Initial Thoughts
Kicking off #CAORiverWeek with a fairly unique smoke here. The CAO Brazilia Gol! is one of eight vitolas created for this blend. As you probably guessed this blend uses some Brazilian tobacco in it. To be accurate it’s using a Brazilian leaf on the wrapper. The rest of the makeup is Nicaraguan tobacco. Personally I’m a big fan of using Brazilian tobaccos alongside Nicaraguan I think it always creates a nice flavor combination. I actually used something similar to this blend in personal creation at the Drew Estate Safari.
The background on this cigar seems fairly straightforward. Using a Brazilian leaf you have to name some of the vitolas after Brazilian traditions right? First off you have the Amazon which is the largest vitola out of all the blends. Then there is the Corcovado which is a mountain in Central Rio de Janeiro. Alongside those, you can also choose from Samba, Lambada, Minis, Cuban Press, and the Cariocas. Finally, we have the Gol! which obviously translates to Goal ! in English. Highlighting the importance of fútbol to the region. I’m pretty excited to light up this cigar so without further ado let’s get into it.
Looks
The entire CAO Brazilia line is really honing in on the Brazil concept which I love. From the box to the bands. It uses all the colors that are found in the country’s flag. The colors that everyone will see proudly waved at the World Cup this year. I’ve always thought that green, yellow, and blue make up a nice color palette. This cigar has a beautiful band that is very easy to notice in every humidor you walk in. It doesn’t really blend in, which is nice if you’re trying to find this particular stick.
The design starts with somewhat of a diamond shape in the middle of the band with the tips protruding towards the head and foot of the cigar. Filling in and around the diamond are other random circles that alternate between the colors of the country. In fact the middle of the band looks very similar to the flag of the country. Without looking exactly alike it gets pretty darn close. Toward the bottom of the diamond, the name of the blend is stated as ‘Brazilia’ in a nice gold font that gets lost against the yellow background. However, like I said above, you’re not going to miss this in the humidor. Even if you can’t read the gold print, you’re going to know that it’s the CAO Brazilia judging by the colors.
The Brazilian wrapper is a nice dark chocolate maduro-looking wrapper. Very few veins are seen protruding. It has a nice sheen to it as well. Plenty of oils coming off which makes it even more enjoyable to look at. I think that just about sums up the looks of this cigar. It’s time to get into it and see if it’s going to be worthwhile to smoke.
Function
This is a fairly thick cigar in terms of ring gauge. Sitting at 5″ x 56 so I decided I’m going to use my punch cut on this. I prefer to do that on these thicker cigars. I think it makes it draw a bit easier. Plus, I just love using a punch. So after I got a nice hole punched into the cap I started testing the dry draw. I noticed right off the bat it was a little tight. More resistance than I prefer personally. I’m not too worried right now, because usually a cigar will open up more once it’s lit.
The foot of this CAO Brazilia looks very well-packed, and full of delicious Nicaraguan tobacco. I gave the cigar a pinch test up and down the barrel. To make sure there weren’t any soft spots. It was fairly firm and didn’t really give me any bounce back. For me, that’s great, but it can also be indicative of a tight draw. Only time will tell though. Well, I think it’s about time to light this bad boy up and see what’s cooking.
Smoking
I used my trusty Xikar Stratosphere for the job. I say trusty because it’s the only lighter that I have so it damn well better be trusty, otherwise, I’m having to use matches. The draw was a little rough right at the beginning but it did finally take to the flame and the cigar started puffing away. Producing some very aromatic smoke along the way which is a great sign of a tasty smoke to me.
The first third burned fairly well. I started to run into a bit of trouble with the wrapper getting crooked on me during the 2nd third though. The wrapper didn’t affect the draw though it was just burning a little uneven. There was a bit of wind whipping into the garage today so that could have been the issue. I’m not too worried, I touched it up and went on. I had similar issues with the Draig K’s wrapper as well. For some reason, the combustion just wasn’t even on it. That doesn’t bother me too much as long as the taste is there.
Even though the draw is a bit tight I’m powering through it to get to the good flavors. Enough about how it’s smoking, I know everyone wants to know how this CAO Brazilia tastes! So lets get to it before you all fall asleep while reading.
Flavor
The first thing I noticed on this CAO Brazilia during the pre-light was a nice sweet note of molasses and some strong mocha/cocoa notes as well. Following that were notes of leather and some dark earthy tones that came up towards the foot. As you can tell it’s a very dark-smelling cigar.
The first third brought a nice coffee flavor. I figured that I would pick up a nice coffee seeing as how Nicaragua & Brazil are both known for fabulous coffee. There was a hint of sweetness on the backend which added to the complexity. There’s a ton of smoke swirling the room giving off the more earthy notes that are staying consistent.
During the 2nd third a nice sweet spice developed. It hit up on the front of my palate with a spice and then finished with a tasty sweetness. This is the flavor combination that I was hoping to find from the Brazil / Nicaragua tobaccos. It’s one of my favorite combinations of flavor. The deep earthy notes continue to act as a backbone for the entire blend.
In the final third of this CAO Brazilia let off the spice a bit and became milder overall. It was a nice way to ease out of the blend. The aroma and sweetness from the cigar stuck around and were really shining through in the last third. Overall I would say this is a mild-medium cigar. It never really built-in strength, and is exactly what I wanted. I love the flavor combinations it provided. Very pleased with this smoking it for the first time.
Would I Buy It Again?
Yes.
Is It an Every Day Smoke?
It could be, depending on the size. I like the flavor combinations and the overall strength. This cigar can go well in the morning, afternoon, and night.
Would I Buy a Box?
Potentially, depending on the price.
Conclusion
I’m giving this CAO Brazilia a 9/10. I loved the flavors, but the burn issues with the wrapper and the fairly resistant draw grew bothersome after a while. Still a very enjoyable smoke for sure and I’ll be smoking them again I can guarantee that.
