First Look: C.A.O. Criollo

C.A.O. International, Inc., the cigar architects behind the highly acclaimed C.A.O. L'Anniversaire Cigar Series, C.A.O. Brazilia and C.A.O. Gold lines unveiled their new C.A.O. Criollo cigar at last month's 70th Annual Retail Tobacco Dealers of America convention in Las Vegas.

"We created the C.A.O. Criollo partly as an homage to the tradition of Cuban cigar craftsmanship and partly as a testament to the incredible quality of tobacco and cigar production that is currently coming from Nicaragua," explained C.A.O.'s Vice President, Tim Ozgener. "Everything from the sizes we've selected, to the blends of tobaccos we've chosen, to the twist we've placed on the classic Cuban cabinet packaging, all are done in veneration of the tradition of Cuba's history of cigar artistry. We've done this utilizing the finest tobaccos that Nicaragua has to offer. The marriage between the 'old school' of Cuba and the 'new school' of Nicaragua is clearly represented by the C.A.O. Criollo."

The C.A.O. Criollo will be available in four sizes: Pampa (4" x 40), Pato (4 7/8" x 50), Mancha (5 5/8" x 46) and Conquistador (6 1/8" x 52). All cigars are individually tissue-wrapped and all sizes (except the torpedo-shaped Conquistador) are finished with a Cuban-style 'pigtail.' C.A.O. will begin shipping the new Criollo line in September 2002.

Find out more: CAO International website