"An intoxicating blend of rich Nicaraguan tobacco surrounded by a gorgeous Brazilian wrapper. This cigar yields a lush and chewy texture of smoke and captivates the palate with flavors of exotic spices and wood, with a seductively floral aroma."
That's how the
CAO website describes their Brazilia line. I have been a fan of CAO cigars for quite some time, and have enjoyed the Brazilia line since its inception. So I guess that, based on past experience, I couldn't take exception with their marketing description. But the best way to tell is to smoke one. And that's just what I did.
The Brazilia line is an all-large ring-gauge set of dark, spicy vitolas that literally fill one's mouth with flavor. The Ipanema is a massive 7.0 x 50 double corona. The one I most recently smoked was solid, large, and imposing. Having set me back $7.59, this monstrous stick was heavy and solid. A dark brown maduro in color, the wrapper was oily and the construction was fine.
Upon lighting the cigar, a deep and powerful sun-ripened flavor assaulted my palate. Wow! Yet the smoke quickly evened out to provide a full-bodied, mature-maduro character. Right off the bat, this cigar was
savory.
The Ipanema had become earthy, toasty and somewhat sweet -- almost fruity -- after about five minutes. My wife described the aroma as "spicy" and "kicky." At ten minutes this stick was smoking quite smoothly, and had perhaps a slightly woody character. But above all I was enjoying its luscious, sun-ripened flavors and delightful complexity. This was a truly outstanding cigar! The draw was near to perfection. I removed about 1-3/8" of ash after half and hour; the color was medium gray and its consistency was solid.
An amazing shift in character occurred at about the 40 minute mark; the flavor profile had transformed into one of rich cocoa and cedar. It was absolutely luscious; flavors were smooth and the draw was exemplary.
At 55 minutes I removed another, similar ash, and could not believe how smooth, full and delicious this cigar had become. The finish was now long and cedary; a delicate sweetness lingered on my palate.
After an hour and ten minutes the character had become boldly cedary, but the cigar was undoubtedly well-balanced and incredibly complex, with cocoa and wood notes and a long, luscious finish. At an hour and 35 minutes I was amazed at the remarkable consistency of this stick to deliver a continuously pleasurable experience. The Ipanema had abundantly full flavor, but was not at all harsh nor overpowering -- just a delightful, abounding lusciousness. And it continued to burn and draw perfectly.
At an hour and 45 minutes it was providing full, minty flavors of cedar and cocoa. Still outstanding, still inspiring -- this cigar was still a home run.
My Ipanema ended its life as a knuckle-burner at the two hour mark. If I could have smoked more I certainly would have!
Perhaps one of the most well-balanced and continuously enjoyable cigars I've had in a while, the CAO Brazilia Ipanema is an outstanding choice. Complex and satisfying, with excellent construction and a long, enjoyable finish, this cigar is truly a connoisseur's selection. It is, without a doubt, highly recommended.
