CAO

Surplus Shade

Strength: Mild-MediumIn stock

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

creamcedarnutsnatural sweetnesstoastwhite pepper

Available sizes

3 options3 in stock
Selected size
Robusto
5" × 50 · Pack of 25
In stock
$65.00$2.60 / cigarTax & shipping includedAdd

Pairs well with

coffeelight rumwheat beerbourbonaged rumChardonnay
At a glance
Wrapper
Honduras
Made in
Honduras
Strength
Mild-Medium
Sizes
3 available
In plain English

What to expect

Smoothness
Smooth
Strength
Mild-Medium

Soft, with a little more presence than a truly mild cigar.

Flavour
cream · cedar · nuts · natural sweetness
Tasting profile

How it tastes

Primary

creamcedarnutsnatural sweetnesstoastwhite pepper

Secondary

nutsearthsweetnesshaycoffee

What each note tastes like

Sweetness4/5

Cocoa, dried fruit, molasses

Spice3/5

Pepper and warmth on the finish

Creaminess4/5

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 · hay

Dry, savoury depth — the backbone most aged tobacco is built on.

Wood & cedarcedar

Clean, resinous notes that come forward as the cigar warms up.

Pepper & spicewhite pepper

The tingle on the retrohale; usually strongest in the first third.

Cocoa & coffeecoffee

Roasted, faintly bitter sweetness that builds through the middle.

Sweetnessnatural sweetness · sweetness

Sugars from the wrapper and long-leaf filler; often on the lips.

Cream & buttercream

The soft, rounded texture that keeps a smoke easy on the palate.

Nut & grainnuts · toast

Toasted, bready notes — almond, cashew, fresh bread, cereal.

Blend & origin

How it is built

Wrapper
Honduras · claro
Binder
Ecuador
Filler
Dominican Republic
Made in
Honduras
Sizes (length × ring)
5–6" × 50–60
Explore this blend

Where it sits in the collection

Honduras wrapper · made in Honduras · mild-medium in strength · pairs with coffee, light rum, wheat beer

Compare sizes

Every size side by side

SizeLength × ringPackPer cigarPricevs retail
Robusto5" × 50Pack of 25$2.60$65
Toro6" × 50Pack of 25$2.76$69
Gigante6" × 60Pack of 25$3.12$78
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

Milder blends age less dramatically — plan to enjoy this one inside a year or so rather than cellaring it long-term.

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