CAO Extreme Belicoso

Founder and creator of CAO, Cano A. Ozgener, started making some of the best-known Meerschaum pipes in the world in his garage as a hobby. While traveling to different trade shows, he noticed the need for humidors and started making those as well. During the cigar boom of the 1990s, he was introduced to Carlos Toraño who then introduced him to Nestor Plasencia. The rest is, well, history as the pair began creating unique blends that have developed into the cigar brand that we all know and love today.

The CAO Extreme is not messing around. At first glance you’ll notice the oversized band and upon further inspection it will tell you everything you need to know about this one-of-a-kind powerhouse. It starts with a hearty blend of long-leaf ligeros from Honduras and Nicaragua with a dash of La Entradas long-fillers that is secured by a spicy Nicaraguan binder. This monster is finished off with a rich, dark, and oily Ecuadorian Habano ligero wrapper, at which point it is then laid down for a very long nap. The result is a powerful and rich bouquet of toast, charred oak, nuts, espresso, and black pepper which will intensify throughout the burn. Perfect for an after dinner smoke, enjoy it with a scotch.

The Nicaraguan cigar industry originated when Cuban cigar makers escaped the revolution and re-established their livelihood in Nicaragua with Cuban-seed tobacco. Blessed with dark, rich soil, their new home was ideal for tobacco cultivation and Nicaragua quickly became known for cigars that rivaled Cuban quality. Unfortunately, revolution and war came to Nicaragua in the 1980s and devastated the industry, but it’s rebounded dramatically and is once again producing tobacco considered by many to be the finest in the world.

The Esteli Valley is in many ways the heart of Nicaraguan production and is known for its very powerful and spicy tobacco. The Jalapa Valley produces arguably the finest tobacco in the country: somewhat sweeter and less intense than Esteli, but extremely complex. The tobacco of the Condega Valley is often described as a blend of the other two regions.