Each year some of the nations top retailers gather for the Tobacconist Association of America conference. During this event, manufactures unveil limited edition smokes that are exclusive to TAA retailers such as 2GuysCigars.com. This year CAO has offered up the Brazilia Select that is said to use the original wrapper of the CAO Brazilia. How does it compare, we fire one up and offer our review today on The Cigar Authority.
Cigar Review: CAO Brazilia Select 2019 TAA Exclusive
Wrapper: Connecticut Habano Gueso
Binder: Brazil
Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua
Length: 6.5″
Ring Gauge: 60
The Look: Packaged in a wooden box of 12 cigars the outside artwork features colors of the Brazilian flag. Inside the box, the inside lid lacks any artwork. The 6.5 x 60 CAO Brazilia Select 2019 TAA Exclusive features a band utilizing the same colors as the outside of the box and at this point of the year it is easily in the lead for ugliest band of the year. The Connecticut Habano Gueso wrapper has even coloring with a network of thin veins that aren’t raised above the surface. In the hand the cigar feels like silk with a hefty weight to it and no soft spots with a well packed foot.
The Notes: The aroma off the foot has a pecan like sweetness to it as well as a roasted nuttiness while the cold draw offer up more notes of pecans. Once we toast the foot of this 60 ring gauge stick the initial notes are nutty.
Moving into the first third notes of peanuts are strong complete with the skins and the aroma of the shells. The retrohale of the cigar sees notes of coffee join the mix and the relatively short finish has a hint of shortbread and sweetness.
The second third sees the nutty notes remain dominant as the notes are that of freshly roasted peanuts. The retrohale continues to see notes of coffee with the addition of some subtle pepper and coffee.
As the cigar comes to a conclusion notes of coffee become the focal point with some pecan sweetness lingering in the background. The retrohale sees the coffee notes intensified with touches of leather on the finish which grew to a moderate length.
The Finish: When the CAO Brazilia first came out well over a decade ago it was one of those cigars I couldn’t stop smoking. Over the years, the cigar has changed to the point where I personally find them unsmokeble. When I heard that the Brazilia Select TAA Exclusive was going to have the wrapper from the original line as the binder I was intrigued. Having grabbed a couple I am glad I did. While it is not the original, it is the best CAO Brazilia I have smoked in a decade.
Score: 91
Price: $8.99 / $89.99
CAO Brazilia Select TAA 2019
CAO Brazilia Select TAA 2019 Foot
