The CAO Brazilia Corcovado was an IPCPR sample that was given to me by Paul Spence, whom I’ve had the great pleasure of meeting several times and is a real good guy. I had my eye on a Brazila robusto in the humidor when I remembered having this one and figured it was one I really hadn’t seen any reviews or heard much buzz about. This cigar is in a format that seems to be growing in popularity. Sam Leccia’s NUb line came on the seen a few years ago in this short and fat format and I would guess it’s just about the most coppied vitola in recent memory. The CAO Brazilia I had had a jet black wrapper and had a very prominent vein running the length of the cigar. I will say right now that I should have left this one sit for a while longer in the humidor. It seemed “not ready” to me, which is a shame for a IPCPR sample which is supposed to entice the smoker to buy these cigars. I work near a company that manufactures molases, so I’ve occasionally smelled the pungeant aromas that is produced there. This had a raw molases flavor to it thatbrought to mind that factory. It also left me a little queezy afterward, which is not a sensation I am looking for in a cigar. No doubt a year or so of age would settle this cigar down in my opinion and I do regret smoking this one too soon. In the same bag from CAO was a LX2 in a 60 ring gauge, but 6″ long which I will let mature for a year or so, as past experiece with the LX2 has told me that I like these more with some age. I should have smoked the LA Traviata Maduro from the same bag, but it seems like it’s being reviewed to death and as much as I look forward to smoking that particular cigar I think I’ll wait a bit. Unfortunately this particular sample didn’t really do it for me this time. I would never trash a cigar based on one example though and I will try this one again if I have the chance.
Editorial
This cigar got me to thinking about why it is that everyone is putting out cigars with enormous ring gauges lately? Is it possible that, since the SCHIP tax is the same for any size cigar, that fatter cigars are perceived as a better value? Could it be that smoking bans cause people to have less time to enjoy a cigar and a short, fat cigar gives the impression that they smoke quicker? I am really baffled by this as I had thought that (or hoped may be a better word) that we had moved past the “bigger is better” thing. I’ve actually gotten to the point where a 50 ring gauge cigar looks pretty slim! I personally enjoy a smaller ring gauge cigar, although I smoke darned few of them it seems. Anyone who has any theories they’d like to share on the subject is welcome to leave them in the comments.
Contest Update!
I know I had promised a contest winner announcement, but I’ve been slacking off! Hopefully by Sunday I will have concocted a clever and entertaining (yet totally fair and impartial) method of selecting the winner. There have been 21 entries so far, and the contest remains open until at least midnight Saturday, September 4. You can leave a comment to enter to win a hat, cutter and Liga Privada T52 Belicoso courtesy of Drew Estate here.
That’s about it for now (as I enjoy a Chateau Real maduro while writing this). Until the next time,
CigarCraig
