Wrapper: Honduras OSA
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran
Size: 6.5 x 58
Body: Medium
Price: $132.98 for box of 25 ~ $34.39 for 5 pack
Written by Katmancross
The OSA name is short for Olancho San Augustin….a region in Honduras.
The CAO OSA Sol marks the first new blend released under the CAO brand since it was produced under the umbrella of General Cigars in 2010.
Supposedly, this stick is a big departure from the CAO blends. A move to get into the boutique movement. And keeping the price very low.
I do the sniff-o-rama and can detect a bit of baking spices, some spiciness, and cocoa all intensified at the foot.
I light up.
Oh my. A delicious surprise of sweetness and cocoa and baking spices and very, very creamy. I had gone through a few of these soon after I got them and was disappointed. I am very pleased now.
Construction is pretty solid. It has a very mottled wrapper. Lot of veins but tight seams.
I am not getting any spiciness. The char line is close to perfection. I was dreading this review because it’s the last stick I had and what if I didn’t like it? Oy vay.
But like all good things….patience is the key. This cigar is really more like a stick of dynamite…more so the Viaje TNT. It’s huge. I generally don’t like sticks this big. It’s a statement. If you are out and about and have this stick in your mouth, you are telling everyone that you escaped the hit on Tony Soprano.
I always read what other reviewers have to say about a cigar before I review it to get a feeling of what I might expect. About half the time, I disagree completely. But I read one review where the taste of roasted marshmallows was described and that is right on!! That is the sweetness flavor I couldn’t put a finger on. Marshmallows. Brilliant assessment by that reviewer.
This cigar is going to take 2-1/2 hours to smoke…or longer so I will be taking breaks from writing to give this log a chance to burn…while I enjoy it.
It’s 15 minutes later….and I have now hit the 1” mark! Oy Gavalt! But realistically, that’s just fine with me. I’m low on sticks and this will keep me happy for several hours. $4 for a 2-3 hour stick. That’s around $1.33-$2.00 per hour. Can’t find cheaper entertainment.
As the first third comes to a close I decide I like this cigar. The body is just barely medium. And I like the flavors that remind me of a chocolate pie with the buttery crust, the creamy topping and the dark chocolate.
There is a slight tingle of black pepper in the back of my throat.
This cigar isn’t all that complex. It has some nice flavors but it’s not a Tat.
But then, I still have 5” to smoke. I’ve only smoked 1-1/2”. So anything can happen.
I’m into the second third. Flavors are the same. No major shift in the cigar. Just more of the afore mentioned flavors.
The last third is more of the same. Except now, there is a nice component of spiciness.
The cigar never really becomes complex.
It’s a solid medium.
But for a $5 stick, this is a great stick to hand out to newbies, your golf buddies, and moochers. They get a very nice stick with a nice flavor profile and you didn’t dump $9 on someone who whines.
It’s a nice morning cigar. Nothing in its body attacks your stomach and the flavors are constant and get stronger near the end.
It’s also a great cigar if you’re on a budget. It is a pleasant smoke. It just doesn’t challenge you.
