Cigar Reviews
CAO Amazon Basin Extra Añejo Review
The CAO Amazon Basin Extra Añejo is finally released, and is another smash hit from the CAO gang. A traditional Toro sized cigar 6″ x 52. The Ecuadorian Sumatra tobacco is some of the tastiest tobacco wrappers in the cigar world and the new CAO Amazon Basin uses this top notch leaf for a wrapper. The binder is a peppery Nicaraguan binder and the long fillers are from Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic and has Bragança tobacco.
The Bragança tobacco is what makes this cigar special. The Bragança tobacco comes from the Amazon rainforest. The tobacco is harvested just once every three years and is rolled into tubes for six months for additional aging
The CAO Amazon Basin Extra Añejo Cigar Review
- The cigar is rich in brown color and with pleasant texture evoke the look and feel of the original Amazon Basin cigars. At first light, I tasted orange peels, apples, brown sugar, leathery black coffee, with a hint of pepper.
- Halfway through, you’ll taste citrus, apple, a lot of brown sugar, richness, figs, and leathery black coffee. Figs and brown sugar with excellent lingering black pepper characterize the finish. This cigar has a flavor profile that falls somewhere in the middle. As far as cigars go, this one meets all my requirements. It has a lot of sugary sweetness and a nice balance of low-key tones.
- Into the third now (1 hour and 15 minutes in), and the cigar isn’t quite as rich as it was when I started. I had similar nuances, except the leathery black coffee seemed stronger. Excellent black pepper lingers in the background after a finish of figs, brown sugar, and a touch of black coffee. The cigar’s body has evolved from medium to full. In the second third, the creaminess dropped off and the coffee was amped up.
One hour and thirty minutes is a remarkable duration for a cigar. After running into the vine bands, there is a brief period of bitterness, but the richness never came back. Brown sugar and the other familiar flavors were still abundant in the taste. The end result is the same. The cigar has developed a robust flavor. Nonetheless, this is a top-notch cigar, so if you can grab one of these cigars do it. The Amazon Basin Extra Anejo is one of the best cigars to hit in 2023.