CAO Black Limited Edition Frontier

No, the "Black" in "CAO Black" wasn't chosen to mourn the demise of HBO's "The Sopranos" this season although we're wagering CAO International, Inc. will miss what's been called the greatest show in television history as much as we will. CAO's cigars were featured in the T.V. show beginning in 2001. In fact, the honor inspired a CAO line called "The Sopranos" with sticks titled "Associate," "Soldier" and "Boss". CAO Black has been around a while—in 2005 it received a perfect 10 out of 10 rating from Cigar Buyer Magazine—but available at so few retailers it has always been a rare find. Founded in 1973 by Cano A. Ozgener, CAO pulled out all the stops for this exclusive small-batch limited edition. Many say it's the crown jewel of one of Honduras' top manufactures of premium cigars. Talk about a presentation that's first class! Each cigar is individually draped in cedar with a red, gold and black ring and a black band at the foot. Equally stunning in its construction, the CAO Black features a Connecticut-Ecuador wrapper, a Habano-seed Nicaraguan binder and a blend of aged top-tier tobaccos from Nicaragua, Honduras and Mexico. The medium-bodied smoke offers such an abundance of complex flavors, there's something for everyone: nuttiness, earthiness, hints of leather and cinnamon, creamy spice flavors and a subtle hint of vanilla. Booming out big, creamy smoke rings, it burns perfectly. After the first third, the Black mellows nicely while maintaining its smooth, woodsy flavor. The finish is incredibly clean, leaving only a slight, lingering and pleasing peppery taste on the palate. The CAO Black definitely warrants your finest single malt scotch so break out the Lagavulin or Oban and set aside a good hour to enjoy this one.