Flathead is the top selling line of CAO cigars. The latest version of Flathead cigars is named Speed Shop Habana (Habano in the press release), which is made with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, San Andres binder, and a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. CAO Flathead Speed Shop Habana cigars became available in February 2026, in three vitolas priced between $8.99 and $10.99 per cigar:
- V654 Crankshaft (6.5 x 54)
- V660 Carb (6 x 60)
- V770 Big Block (7 x 70)
This is a review of the box pressed V654 Crankshaft. For more information about these cigars, please see the press release.
The sample CAO Flathead Speed Shop Habana V654 Crankshaft cigar revved up with a predominately leather flavor that was a bit tamer than some of the other Flatheads that I have smoked in the past. The smoke was medium bodied, and the cigar had a very good draw and held a medium-to-long flaky ash. The leathery flavor at the start was pretty much consistent throughout, and not too complex.
I ashed the cigar for the first time after 20 minutes, and a relight was needed two minutes later. At the 40 minute mark, I ashed the cigar for the second time, and some strategic puffing and rotating eliminated the need for a touch-up light to keep the burn even. At the one-hour point, a third ashing was needed, but this time a touch-up was required. After another 20 minutes, another relight was applied with less than two inches of the cigar still left. I would usually stop at this point, but since the smoke was still enjoyable, I tried to squeeze out a few more puffs. Five minutes later, after a total smoke time of 85 minutes, the cigar went out with 1½ inches remaining.
The CAO Flathead Speed Shop Habana V654 Crankshaft cigar was enjoyable from start to finish, but not very memorable. Leather was the predominate flavor, and any other subtle flavors were barely noticeable. It is not overpowering nor complex, but it is a relaxing smoke and suitable for any level of cigar smoker at any time of day. I'm giving it a good rating of 3.75 points on a 5-point scale.
Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer.
