Review - CAO Last Stick Standing - A

So, in my last post, I talked about the Last Stick Standing program going on at CAO through the end of June.  My review of the first stick of the trio, the C, was not very favorable.  Well, I gave the A a run on Saturday, with fingers crossed for a more enjoyable experience. 


-Draw has no resistance at all
-Light, soft sued-like tanned leather notes
-Smoke burn in throat early on, but diminished
-Smoke volume is nice and full
-Soft and rounded texture
-Burn is nice, construction is nice, ash holding hard
-Attractive looking cigar
-Caramelized toastiness
-Pleasurable aspects of burning straw/hay
-Staying uncomplex, light and fluffy through mid and most of 2nd 1/3


...and then I totally blanked out on the rest of the smoke because there was virtually no change until it got bitter hot at the end.  It wasn't near as bad of an experience as the C, but nothing significant to write home about, only in a blog.

Final word:  underwhelmed.

Review - CAO Last Stick Standing - C

So CAO/General Cigar Co. is doing this little marketing campaign right now called Last Stick Standing.  Basically, the short of it is that if you buy 6 cigars from a participating shop, you get the tri-pack of unreleased cigars.  CAO only asks that you smoke them, rate them on the LSS site by/before June 30, share your ratings, and in the end, you may win a trip to the CAO factory.  Gimmickly, the three cigars are banded as C, A, and O. 

I bought the 6 CAO's and received the tri-pack at G&R Premium Cigars in Wichita Falls, TX on my way through for work.  I finally had time to smoke one last night.  It seemed obvious that I ought to try the C first.  I smoked it while finishing off a Wasatch Brewing Devastator, although there were no major devastational impacts from the beer on the cigar.  Below are my quick notes from last night:


-Tight draw, even after second clipping.
-Immediate hints of that acrid flavor one gets from drawing too hard, too often.
-Smoke is thin and near flavorless on the pallet.
-Some aromas waft, though very softly.
-Faint hints of milk chocolate, leather, wood.
-A bit of a hassle to smoke so far at 1/3rd point.
-Burn went wonky and had to touch up and relight.
-Finally quit at the midpoint.  Mouth sore from pulling on a further tightening draw.


All-in-all, this cigar failed miserably for me.  There was nothing intriguing, nothing impressive, and nothing with impact going on at all.  It was a bland, boring, and irritating cigar.  It was, simply, a cigar.  Fingers crossed that the next two pique my interest a bit more.