CAO
Flathead
Strength: FullIn stock
About this cigar
A compact, box-pressed robusto from CAO’s automotive-inspired Flathead line. Connecticut Broadleaf maduro surrounds a Connecticut Habano binder and Nicaraguan-Dominican fillers, producing a concentrated, dark profile suited to smokers who favor espresso, cocoa, pepper and charred-wood tones.
Tasting notes
espressoblack pepperdark chocolatecharred oakearthmolasses
Available sizes
7 options7 in stockSelected size
V450 Sparkplug
4.5" × 50 · Box of 25
In stock
$232.00$9.28 / cigarTax & shipping includedAdd
Pairs well with
espressospiced rumroot beerbourbon
At a glance
- Wrapper
- United States
- Made in
- Nicaragua
- Strength
- Full
- Sizes
- 7 available
In plain English
What to expect
Smoothness
Bold
Strength
Full
Powerful and intense — best once you have some experience.
Flavour
espresso · black pepper · dark chocolate · charred oak
Tasting profile
How it tastes
Primary
espressoblack pepperdark chocolatecharred oakearthmolassesleatherwalnut
Secondary
molassesleatherwalnutburnt sugar
What each note tastes like
Sweetness5/5
Cocoa, dried fruit, molasses
Spice4/5
Pepper and warmth on the finish
Creaminess2/5
Soft, smooth, milky texture
Earthiness5/5
Soil, leather, forest floor
Wood5/5
Cedar, oak, toasted timber
Read from this cigar's own tasting notes, strength and wrapper — not a published score.
Earth & leatherearth · leather
Dry, savoury depth — the backbone most aged tobacco is built on.
Wood & cedarcharred oak
Clean, resinous notes that come forward as the cigar warms up.
Pepper & spiceblack pepper
The tingle on the retrohale; usually strongest in the first third.
Cocoa & coffeeespresso · dark chocolate
Roasted, faintly bitter sweetness that builds through the middle.
Sweetnessmolasses
Sugars from the wrapper and long-leaf filler; often on the lips.
Nut & grainwalnut
Toasted, bready notes — almond, cashew, fresh bread, cereal.
Also noted: burnt sugar.
Blend & origin
How it is built
- Wrapper
- United States · Connecticut
- Binder
- United States · Connecticut
- Filler
- Nicaragua
- Made in
- Nicaragua
- Released
- 2013
- Sizes (length × ring)
- 4.5–8" × 42–70
Explore this blend
Where it sits in the collection
United States wrapper · made in Nicaragua · full in strength · pairs with espresso, spiced rum, root beer
Compare sizes
Every size side by side
| Size | Length × ring | Pack | Per cigar | Price | vs retail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V450 Sparkplug | 4.5" × 50 | Box of 25 | $9.28 | $232 | |
| V554 Camshaft | 5.5" × 54 | Box of 24 | $10.46 | $251 | |
| V660 Carb | 6" × 60 | Box of 24 | $10.96 | $263 | |
| Echelon Select V660 Carb | 6" × 60 | Box of 15 | $10.93 | $164 | |
| Resonator 860 | 8" × 60 | Box of 24 | $11.25 | $270 | |
| V642 Piston | 6.5" × 42 | Box of 30 | $9.33 | $280 | |
| V770 Big Block | 7" × 70 | Box of 24 | $11.88 | $285 |
Aging & storage · Guidance
How to keep it
General humidor guidance for this cigar, based on its wrapper, strength, ring gauge and packaging.
Storage
Hold the box at 65–70% relative humidity at 65–70°F (18–21°C). Steady humidity matters far more than the exact number — swings are what crack wrappers.
Rest after delivery
Thicker ring gauges hold shipping moisture longest — give these boxes three to four weeks in the humidor before the first one.
How the wrapper develops
Shade-grown wrappers are at their brightest young. Rest them, then smoke them within the year while the cream and cedar are still forward.
Aging window
Full-bodied blends reward patience: a year or two of quiet aging typically trades raw power for depth.
In the box
Age them in their own box where possible — the cedar keeps the cigars marrying together instead of taking on the flavour of everything else in the humidor.
From the community
Member reviews
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