Quick Smoke: CAO Last Stick Standing “Blend C”

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

CAO’s “Last Stick Standing” promotion will let cigar smokers help choose the next CAO blend. Three blends—“C”, “A”, and “O”—are offered for participants to rate without knowing anything specific about each blend. I received a tin of the three cigars in the mail and decided to light up the “C” blend the next day. The well-constructed smoke starts out with dry spice, wood, and buttery flavors. It’s medium-bodied (maybe medium-full) with good balance and a clean finish. After smoking it, I looked on the Last Stick Standing website and saw that it’s currently in third place, though only slightly. I can see why. While it’s a pleasant cigar with excellent construction, it’s not particularly complex (though I should note that it might not be completely fair to smoke it just a day after multiple days in the mail).

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys