Look for the CAO La Traviata to debut at the 2009 IPCPR in New Orleans. You can stay up to date on all IPCPR coverage by using The Stogie Review IPCPR Twitter page.
For Release 9 a.m. EDT, July 29, 2009
Press Release
New CAO Cigar Harkens Back To Pre-Nationalization Havana
Nashville, July 29, 2009: CAO, one of the world’s foremost premium cigar manufacturers, announced today that it will debut its CAO La Traviata cigar brand at the IPCPR 77th Annual Convention and International Trade Show in New Orleans August 8-12.
The La Traviata brand began its life at the turn of the 20th Century in Cuba or, more precisely, in the Tabacalera Cubana, Agramonte no. 106, in Havana. Over 100 years later, CAO has resurrected the La Traviata name, abiding closely to its original Cuban roots in presentation and taste. CAO La Traviata is a full-bodied, full-flavored cigar that combines an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with a Cameroon binder and incorporates two different ligero filler tobaccos from the Pueblo Nuevo farm in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. “The inspiration for La Traviata came from smoking numerous classic Cuban cigars,” said CAO President Tim Ozgener. “We wanted to create a cigar that appealed to sight, smell, and taste. The oily sheen of the Ecuadorian wrapper compels you to pick it up. The pre-light has a distinct pepper and leather nose. The flavor bombards the palate with intense, rich notes of cedar, anise, and leather, evolving along the way into a lush and creamy finish. We’ve also stayed true to the original La Traviata vista and artwork circa 1901-1904.”
Packaged in 24-count boxes, CAO La Traviata will be available in three shapes: Divino (5″ x 50), Radiante (6″ x 52), and Intrépido (7″ x 54), and will have a suggested retail price range of $4.95 to $5.75 per cigar.
sounds good to me!
I think the price point is really reasonable…can’t wait to try at IPCPR
How the hell can they claim to be “abiding closely to its original Cuban roots in presentation and taste.”? No one who smoked the originals is alive today.
Do like the price.
Thanks for the info Jerry.
Great job Jerry…hope to try one soon!
Jon Huber wasn’t kidding around when he told Walt and I at the Famous Expo that their new stick was going to be very different than their most recent offerings. I like this new direction.
Great pricing, I can’t wait to try one!
Sounds really good to stick to me! Too bad I can’t go to IPCPR but I can bug my rep about it.
The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with a Cameroon binder sound very interesting. Excited to try this out. I like the pricing as well.
I am sure its made with first generation cuban seed tobacco, rolled in a cuban style with a cuban triple cap. A traditional premium cuban cigar rolled on the thighs of virgin cuban young ladys.
All joking aside I can’t wait to smoke one!
Seems pretty price friendly for a CAO Cuban Cohiba Killer!
Sounds delicious. Ecuadorian habano! Cameroon. Ligero! I hope it’s good. They are starting to redeem themselves to me with the lx2. we’ll see.
Sounds pretty darn nice! HECK of a price point too!
I cant wait to see what you guys think of it!
Mike
I can’t wait to get my hands on ’em in the future. It should be “interesting” to say the least, seeing as how I’m a fan of CAO and I enjoy cigars with the profile they described.
I can’t believe CAO still hasn’t bowed to popular pressure and collaborated with Don Pepin Garcia on a new line of cigars. This could have been their chance!!! 😛
Gotta pick a couple up when they hit the market. They sound pretty good.
I smoked on last night a few days after receiving one at the New Orleans show. Gotta say, very, very nice smoke. Smooth, nutty and very relaxing. This one is a hit.
I had the Radiante and the Interpido a few hours apart,yesterday. Wow, Amazing, Delicious, I was happily suprised with the presentation, feel and smoothness of these cigars. The Radiante smoked like a medium body cigar with a nutty, leathery finish. The Interpido was a full body smoke with a hint of spice, coffee and a leathery finish. Definately a new favorite, I’ll be stocking up on.
I just picked one up at my local shop. It has a great feel to the wrapper, and very oily. Not 1 soft spot on this robusto beauty. I will post my experience as soon as I smoke it, probably tomorrow! 🙂
This is an outstanding cigar. When you consider the price its even better. May be the best five dollar cigar I’ve ever smoked.
I love them. Tried the divino yesterday, and the radiante today. Definitely gonna be smoking more of these.
I’ve had a few La Traviata Radiante’s resting in my humidor for about 6 months. My initial test of any new cigar is to cut it into two smokeable halves to test it’s construction in the most complete way. Cigars are typically constructed to start and finish in one piece. I believe any flaws in it’s construction are magnified testing it in seperate components.
The Radiante’s core is comprised of shavings and cut-offs, not full leaves. I’m somewhat dissapointed, as the first half of my initial smoke has left my mouth full of tobacco bits. The head seems to be designed to catch these bits. I guess you can’t expect too much from an economy cigar.
This cigar was all hype. I found and bought two boxes of different sizes. Many have been sitting in my humidor for years. They are as bad as when I first snoked’m Afficianado severely over rated this cigar. I wonder why?