General Cigar Company has announced that the CAO Amazon Basin, a limited-edition cigar first released in 2015, is back for 2025. It has been one of the most popular limited-edition cigars released under the CAO brand.
The Amazon Basin blend incorporates a rare/low yield of tobacco called Brazilian Bragança. Back when we initially reported on the CAO Amazon Basin, we recapped why the Bragança tobacco is rare:
This cigar incorporates rare tobacco from a remote region of the Amazon rainforest known as Bragança. This tobacco is organically grown on unspoiled tropical land and harvested only once every three years. The seedlings are transplanted directly into the soil a full yard apart. As a result, this results in a small yield which is half of other tobacco plants. All of these factors lead to Bragança being a rare tobacco.
The harvested Bragança leaves are then rolled into tubes known as “carottes” where they undergo six months of fermentation. The tobacco is transported out of the Amazon via canoe. Eventually they are brought to the CAO factory in Esteli, Nicaragua.
In addition to Bragança tobacco, the filler of the CAO Amazon Basin contains Colombian and Dominican tobacco. The cigar also incorporates a high-priming Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper and Nicaraguan binder. Like previous installments, the CAO Amazon Basin is available in one size – a 6 x 52 Toro that comes in 18-count boxes. Pricing for the 2025 edition of the CAO Amazon Basin is set at $14.49 per cigar. Production comes from STG Estelí in Estelí, Nicaragua.
In a press release, Cory Beardsley, Brand Manager for CAO, said, “When we launched Amazon Basin over a decade ago, we had no idea how much it would resonate with fans. Sourcing rare tobacco from the rainforest, transporting it by canoe, and growing it on unspoiled land was a logistical nightmare—but we knew the end result was a cigar worth the effort. We’re thrilled to bring back this special blend for 2025 and answer the calls for more Amazon Basin.”
The CAO Amazon Basin has been released in small batches due to the low yield of the Braganca tobacco. The Amazon Basin last saw a release at the beginning of 2024. In addition to Amazon Basin, other CAO releases using the Bragança tobacco include Fuma Em Corda, Amazon Anaconda, Orellana, and Amazon Basin Extra Añejo.
Photo Credits: Scandinavian Tobacco Group
