CAO Italia Largo Tubo Review
Details:
Wrapper: Honduras
Filler: Italy, Nicaragua, Peru
Binder: Honduras
Size: 6 1/2 X 50
Cost: $4 (5er for 20)
Prelight:(10) This cigar comes nicely sleeved in an aluminum tube. I actually stored it out of the tube in my humidor for several months before smoking it. I had attempted a review 2x prior but ran into isues with the cigar that prevented me from completing the review. Nowadays I would just do a FAIL review so hopefully this one goes better or that is what this is going to be. The wrapper looks good with no large veins. It feels well packed but not hard as a brick. There is a nice aroma off the wrapper that is woody, herbal and sweet. The prelight draw faired about the same with flavor however it was a bit firm for my liking. As far as the band….I am take it or leave it, but then again I am not Italian. 9/10
Flavor & Aroma:
(15) 1st 3rd: Smooth nice medium/full body with an earthy sweetness and a woody herbal aroma. The finish is touch acidic and there isn’t much spice to talk about through the 1st 3rd. The smoke is smooth and clean through the sinuses. 13/15
(15) 2nd 3rd: Some floral in the aroma is a welcome addition moving into the 2nd 3rd. Complexity and flavor really isn’t this cigars problem. It has plenty and it isn’t a boring smoke. The finish is a little acidic for me but that’s the price you pay for a fuller body…..sometimes but it should still be more balanced. The body remains in the upper part of medium/full and that is where I had to stop to deal with the burn issues….. 13/15
(15) Final 3rd: Spice has finally shown up on the finish but just a little and not enough to balance out the acidity yet. The aroma remains the highlight of this cigar and where it is carrying all of it’s complexity. The flavor has remained largely the same with little change to the body. As I make my way to the nub zone the pepper is finally balancing into the finish. What took so long? A little to little a lot too late. 13/15
Construction & Burn:
(10) 1st 3rd: Definitely not a sipper. It takes 2-3 tokes to get a nice rip every time. It is burning a bit crooked and the draw is tight. Hopefully it will loosen up a bit as it heats up. I can’t let this baby sit too long or it threatens to go out but always wakes back up after a few puffs. Ash was holding pretty well and dropped right after the below picture was taken. 8/10
(10) 2nd 3rd: Just past the half, after every puff a ton of smoke was dumping off the tip. Usually this means one thing….tunnels and loose packing. I tapped the ash and sure enough….there it was. The tunnel measured down about an inch. It was drawing very poorly and subsequently hotly so I had to cut my losses. 7/10
(10) Final 3rd: After the 2 cuts this cigar finished off well. Not good or great but pretty well. The draw was still a bit firm which was causing the volume to be poor off of anything but the 2nd or 3rd puff at times….. but at least it was burning well. 8/10
Thoughts:(15) It is definitley an individualist. No other cigar tastes quite like this and the flavors are enjoyable. I like the herbalness in the aroma. The smoke was smooth and sweet throughout but the acidic finish was a little nagging. The burn/draw issues were typical for most of the CAO’s I have smoked. I have terrible luck with their cigars and frankly steer wide clear of most of them. I wasn’t particulary excited to do this review except for the fact that I would be gaining some valuable room in the humi. While this isn’t a bad smoke, and it does stand out on it’s own, I still don’t recommend it. The chance of burn/draw issues, as with other CAO’s just isn’t worth it. I mean…look how much cigar I had to clip away just to continue smoking it. Out of the 5 pack, I had one that smoked averagely. The rest were carbon copies of this experience. Bogus…. 11/15
Final: 82
