Surplus Shade
About this cigar
A handmade Honduran robusto pairing a Honduran Connecticut wrapper with Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and Dominican filler. Its compact 5-by-50 format and mild-medium profile place it firmly in the approachable end of CAO’s portfolio, while bundle packaging emphasizes practical everyday service.
Tasting notes
Available sizes
3 options3 in stockPairs well with
- Wrapper
- Honduras
- Made in
- Honduras
- Strength
- Mild-Medium
- Sizes
- 3 available
What to expect
Soft, with a little more presence than a truly mild cigar.
How it tastes
Primary
Secondary
What each note tastes like
Cocoa, dried fruit, molasses
Pepper and warmth on the finish
Soft, smooth, milky texture
Soil, leather, forest floor
Cedar, oak, toasted timber
Read from this cigar's own tasting notes, strength and wrapper — not a published score.
Dry, savoury depth — the backbone most aged tobacco is built on.
Clean, resinous notes that come forward as the cigar warms up.
The tingle on the retrohale; usually strongest in the first third.
Roasted, faintly bitter sweetness that builds through the middle.
Sugars from the wrapper and long-leaf filler; often on the lips.
The soft, rounded texture that keeps a smoke easy on the palate.
Toasted, bready notes — almond, cashew, fresh bread, cereal.
How it is built
- Wrapper
- Honduras · claro
- Binder
- Ecuador
- Filler
- Dominican Republic
- Made in
- Honduras
- Sizes (length × ring)
- 5–6" × 50–60
Where it sits in the collection
Honduras wrapper · made in Honduras · mild-medium in strength · pairs with coffee, light rum, wheat beer
Every size side by side
| Size | Length × ring | Pack | Per cigar | Price | vs retail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robusto | 5" × 50 | Pack of 25 | $2.60 | $65 | |
| Toro | 6" × 50 | Pack of 25 | $2.76 | $69 | |
| Gigante | 6" × 60 | Pack of 25 | $3.12 | $78 |
How to keep it
General humidor guidance for this cigar, based on its wrapper, strength, ring gauge and packaging.
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.
Thicker ring gauges hold shipping moisture longest — give these boxes three to four weeks in the humidor before the first one.
Shade-grown wrappers are at their brightest young. Rest them, then smoke them within the year while the cream and cedar are still forward.
Milder blends age less dramatically — plan to enjoy this one inside a year or so rather than cellaring it long-term.
Member reviews
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