CAO is a brand that is very much known for innovation. In 2015, CAO Cigars would release a cigar known as the CAO Pilón. With the CAO Pilon, CAO reached for the past – it uses an old Cuban fermentation technique that had been popular in the 19th century, but has not been used much […]
Cigar News: General Cigar Brings Back CAO Vision for 2022 Limited Run
William Cooper Cigar News No Comments 2022 Preview, CAO, General, News, Scandinavian Tobacco Group, STG
Next month, General Cigar will release the 2022 edition of the CAO Vision. The CAO Vision is a cigar that dates back to the days when the Ozgener family owned the brand. It was highlighted by being packaged in a light-up humidor. The line was eventually discontinued, but in 2020 General Cigar brought back the […]
Cigar News: STG Announces Four End of Year Holiday Sampler Offerings
William Cooper Cigar News No Comments CAO, Diesel, Forged Cigar Company, General, News, Punch, Scandinavian Tobacco Group, STG
Scandinavian Tobacco Group has announced four sampler offerings aimed at the Christmas and Year End Holidays. The four brands that will see these offerings are CAO, Diesel, El Rey Del Mundo, and Punch. First up is CAO 12 Days. This is an Advent Calendar style offering designed for the 12 Days of Christmas where each […]
Announcement: Prime Time Episode 243 – Tim Ozgener, Ozgener Family Cigars
William Cooper Announcement 1 Comment Announcement, CAO, Crowned Heads, Ozgener Family Cigars, Prime Time Show
On Episode 243, we welcome honored to welcome one of the true icons of the cigar industry, Tim Ozgener. Tim’s family founded the legendary CAO brand and it changed the cigar industry as we know it. Tim stepped away from the business 12 years ago, but this year he has come back – with an […]
Summer of ’22 Report: General Cigar Company
William Cooper Feature Story No Comments CAO, Feature Story, General, Hoyo de Monterrey, Scandinavian Tobacco Group, STG, Summer of 22
As far as the brands of Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) go, we are covering them by their distribution arms focusing specifically on General Cigar Company and Forged Cigar Company. Today we turn our attention to the brands falling under General Cigar. As many know, STG was one of the “Big Four” that decided to withdraw […]
Cigar News: CAO BX3 Coming in July
William Cooper Cigar News No Comments 2022 Preview, CAO, General, News, Scandinavian Tobacco Group, STG
This July, CAO will unveil the CAO BX3. BX3 represents “three times the Brazilian tobaccos” with blends focusing on the tobaccos from the growing regions of Northeastern Brazil. The BX3 follows the CAO CX2, MX2, and LX2 releases. The BX3 features a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper, Brazilian Arapiraca binder, and fillers from Brazil, Honduras, Mexico, […]
The Smoking Syndicate: CAO Arcana Firewalker
Ben Lee The Smoking Syndicate No Comments Arcana, CAO, chincagre, Firewalker, nicragua, toro
CAO recently released their second installment of the Arcana line called the Firewalker. Following the successful Arcana Mortal Coil, the Firewalker gets its name from the unique fermentation process called chincagre. This process from the region of Masatepe is where they take the tobacco pilons and bury them deep in the volcanic soil for two […]
Cigar News: CAO Borealis to Feature Canadian Tobacco in Blend
William Cooper Cigar News No Comments 2022 Preview, CAO, General, News, Scandinavian Tobacco Group, STG
General Cigar has announced CAO Borealis, a new exclusive release for the Canadian market. In addition to being an exclusive to all of the provinces of Canada, it also will be a cigar to feature Canadian-grown tobacco in its blend. The Canadian tobacco comes from Southwest Ontario near the Great Lakes where General Cigar says […]
Cigar News: General Cigar to Release CAO Pilón Añejo in April
William Cooper Cigar News No Comments 2022 Preview, CAO, General, News, Scandinavian Tobacco Group, STG
General Cigar has announced a new limited edition cigar under its CAO brand known as CAO Pilón Añejo. It’s a cigar that follows the original CAO Pilón in that it uses tobaccos fermented in circular-shaped pilóns. Fermenting in circular pilóns is an old Cuban technique. Most tobacco is fermented by arranging tobacco in large rectangular […]
Cigar News: STG Announces Retirement of Rick Rodriguez
William Cooper Cigar News No Comments CAO, General, News, People, Scandinavian Tobacco Group, STG
Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) has announced that Rick Rodriguez, blender/ambassador of CAO, will be retiring from the company on April 29, 2022. Rodriguez joined General Cigar in January 2000 as a sales representative in Florida. In 2005, he was selected by the late Edgar Cullman, Sr., to participate in a rigorous cigar master training program […]