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 […]
Cigar News: CAO Zócalo Coming in May
William Cooper Cigar News 1 Comment 2018 Preview, CAO, General, News
CAO Cigars has a new CAO Zócalo limited edition cigar. It’s a cigar that not only draws inspiration from the country of Mexico, but it will introduce the first CAO with a wrapper from that country. The cigar was announced as a part of a marketing campaign by CAO Cigars paying homage to the famed Pan […]
Cigar Review: CAO Amazon Anaconda
William Cooper Reviews 1 Comment 2.5 - Try One, 85-87, CAO, General, Review
At the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show, General Cigar’s CAO brand announced the third installment of its Amazon Trilogy known as the CAO Amazon Anaconda. The Amazon Trilogy is a series of limited edition cigars that each incorporate rare Brazilian tobaccos into the blend. The genesis of the Amazon Trilogy traces back to 2014 when CAO released a cigar known as the […]
Cigar Review: CAO Fuma Em Corda Robusto
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 3.5 - Box Split, 91-93, CAO, General, Review
In 2014, CAO Cigars launched a limited edition cigar known as the CAO Amazon Basin. The CAO Amazon Basin was a cigar that incorporated a rare tobacco from Brazil known as Braganca, a tobacco grown in a remote area of the Amazon Rainforest. It was right around this time that CAO was really starting to turn a corner as a brand […]
Cigar News: CAO Amazon Anaconda Makes Debut at 2017 IPCPR
William Cooper Cigar News, IPCPR 2017 No Comments 2017 Preview, CAO, General, IPCPR 2017, News
At the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show, CAO Cigars unveiled the final installment of its Amazon Trilogy series, the CAO Amazon Anaconda. The CAO Amazon Basin was the first installment of the Amazon Trilogy. It is a cigar that quickly achieved a cult status. The Amazon Basin incorporates a rare-blend, low-yield tobacco grown in Brazil known as Braganca. Because of the low yields, the […]
Feature Story: Spotlight on General Cigar Company at the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show
William Cooper Feature Story, IPCPR 2017 No Comments 2017 Preview, CAO, Cohiba, Diesel, Foundry, General, Hoyo de Monterrey, IPCPR 2017, La Gloria Cubana, Macanudo, Partagas, Toraño
The two main things I’ve noticed since Regis Broesma has taken over as President of General Cigar are better delineation in its brands and a better connection with its customers. I think to some extent, General had been hampered by brand overlap, but this year, General did an excellent job of better defining the brands. Some of the highlights included: Macanudo holding […]
Cigar News: CAO Fuma Em Corda Announced
William Cooper Cigar News 1 Comment 2017 Preview, CAO, General, News
Today, General Cigar Company has announced details on a new limited edition cigar in its CAO brand known as Fuma Em Corda. It’s a cigar that is a sequel of sorts to the popular CAO Amazon Basin. It was back at the 2014 IPCPR Trade Show that the CAO Amazon Basin made its debut. It is a cigar that quickly […]
Feature Story: General Cigar Company Strengthens Ground Game Through Brand Ambassador Team
William Cooper Feature Story No Comments CAO, Cohiba, Feature Story, Foundry, General, People, Toraño
Last week came word of the hiring of Sean Williams as the Brand Ambassador for one of General Cigar Company’s most prestigious brands, Cohiba. The news came as a big surprise to many in the cigar industry, but to this author, it’s clear it’s part of a bigger story at General – one of change. It is a change that continues to evolve, but […]