Introduction: Abbreviated History of Torano & CAO Cigars
A couple of decades ago, both Torano and CAO cigars were very popular and friendly independent cigar brands, each named after their founder. Although competitors, Torano cigars were distributed by CAO for several years. After both brand owners retired, their sons took over the family business. General Cigar then eventually acquired both brands from each son, and that was when the similarities, relationships and parallels between the two brands began coming to an end.
The Torano brand was acquired by General Cigar in 2014, and Torano branded cigars have continued to be made by General Cigar ever since. However, no new lines have been introduced since the acquisition. On the other hand, CAO has been one of General Cigar's most popular and prolific brands since it was acquired in 2010, with new lines (and line extensions) coming to market annually*.
Charlie Torano, who became president of Torano Cigars after his father Carlos Torano retired, is no longer in the cigar business. However, his cousins Jack and Carlos Llaca Torano eventually migrated to Espinosa Cigars and Gurkha Cigars, respectively. Tim Ozgener, who became president of CAO Cigars after his father Cano A. Ozgener (C.A.O.) retired, left the cigar business in 2010 only to return in 2022 and start a new brand called Ozgener Family Cigars. After the acquisition by General Cigar in 2010, some employees of CAO went on to form their own cigar company named Crown Heads, while others moved over to Torano Cigars before it was sold in 2014.
Cigar Review Notes
Torano Exodus Gold 1959 is a box pressed cigar made in Honduras with a Habana 2000 wrapper, Honduran binder, and a blend of Costa Rican, Dominican, Honduran, Mexican and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. The cigar was named to commemorate the exodus of many Cubans and the Torano family from Cuba after the revolution in 1959.
The sample Torano Exodus Gold 1959 Toro (6 x 50) was medium-to-full bodied and had a well-balanced and predominately toasted earthy flavor along with just the right amount of spice. It took me an hour to smoke it down to 1½ inches remaining without any relights, but a couple of minor touch-ups were needed along the way. The cigar had a good draw and held a long ash.
The Torano Exodus Gold 1959 Toro was an enjoyable cigar with a consistent flavor from start to finish. Although blended to satisfy the palates of cigar smokers from a couple of decades ago, it is still an enjoyable cigar today and deserving of a 4-point rating on a 5-point scale. These cigars are a good value and are available at Cigars International for only $31.99 per five-pack (as of July 2025).
* Go to Our Cigar Index to Read Reviews of Various CAO Cigars
