CAO
International tobacco blends expressed through distinctive cigar formats
- Made in
- Nicaragua · Honduras · Dominican Republic
- Factory
- STG Esteli, Nicaragua
- Lines here
- 22
Shop this brandBoxes from $59
The house
The story of CAO
CAO’s portfolio draws on tobacco from several countries and includes both traditional and flavored cigars. The Nicaragua-made Consigliere combines a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper, a Honduran binder and filler from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Colombia.
CAO America introduced the house’s first “Pinstripe” cigar, pairing Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro and Connecticut Shade wrapper leaves. Beneath them are a Brazilian binder and ligero fillers from Nicaragua, Italy, the United States and the Dominican Republic.
The Arcana series explores uncommon tobacco processes and formats. Mortal Coil uses Andullo, described by Cigar Journal as the Dominican Republic’s oldest tobacco-fermentation method, while Stokk is designed to change midway through the smoke. Other releases have drawn on Amazon Rainforest tobacco, including Amazon Basin and the compact Amazon Basin Daggers.
Milestones
Moments that made the house
- 2025
Amazon Basin returns
CAO Amazon Basin returned to stores in January with tobacco from the Amazon Rainforest.
Craft
How they make them
The cited CAO cigars are hand-rolled, long-filler products. Their blends combine leaves from multiple origins: Consigliere uses Brazilian, Honduran, Nicaraguan, Dominican and Colombian tobacco, while CAO America brings together American wrappers, a Brazilian binder and fillers from four countries. The limited-edition V23 is handcrafted at STG Esteli in Nicaragua with a Honduran wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers. Pilón Añejo receives intensive fermentation and finished-cigar aging.
Details
Things most people don't know
- Pinstripe wrapper
- CAO America combines Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro and Connecticut Shade wrappers.
- Five-country filler blend
- CAO America uses filler tobacco from Nicaragua, Italy, the United States and the Dominican Republic beneath a Brazilian binder.
- Traditional fermentation
- CAO Arcana Mortal Coil uses Andullo, described as the Dominican Republic’s oldest tobacco-fermentation method.
- Mid-smoke transition
- CAO Stokk is a limited-edition Arcana cigar designed to change midway through the smoke.
- Compact Amazon format
- Amazon Basin Daggers presents the Amazon Basin blend in a 4 x 38 format.
- Layered infusion
- Eileen’s Dream includes Irish whiskey, cream, coconut milk, hazelnut, white chocolate, almonds, cocoa and vanilla bean.
In the humidor
CAO up close
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