CAO La Traviata : Cigar Review

2010-03-05T10:36:00.000-08:00

CAO
La Traviata

Country: Nicaragua
Filler: Nic/Dom
Binder: Cameroon
Wrapper: Ecuadorian

Appearance/Construction:
La Traviata’s binder and filler are wrapped with a beautiful colorado brown Ecuadorian leaf. Although slightly veiny, this wrapper gives off an oily sheen whose impressive shine is smooth to the touch. As Tim Ozgener said, “The oily sheen of the Ecuadorian wrapper compels you to pick it up.” The construction on this cigar is excellent. Regardless of its slightly tight draw, the burn quality was quite good. Requiring no touchups as the burn line was always even.

The ash on La Traviata held up exceptionally well only falling off twice, once midway through the smoke and another close to the very end (signs of expert rolling and construction).

The band is equally impressive. Much thought went into the design and production of this very colorful cigar band staying true to the original La Traviata vista and artwork, which dates back to around 1901-1904

Taste:
This highly sought after cigar is marketed as full-bodied cigar that combines an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with a Cameroon binder and incorporates two different ligero filler tobaccos from the Pueblo Nuevo farm in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. By combining this tobacco blend, La Traviata offers a chocolaty pre light taste along with a very consistent and balanced smoke.

A dominant flavor in the cigar is a fine and enjoyable leathery taste, along with a creamy undertone. Although dominant throughout the smoke, the leather taste was not at all overpowering while the creamy undertone stayed consistent and continued until the very end. During the smoke, La Traviata left a peppery spice imprint on the tongue that picked up in taste and intensity at the very end. In doing so this cigar produced a very nice and flavorful spicy finish. Although this is marketed as a full-bodied cigar, I felt it was more of a medium-bodied smoke with some full-bodied characteristics that I would recommend especially when paired with either Bourbon or a fruity single malt Scotch whisky.

Overall:
La Traviata, by CAO, is a highly recommended smoke in terms of taste, construction, and aesthetics. It is a beautiful looking cigar that offers aficionados an affordable smoke that is in no way reflective of its taste quality. With its leather flavor, creamy undertones and peppery spice finish, CAO has definitely produced a great smoke that will appease all cigar smokers.

One final thought.

The attempt in bringing back La Traviata was to produce something close to what the Cuban market is producing today in terms of taste and presentation. The question that begs to be answered, then, is did CAO succeed?

The answer is not a simple one.

This writer feels that, in essence, every cigar tells a story; a story of the fields in which the tobacco was grown and cared for, a story of the people who toiled and tended the land as they watch their diligent work come to fruition, a story behind the mind that created the blend and of the hands that rolled it, and ultimately, a story of the soul of the country that produced the tobacco. The story is then told and shared with the rest of the world via its final product: the cigar.

As a result, every story (cigar) that is told (produced) by any country has its own distinct characteristics that make it uniquely enjoyable by all. With that said, if like the Cubans, the goal of Tim Ozgener was to create a beautiful sought after story (cigar) that would make a nice addition to any humidor and enjoyed by many, then, without a doubt, CAO has certainly accomplished that difficult task in La Traviata.

My Father Le Bijou 1922 - Cigar Review

2010-03-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

My Father Le Bijou 1922

Country: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua (SEE BELOW)

Introduction:
After the release and success of the original My Father line of cigars by Don Jose Pepin Garcia, the new My Father Le Bijou 1922 cigars were introduced at the 2009 IPCPR show held in New Orleans.Although the original lines were clandestinely created by Don Pepin’s son, Jaime, to honor his father, the Le Bijou (French for “The Jewel”) were likewise created by Pepin himself to honor his father born in 1922.

One unique thing about the Le Bijou is its beautiful wrapper. Pepin is using a type of leaf called “Pelo de Oro” (Golden Hair) to wrap this cigar. The use of Pelo de Oro, considered the father of the modern corojo wrapper, dates back to pre-Castro eras of Cuban cigar making and is no longer typically grown due to its susceptibility to disease.

Appearance/Construction:
Although the Pelo de Oro is lighter than a corojo wrapper, the color is a beautiful silky dark brown that gives off a nice oily sheen. The construction was almost perfect with minimal veins observed and seam lines being even and smooth. The tradition triple cap for which Don Pepin is known for is done beautifully. This cigar is well constructed and has a great draw. The construction and draw are so good be prepared for lots of smoke.

My only complaint is that the cigar I smoked produced an uneven burn. Outside of that the cigar is well made.

Taste:
This wonderful medium to full-bodied cigar is fairly complex with a number of subtle flavor changes. Almost the entire first third was filled with a taste of pepper with slight chocolate notes mixed in. Even though pepper was tasted here and throughout the cigar, it was not as pronounced as one might expect from a typical Don Pepin cigar. Nonetheless, subtle pepper flavors continued through the remainder of the smoke.

At about midway through the cigar the initial flavors smoothly transitioned into more leathery tones with hints of crème and mocha impressively popping in and out. The pepper notes smoothly subsided to give rise to the other flavors.

At the end of the cigar the pepper from the beginning of the cigar returned with now (surprisingly) hints of peppermint to accentuate the ending. One noticeably wonderful characteristic about this cigar is that although it is somewhat complex with a few number of flavor changes, all of the flavors mentioned were surrounding a pleasant earthy core taste that lasted throughout the life of the cigar.

Another thing noticed is that all flavors tasted were not overpowering but very smooth. In addition, flavors were often enjoyed simultaneously in a very nice complimentary fashion.

Overall:
Regardless of its uneven burn, the My Father Le Bijou 1922 is highly recommended. With its subtle complexities and not overpowering, but, smooth flavors and rich taste that continue from start to finish, this cigar is one to be enjoyed on special occasions.

Star Rating: 4.5/5 Very Good+
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Padron 3000 Maduro
Padron 4000 Maduro
AVO #3 Maduro

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CAO La Traviata : Cigar Review

My Father Le Bijou 1922 - Cigar Review