The CAO brand is one that has been around for well over two decades. While it is now a brand under General Cigar’s portfolio, it had never produced an exclusive cigar for the Tobacconist Association of America (TAA). That changed in 2018 with the release of the CAO Estelí as a part of the 2018 […]
Agile Cigar Review: CAO Zócalo
William Cooper Agile Cigar Reviews, Reviews No Comments 88-90, Agile Cigar Review, Assessment Update, Box Worthy Consideration, CAO, General
Agile Cigar Reviews are cigar assessments where we use a lightweight, shorter format. These will never take the place of our comprehensive reviews. They are only used on blends we have previously assessed. This might be a blend we are re-scoring or giving a score for the first time. It might be a blend we […]
Cigar News: CAO Brazilia Select Announced as 2019 TAA Exclusive
William Cooper Cigar News No Comments 2019 Preview, CAO, General, News
For the second year in a row, the CAO brand from General Cigar Company will be a part of the TAA Exclusive Series. At this year’s Tobacconist Association of America (TAA) conference that took place in Casa de Campo from March 17 to March 21, General Cigar announced the CAO Brazilia Select would be a […]
Feature Story: Spotlight on General Cigar Company at the 2018 IPCPR
William Cooper Feature Story, IPCPR 2018 1 Comment CAO, Cohiba, Diesel, Feature Story, General, Hoyo de Monterrey, IPCPR 2018, La Gloria Cubana, Macanudo, Odyssey, Partagas, Punch, Toraño
There is always something exciting to see at the General Cigar booth. I draw an analogy that it’s like going to Macy’s Department Store at Christmas time. The presentation is excellent and the cigars are always intriguing. In past years, we have seen General Cigar go heavier with one brand as opposed to another. The […]
Cigar News: CAO Nicaragua Gets High Profile Launch at 2018 IPCPR
William Cooper Cigar News, IPCPR 2018 No Comments 2018 Preview, CAO, General, IPCPR 2018, News
For the second year in a row, General Cigar Company was the primary host of the opening night reception at the IPCPR Trade Show and Convention. This year it was the CAO brand on center stage as the new CAO Nicaragua was unveiled. While the CAO Nicaragua has a filler with tobaccos from the three […]
Prime Time Special Edition 33: Beyond the Comfort Zone
William Cooper Podcast No Comments CAO, ElOsoFumarTakes, Hammer and Sickle, Podcast, Prime Time Special Edition
What happens when a cigar company moves beyond the comfort zone of the way it does business or makes products? On Prime Time Special Edition #33 we look at some cases and evaluate where it’s worked and where it hasn’t. This past weekend, we saw two big names in the cigar industry pass away and tonight we […]
Announcement: Prime Time Special Edition #33 – Beyond the Comfort Zone Tues 6/12 9:15pm EST, 8:15pm CST
William Cooper Announcement No Comments Announcement, CAO, ElOsoFumarTakes, Hammer and Sickle, Prime Time Special Edition
What happens when a cigar company moves beyond the comfort zone of the way it does business or makes products? Tonight on Prime Time Special Edition #33 we look at some cases and evaluate where it’s worked and where it hasn’t. This past weekend, we saw two big names in the cigar industry pass away […]
Cigar News: CAO Founder Cano Ozgener Passes Away
William Cooper Cigar News 2 Comments CAO, News, People
Cano Aret Ozgener, the man best known to the cigar industry as the founder of CAO Cigars, but also a man who was an engineer, businessman, artist, and philanthropist, has passed away. He died peacefully on June 9 at home surrounded by his family after a long battle with cancer. Ozgener was an Armenian-Turk born in […]
Cigar Review: CAO Zócalo
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 88-90, Box Worthy Consideration, CAO, General, Review
The CAO Zócalo is a limited edition cigar that was introduced by General Cigar Company earlier this year. It’s a cigar that falls under CAO’s World Collection, a group of cigars under the CAO brand that showcase different cigar tobaccos around the world. The World Collection is known for the use of rare Brazilian tobaccos (Amazon […]
Cigar News: CAO Estelí Heading to TAA Retailers
William Cooper Cigar News No Comments 2018 TAA Exclusive Series, CAO, General, News, TAA
For the first time, CAO Cigars will be a part of the Tobacconist Association of America (TAA) Exclusive Series. This past week, General Cigar Company introduced the CAO Estelí as its offering for the 2018 TAA Exclusive Series at the organization’s annual convention held April 29 through May 3 at Casa de Campo in the […]