CAO OSA SOL LOT 50 (5x50)

I tend to have a love hate relationship with CAO cigars.  There are some that I absolutely love and then there are others I wouldn't recommend to my worst enemy.  Offered for your consideration today is the CAO OSA SOL 6x54 Toro that not only would I suggest you try, if we were out together I'd offer to buy one for you to smoke with me.  It really is that good.

The opportunity to enjoy some mexican food with my wife and kids along with some good friends of ours was too good an offer to pass up, and knowing there was a great cigar bar right next door with a great outdoor seating area only sweetened the deal knowing the kids could run around and burn some energy while the ladies talked and the men smoked.

The Nolensville Cigar Bar was the destination, and just like the old television show Cheers, I was greeted by name upon entering the shop, a fact that my friend refused to let me live down with constant jeers of "oh, I see you've been here before" and other sarcastic comments.  Sarcasm aside, we ordered some drinks and headed back onto the patio to enjoy a smoke.

My buddy ordered a Jack and Coke and I ordered a seven and seven, both drinks I think pair well with this cigar, my preferred Woodchuck was not available hence the mixed libation.  The foot was toasted and the cigar drawn upon, and the initial taste was very smooth, slightly creamy but with a nicely defined sweetness to it.  The wrapper itself aside from being very nicely constructed tasted delicious.

The smoke offered up a nicely defined sweetness reminiscent of hard candy, but finished with a nice earthy cedar that complimented the draw perfectly.  I stated to my friend after only 2-3 draws on how good a cigar this was, and while not bold as I normally tend to go, especially after a big mexican dinner, it was very flavorful.

I actually had several bites of the desert my wife had ordered, fried ice cream which did nothing to detract from the cigar, and maybe even complimented it a bit.  The cigar burned really nice although didn't hold a terrible long ash, I got about an inch and half out of it before it fell.  One thing I noticed about this cigar was how good the smoke smelled, it really reminded me of a pipe tobacco, and held a defined sweetness that was absolutely delicious.

If it seems like I'm starting to gush a bit about this cigar, perhaps it is because I am.  This was a fantastic smoke, I really enjoyed it as did my friend who enjoyed the same cigar.  He's not strong and bold cigar smoker, and he told me he really enjoyed the CAO and found it to be really balanced.  There was no harsh notes to the cigar that I tasted, and the burn was even not needing any touch ups throughout the smoke.

I enjoyed the cigar for close to 45 minutes before finally allowing it to retire in the ashtray, and if it weren't for a lack of time combined with pure exhaustion I seriously would have smoked another one back to back.  I'm going to look into buying a whole box of this cigar - yes, it's that good.

So, in case you missed it, I would highly recommend this cigar, in fact I suggested it to my sister to try along with her husband.  This may become my new go to cigar replacing the NUB's and CAIN's I typically choose when I want something I know is good.

The smoke was not one dimensional, and the flavor profile built upon the sweetness on the front with the cedar on the finish.  It matured and got better, like a fine wine aerating itself.  It didn't change, there weren't multiple dimensions to cigar, just one smooth consistent flavor that simply got better the deeper into the stick you got.

With that being said, I'm already hankering for a cigar, I haven't had one since enjoying this CAO, maybe tonight I'll take the kids out back and let them run around while I crack open a Rocky Patel I've got sitting in the humidor.  Maybe you should consider doing the same as well, isn't that what Monday nights are for?

Until we smoke again...