pong match continued, each time the coffee notes becoming weaker, and the leather notes getting stronger.

There's no denying that the "Black and Tan" is a well made cigar.  It had a great burn, plenty of smoke, great draw, etc.  The flavor started off pretty well, but became stagnant after a while where at the end, it felt like I was playing a tennis match- shots back and forth repeatedly with little change.  It's quite possible that the new robusto size will offer a totally different experience than what I had with the lancero, and am looking forward to trying it out.  However, with my experience with this particular cigar, I rate the "Black and Tan" lancero as an 85.

Now, if you would, remember back to my earlier statement about another Bellaterra cigar, the "Double Deuce" robusto.  As I stated earlier, I was on a boat and just simply enjoying the cigar, and didn't review it. My phone had already died, so I couldn't document the cigar like I would have liked (no photos or notes), but I do remember how much I enjoyed the cigar.  What stuck out in my mind was that the flavor was a bit more complex with no "ping pong" match.  The quality of the cigar was just like that of the other Bellaterra cigar.  If I were to review the "Double Deuce", I am sure it would have rated it around a 90, maybe higher.  I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this cigar.  I'm sure I'll have to try this one out again to give it a more detailed analysis.

Dona Flor Cigars To Release “Brazilian Black Treasure”

For those familiar with pre-Castro Cuban cigars, one would recognize the name Alonso Menendez.  With a family name synonymous with H. Upmann and Montecristo, one can't help but wonder what Alonso's son, Felix (who was 16 and his father's apprentice at the time the family fled after the takeover) would do.  Well, that time is now at hand.  Don't keep us waiting too long!  Below is the press release with more information.

DONA FLOR CIGARS READY TO UNVEIL ITS “BRAZILIAN BLACK TREASURE” TO THE U.S. MARKET

“The cigar community waits with anticipation as this unique brand hits the US”

(Miami, Florida) June 5, 2012— Dona Flor Cigars, manufactured by Menendez Amerino which is celebrating 35 years in existence, is ready to share its Brazilian cigars with the U.S. market. Dona Flor, which features cigars with 100% Brazilian tobacco, expects to fill a void in the North American market with its unique and exotic blends.

Dona Flor is at its finest, a combination of the best cigar minds to come out of Cuba, and the exotic natural resources in Brazil that produces “Brazil’s dark treasure” the Mata Fina tobacco. Manufactured in the state of Bahia located in northeast Brazil, Dona Flor Cigars are the result of the collaboration between Cuban cigar maker Felix Menendez(who had been involved in the making of famous Cuban brands Montecristo and H. Upmann in the pre-Castro era) and Brazilian tobacco grower Mario Amerino. Now being brought to the United States via Chris Edge owner of Dona Flor U.S.A., cigar enthusiasts will now have the opportunity to savor the cigar industries best kept secret: Dona Flor Cigars.

Dona Flor made an attempt to distribute its award-winning blend to the U.S. market in 2005 but legal issues (which have now been resolved) kept the Dona Flor brand off the shelves in the U.S. until now. Chris Edge, a cigar enthusiast and successful business man from Denver, Colorado was handpicked by Menendez and Amerino to carry out the mission of exposing the Brazil’s finest cigars to North America.

“Because of the quality and unique flavor of Brazilian tobacco we will be able to establish Dona Flor cigars as the ultimate Brazilian cigar. Brazilian cigars or Brazilian tobacco in general are an unknown treasure here in the US.  Brazilian tobacco has been a crucial part of infamous cigars for decades, but all of the glory has gone to the country of manufacture, not the country of origin,” said Chris Edge.

The IPCPR in Orlando will be the platform for the unveiling of Dona Flor cigars which have garnered ratings from Cigar Aficionado Magazine of 92, 89, and 88. Dona Flor’s cigars are 100% “puro” with filler, binder, and wrapper all grown in Bahia which makes the final product one of the most unique and flavorful premium cigars in the world.

CAO's Last Stick Standing

CAO cigars just launched their newest promotion called "Last Stick Standing" at Uptown's Smoke Shop here in Nashville, TN this past Thursday.  This promotion gives CAO fans that opportunity to help rate 3 cigars and have a hand in deciding which of the three will be released later this year, or early in 2013. If you're local shop is hosting a "Last Stick Standing" event, then you'll be able to try them out and rank them on a card to be returned with your thoughts and notes on the three cigars.  If you're able to get a tin of the cigars, give them a shot and rank them online at http://lss.caocigars.com . Currently, all 3 cigars are pretty much neck and neck, but they need to hear your feedback before June 30th!

In other CAO news...well, I can't divulge much, but I will say that there's a storm a brewing on the horizon and it might get loud at IPCPR this year.  Musician aficionados in particular will be very happy come IPCPR!


Below are some pictures from the kick-off to "Last Stick Standing"

Lexus of Nashville's Cars, Cigars, and Rum Event.

Last Saturday night, Lexus of Nashville held an event called "Cars, Cigars and Rum: An Evening of Perfect Pairings" at the former CAO Headquarters in Nashville. Since CAO was sold to General, the former headquarters has now become known as the event venue "OZ". Displayed inside are incredible pieces of art lining the hallways and, more importantly, the history from one of the world's leading cigar companies. While Lexus unveiled their new 2013 GS model, they also provided CAO cigars from the personal collection of the Ozgeners and 12 Year Old Zaya Rum. One couldn't have asked for a better pairing.

Having attended most events Lexus of Nashville has thrown, I will definitely say this was not only their best, but also the one most well received and well attended. It really hit the target demographic of Lexus: those who love premium cigars and premium spirits also enjoy more luxurious vehicles.  Not mentioning the tables of delicious food circling the Styrofoam Lexus GS hanging from the air, or John Elefante from Kansas singing hits like "Carry On My Wayward Son", Lexus of Nashville definitely had a truly memorable event!

Of the 2,000 RSVPs received, I would dare say 1,900 showed. JR Roper, the man behind Lexus of Nashville, and his wife Joy were obviously there, as was Tim Ozgener, former President of CAO. Members from local press included Ted Clayton and Meagan Nordmann from Nashville Arts, Stacie Standifer of Nashville Lifestyles, and Mike Smith from NFocus. Spied in the crowd were Larry Lipman (The Lipman Group Sotheby's International Realty) and his wife Sandra Lipman (co-chair for the 50th Swan Ball - which JR donated a 2013 GS for their silent auction), songwriter Tim Nichols, Finance Director of the TBI Brian Senecal, as well as Dr. and Mrs. Schwaber chatting with daughter, interior designer Sarah Rohe, and friends songwriter/artist Skippy and his wife, model Amber Chapman. Other notables included Mike Murphy of Bellaterra wines and cigars (CAO used to make Bellaterra cigars before the buyout), celebrity photographer Allen Clark, former White House staff Ben Miller and former Navy SEAL Tim Kenney (working together on an upcoming television project from what I hear), and antique dealer Darren Cioffi (who always has the best Iroquois Steeplechase after parties at his 8,000 sq ft historic Boxwood Hall residence). Also in attendance was my good friend Shelley McBurney, who's fine art from her gallery, Gallery One, was seen hanging throughout the warehouse and halls. As you can see, it was definitely the place to be.

So enough of the social stuff and on to the rum and cigars! Although I've had several rums ranging from Atlantico to Zacapa, I've never had Zaya. Zaya is a rum that has been aged in oak barrels for 12 years before bottling. It has a dark mahogany hue and a nose of nutmeg, vanilla and a bit of brown sugar. The flavor was right in line with the nose: nutmeg, and vanilla, but it developed a tad more spice, maple, with a touch of orange and a buttery finish. I found this rum to be much like Atlantico in taste, and in price point. I definitely would have Zaya again, and encourage those into rum to give it a shot as well.

As for the cigars, the Ozgeners decided to bring out only a couple of vitolas and they were both mild in body, which was probably the best and easiest option considering how many people and how many taste preferences were present. As the cigars were handed out, you were asked "How long do you want to smoke? 30 minutes, or an hour?" The "hour" long smoke was more like a corona/robusto as it was about 5" but had a ring size closer to a 42. The "30 minute" smoke was even smaller, a small panetela like a Petit Julieta. The cigars were lightly dipped in honey making them a bit sweet and very reminiscent of a Swisher Sweet. I guess these were the "adult versions". There were no labels on the cigars as they were still in their bundles. The initial aromas were sweet with a bit of hay and tobacco. The construction was solid although the wrapper on the larger stick had a small tear. Lighting was a breeze and the cigar remained lit and burned evenly throughout. There wasn't a great deal of change as I progressed through the stick. The flavors throughout were cream, a hint of cedar, hay and a touch of pepper at the end. As this is a cigar not in production, I obviously can't say a person should or shouldn't go out and try it.  I would say that if I were to rate it, I'd give it somewhere in the mid 80s. It's a good smoke, but very mild with very little change in flavor. Again, I'm sure it was because of the sheer number of people at the event as to why they went with a mild cigar. It was a nice treat, however, and was nice to be at the former HQ for such a great company.

Below are photos from the evening that I thought you might like to see... either something fun from the event, or educational from CAO history. Enjoy!

Inside the former warehouse

The bar by the Escaparate Humidor...

reminded us of the Chalmun's Cantina (Mos Eisley Cantina)

Even though the cigars are gone from the Escaparate humidor,

this beautiful piece of tobacco art is still there

The god Bacchus carved from Styrofoam 

stood maybe 25 feet in the air

Working on a new piece, clay/Styrofoam mix

More pieces

Lexus 2013 GS Styrofoam piece hanging in the air

encircled by tables of food

People checking out the inside of the new 2013 GS

Art from the "FLAVOURS" case

Humidors from the humidors case

Prefer the Brazilia? Mx2? La Traviata?

Here's a brief history behind each line.

More humidor work...including the boxes commissioned

for the Chicago Bulls' 5th and 6th NBA championship rings

Incredibly beautiful CAO Meerschaum pipes...

true works of art!

Toraño Loyal BFC

We've had a bit of a weird winter here in Tennessee this year with days reaching into the mid 60s and mild temps overnight around 50. As a result,  I decided to enjoy an unseasonably warm evening on my deck and try out the Toraño Loyal. I ended up auditioning the BFC,  something else a little different for me during this peculiar season.

Upon my initial inspection, the cigar had a few small to medium veins, but nothing unsightly. It was firm, but not hard and had an overall nice oily sheen on it's milk chocolate Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. I detected some earthy notes and a bit of spice prior to lighting.  Once lit, I noticed the same in the first few draws as well. About midway through the first 3rd, I also picked up on some hay and cedar notes.

With plenty of smoke, I headed into the second 3rd of my smoke. The sweetness tapered off and revealed a bit more cedar and spice which was accompanied by leather. At this stage is when the cigar became fuller making it a solid medium bodied cigar. The ash held on for from between 1/2" to 3/4" pretty consistently.

Finishing up the cigar, I found that the preceding leather and cedar notes of the second 3rd falling away, introducing a nice cocoa taste. Additionally, I also detected the occasional coffee notes as I got into the back half of the final 3rd.  The smoke remained voluminous and the cigar never needed a touch up and kept an even burn throughout. 

The Loyal is a great smoke and at a very reasonable price. The Toraño family remains loyal to their customers in this regard, and as a result, customers remain loyal to the brand. I give this smoke an 89.

Valentine's Day

As you are well aware, Valentine's Day is around the corner.  A week from today, we will celebrate the day whereby we show our romantic affection towards our loved ones.  For some, there will be gifts of chocolate, flowers, or jewelry.  But what about men?  Or those women who enjoy cigars and want something different besides the traditional fare?  Sometimes, it can be a daunting task to decide upon something to give someone.  As a result, I have decided to compile a short list to help my Brothers and Sisters of the Leaf should they need help dropping a hint or two.

A gift with great importance is a humidor.  Needing a place to properly store one's cigars is paramount.  It is also easy to run out of room, thereby necessitating in another, or maybe a larger, humidor.  Depending on your budget, you may decide to have a custom, handmade humidor made (such as Waxing Moon Humidors or Christian Baeck Humidors ) or you may prefer to visit your local tobacconist, who carries a nice selection of humidors, all depending on your valentine's needs and preferences.

How about accessories?  Does that special someone have a dependable cutter or lighter?  Have they lost theirs?  Or maybe would they want one in a special design?  Xikar is a brand that does all the above.  They make great cutters and punches in a variety of formats, as well as designs.  And the same can be said for their lighters, which come in everything from a single to a triple torch and with many shapes and sizes to choose from.  Furthermore, if someone wants a Mayan design (it is 2012 after all), or maybe a Drew Estate Liga Privada No. 9, Xikar makes both and many more.  If you want something that looks great but also has great quality and dependability, then Xikar is the way to go.  These are also available from your local tobacconist.

Finally, something every cigar smoker loves...cigars!  Maybe you're not a smoker, and you're afraid to pick some up for fear of buying something that is not their style, or isn't to their taste.  I say don't worry.  This is where your local tobacconist comes into play again.  The staff there may know your loved one well if they've been there for a while, but if not, don't worry.  Just take a look at what they currently keep at the house.  Letting the staff know the current selection, and maybe even their favorite drinks when smoking, will help them help you better.  They may also offer suggestions based upon their tastes to introduce them to a new brand or new line by a favorite manufacturer.

I hope that I've been able to help with these suggestions.  And I hope that you have a great Dia del Amor y la Amistad!