Review of CAO Bx3 Robusto Cigar

First of all, I don't think that anyone would confuse a Nicaraguan CAO Bx3 cigar with a Dominican Fuente Opus X, just because they both use an “X” in their name. However, Fuente doesn't seem to like CAO using their “X”. I could have some fun writing about who owns each letter of the alphabet, but this is supposed to be a brief review of the CAO Bx3 Robusto (5 X 52) cigar, as opposed to a legal brief regarding a trademark dispute. If interested, barristers are welcome to read more in General Cigar's press release.

CAO Bx3 cigars are made in Nicaragua with a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper, Brazilian Arapiraca binder, and a blend of filler tobaccos from Brazil, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Honduras (hence the name Bx3=three times the Brazilian tobaccos). The cigars began shipping to retailers in July 2022. CAO Bx3 cigars are available in three sizes, including a Robusto priced at $8.99 per stick, which is the subject of this review. For more information about these cigars, please check out the press release.

The sample CAO Mx3 Robusto began with a sweet taste that was quickly joined by a peppery flavor. The smoke was medium bodied. After a few puffs, there were also some brief notes of citrus. At the 5-minute point, the citrus was gone and the sweet and peppery tastes began fading, now being joined by earthy and woodsy flavors. By the 10-minute mark, earth and wood became the predominate flavors. After 20 minutes of total smoking time, the flavor was then more of a tangy cedar along with noticeably less earth. By the 30-minute point, the taste was a bit smoother and now a less-tangy cedar, along with some brief hints of nuts. The cedar flavor then lasted for the final 20 minutes of the cigar.

The CAO Mx3 Robusto was well made, held a very long ash, and had a good draw. The burn was mostly even until a couple of minor touch-ups were needed at the 15 and 30-minute points. It took me a total of 50 minutes to smoke the cigar down to just 1½ inches remaining.

CAO Mx3 is a very interesting cigar, with a number of flavor fluctuations throughout most of its length. The flavors were richer during the first 20 minutes, but overall, the cigar was not a boring smoke by any means. I rate the CAO Mx3 Robusto with a very good 4 points on a 5-point scale. It is definitely not an Opus X, but it is definitely worth a try at $8.99 per stick.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer.