CAO Sopranos Boss.

[biggbob]

CAO Sopranos Boss.
I know this is an older model. I had smoked a few of them a year ago and thought they were good but not too noteworthy. After over a year I just had another one last night.

UNLIT: The stick cut without any problem. The wrapper was smooth and leather-looking with one large vein that my fingers kept trying to play with as I smoked it. It lit easily. In examining the cut I can see that the color of the leaves are consistently dark all the way to the spirally center of the stick.
FIRST: The first draw was cool and not very sharp. Its not very often that I smoke cigars of this size, 7 inches, and it was noteworthy how that changed the draw for me. It was definitely easier to cool-smoke. The flavor at first was a little leather and oaky wood with no spice. This cigar was notably mild compared with what I would normally expect from such a dark cigar. As I got warmed up and settled in for a long smoke, I waited for something exiting to happen.
SECOND: The middle portion of the smoke began to open a touch of milky vanilla. It was not dense enough to be “creamy” but there was a slight change. The change did not overtake the soft wood that began this smoke. It was more of a tiny accent.
THIRD: I anxiously awaited the milky vanilla to become creamy coffee-cake but it didn’t happen. So much for expectations. The woody, leather start followed this stick down the whole length with only mild changes.
COMBUSTION ETC: The burn on this cigar was pretty even throughout. No tunnels or canoes. There was spot at the 3/3 mark in which the wrapper seemed to “burst” near the cherry but that didn’t affect the draw and was soon overtaken by the fire. It was not plugged.
Thoughts: Time has mellowed most of the spice out of this cigar. But it is very consistent. I would not say this is a celebratory cigar despite its majestic size, but more of a cigar that would go with a good book from which I did not want the distraction of a vibrantly changing flavor profile.