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Old 10-17-2007, 04:55 PM   #1
jazznut
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CAO America Potomac

CAO America Potomac

Dimensions: 5 inches by 56-ring gauge
Packaging: 20 cigars housed within a red, white and blue box

Wrapper: A Connecticut broadleaf maduro leaf overlying a Connecticut shade one
Binder: Brazilian
Filler: A blend of leaves from the Dominican Republic, Italy, Nicaragua and the U.S.A.

Date smoked: Sunday October 7th, 2007
Setting: A sunny, relaxing afternoon in the Eastern Townships of Québec sitting on a lakeside cottage deck.
Accompanying drink: C. Ferrand Old Reserve Artisanal Rum from Trinidad, distilled in 1996 and bottled in 2007. This somewhat atypical spirit, which oscillated between lightly textured, grape-enhanced cane sweetness and firmer, drier, spicier notes derived from the oak ageing, proved a most enjoyable pour. I have a sneaking suspicion that it was partially aged in ex-Cognac barrels. Maturation regimen aside, the Rum deftly managed to highlight the various flavour aspects of the cigar throughout the session.

Smoothness of wrapper: Very good.
Sheen: Semi-gloss.
Tooth: Fine.
Veining: Suppressed.
Rendering of wrapper: Of a high standard.
Colour of wrapper: Deep cocoa to Van Dyke brown interspersed with thin, spiraling, ochre-tinged sandalwood banding.
Markings on wrapper: Diffusely scattered burnt umber streaks as well as darkened veins.
Colour of filler: Dark. Some cocoa, but essentially Van Dyke brown to burnt umber.

Construction: Excellent.
Box press: None.
Cap: An ever so slightly crude double seam affair, with a flattened head, that was nonetheless well applied.
Scroll pattern of filler: Notably even.
Visual packing of leaves: Very tightly packed.
Roll density: Compact.
Finger feel: Firm.
Superficial resilience: Excellent.

Draw: Very good.
Texture of ash: Quite solid.
Length to which ash held: Between 1 and 1½ inch.
Colour of ash: Very pale grey to ruddy charcoal at the outset, subsequently lightening in tone.
Burn angle: Essentially perpendicular.
Touch ups: A few early on to correct some scallops along the burn edge.
Re-lights required: None.
Total smoking time: Approximately 1¼ hour.

Pre-light aroma: Chai tea. Leather nuances displaying a subtle toffee-like sweetness. Faint hints of earth and undergrowth.
Post-light aroma: Fragrant yet not overpowering. Leathery embering tobacco, again with the merest suggestion of sweetness.

Palate entry: Smooth and very consistent with the pre-light aroma. Medium bodied tobacco imbued with a fair degree of toastiness as well as exotic spices. Discreet cedar and nut husk overtones.
Early portion: Round and quite richly textured. The spiciness sported a decidedly cream-like characteristic at this juncture, while coffee and cocoa notes appeared in the background.
Mid point: A more pronounced spiciness now wound around the wood, coffee, cocoa and tobacco aspects even as the cigar maintained its overall sense of roundness. Still and all, hardly as ligero-esque as one would be led to believe from the promotional literature.
Latter stages: Good amalgamation of the secondary traits and the primary tobacco taste.
Finish: A discernible escalation of both the strength of the cigar and the piquancy of the spices. The coffee element simultaneously seemed to take on a marginally bitter, more heavily roasted quality.

Flavour progression: Moderately dynamic with recognizable shifts.
Evidence of tannins: Mild.
Evidence of acidity: Not noticeable until the very end.
Textural quality: Medium bodied until the finale.

Comparative analysis versus Drew Estate Liga Privada No.9:

Pre-light aroma: Less overtly sweet.
Post-light aroma: Not quite so pungent and, once again, with a more subtly conveyed veneer of sweetness.
Palate: Leaning more to the cedar and spice spectrum early on, though with the tobacco aspect still playing a primary role. As the session progressed, the increasing spiciness of the CAO mirrored that of the Drew Estate. At this stage, the cocoa element of the Potomac proved a nice adjunct. Both cigars exhibited even greater spiciness near the finish, with the secondary nuances of the Potomac veering toward coffee notes where the Liga privada No.9 had tended to suggestions of dark chocolate. I didn’t sense the same degree of earthiness in the CAO as in the Drew Estate at the close.
Texture: Both cigars showed admirable smoothness. However, the Potomac seemed perhaps a touch more bitter during its last moments.

Summary: Well balanced with good integration of the constituent flavour elements. An interesting cigar that should prove an attractive option for those seeking a smoke displaying a predominantly spice-driven demeanour.

Many thanks to Ken (CW's Kilobyte) for sending this sample my way in order that I might sample it as well as assess its merits.
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