The "new" CAO Consigliere cigar released by General Cigar during October 2016 is really a reintroduction of an original CAO cigar that was ranked Number 25 (during 2006) for the year 2005, by Cigar Aficionado.  Back then, that original CAO cigar was named after a very popular HBO series, and CAO was an independent boutique cigar company. Although General Cigar now owns the CAO brand, it does not have the right to use the name of the HBO series.

CAO Consigliere cigars are made with Brazilian Mata Fina wrappers, Honduran binders, and a blend of filler tobaccos from Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, and Columbia. The cigars are available in three sizes, including a Robusto (5 x52) called the Associate, which is priced at $6.99 per stick. For more information about these cigars, please refer to the press release.

The CAO Consigliere Robusto began with a bold earthy and peppery flavor that smoothed out and transformed into a predominate leathery flavor with subtle hints of spice within the first five minutes. The smoke was medium-to-full bodied and the taste was very enjoyable. The cigar had a good draw, held a long ash, and had an even burn. It took me 45 minutes to smoke the cigar down to two inches remaining, without any construction issues. I rate the Consigliere Robusto with a very solid 4 points on a 5-point scale, and consider it to be a very good value at less than $7 per cigar.