CAO, established by Cano Aret Ozgener in 1977 following his departure from Dupont, has emerged as a prominent name. The early 1990s witnessed CAO's significant expansion within the non-Cuban cigar market, culminating in the introduction of their inaugural cigar line in 1995. A hallmark of CAO Cigars is their willingness to procure tobacco from global sources, a practice undertaken to craft truly exceptional non-Cuban cigars.
The CAO Pilon Robusto Extra is a hand-rolled, long-filler cigar made using the traditional Cuban fermentation method known as "Pilon". The tobacco leaves, sourced from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, are stacked in circular piles and fermented at lower temperatures than modern methods, resulting in a longer fermentation period and higher costs but producing a superior flavor and appearance. The Robusto Extra has a length of 127mm, a ring gauge of 52, and a Habano Seed wrapper from Ecuador. It delivers a nutty and naturally sweet flavor at the start, followed by warm spiciness and creaminess, and finishes with subtle pepper accents.
