CAO MX2 Toro (6" X 54)

CAO MX2

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran, Dominican, Peru
Strength: Medium





Appearance 8/10
Aroma 15/20
Burn 9/15
Construction 15/15
Draw 10/10
Flavor 25/30

Price - Approx. $7.00


Lance's Rating 82/100

I bought this cigar in Birmingham, and I let it sit for about a month before finally trying it. I took it with me to Boston, MA where I finally lit it up in the courtyard area of an Element Hotel. It had been raining for days, so I had the place to myself for the hour. It was quite the relaxing evening. Prior to this CAO cigar, the only other that I have tried is the Brazilia, which will have a review coming up in the near future.

Appearance 8/10

The MX 2 Toro is a rather large Cigar, being a 6" x 54 gauge. It is a bit "veiney" but that doesn't detract from the overall appearance. It has a beautiful dark oily Double-Maduro wrapper and a very different type of logo, as can be seen in the picture above. As a cousin to the "Sopranos" line, you know you have a cigar in your hand when you hold it.

Aroma 15/20

This cigar produces quite a bit of smoke, which has a great rich smell - earthy and a bit acidic at first, but it seemed to mellow out a bit after a few minutes.

Burn 9/15

The burn was quite even for the first 1/3 of the cigar, but then it began to turn quite asymmetric for the remainder of the time that it was lit. I could never get it to burn evenly after the initial lighting.

Construction 15/15

This cigar is beautifully constructed. It has a consistent solidity throughout the cigar, and the wrapper is quite stout. The MX2 also uses a Maduro binder in conjunction with the wrapper.

Draw 10/10

The draw on the cigar is smooth and even, and I would attribute this to the first class construction.

Flavor 25/30

The first taste that I noticed upon lighting the cigar was pepper. It was almost like inhaling a pile of pepper actually, but that got a bit more mellow as the cigar burned through the first inch or so. I guess that some would term it as being "spicy," but I think of black pepper - a bit too much punch for my taste.

It was also a bit earthy, which I do like. After the pepper taste subsided, the taste of wood was definitely prominent. It wasn't a complex cigar -- It seemed to play the same few notes on the pallet the whole time.

Since I tend to lean toward cigars that are medium bodied, this full bodied stick was a bit strong, but I would recommend it to anyone who likes the full bodied smokes.