Cigar:            CAO Brazilia Piranha

Size:             45 x 4.5"

Country:          Hon

Wrapper:          Brazil, E

Binder:           Nic

Filler:           Nic

Flavor Strength:  Medium-Full

NicotineStength:  Medium-Full

Date Received:    2005-12-29

Suspected Age:   

Vendor/Price:     Gift from SkyHawkXP, ASC.  Thanks, Steve!

Hype:      

Beverage(s):      Water, Deschutes Mirror Pond (first half), Talisker 10YO                         (second half)

Smoke time:       1:15

Date:             2005-12-31

Posted to ASC:    2005-12-31

Overall score:    4.5/5.0

Overall:    Great cigar with a complex flavor profile including cocoa, coffee, leather, cedar, vanilla, and some initial pepper.  Aftertaste was moderately sweet.  Finish was more so.  Burned very well generating a good volume of smoke, and a compact white ash.  A fair bit of nicotine for such a little stick.  Starts medium flavored and ends full so a flavorfull accompaniment is recommended.  It went great with the scotch.  A box purchase.  I think these should age well.

Ambience:   Early New Year's Eve in the sunroom listening to Blowin' Smoke #5 and flight planning.  The little woman is back from her holiday travels and while she unpacks in the livingroom I'm enjoying a smoke.  After 3 weeks of keeping the seat up I need some remedial training.  There has been a CAO Brazilia Amazon from Mickey, ASC, in the humidor for over a year and that monster (60x6) scares me and mocks me every time I open humidor #1.  Then Steve sends this little Piranha my way, and I jump on it the first chance I get.  I'm hoping this cute little smoke will whet my appetite for the monster.  

Appearance: Cute, dark stick.  Very dark wrapper with small veins, considerable tooth, and long cap.  Very solid and heavy for its size. 

Cut & Prelight:   Mild sweet black pepper aroma.  Cut very well yielding an open draw with baked grass draw flavor with some pepper. 

First third:      Initial blast of pepper.  Cocoa enters early.  Good smoke volume.  Coffee, a bit of leather and a bit of cedar too.  Moderately sweet aftertaste.  Lots in there early. 

Second third:     Getting richer as it warms.  Mostly cocoa and coffee with a sweet cedar aftertaste.  A bit of vanilla.  Some leather came back.  Very tastey.

Third third:      Becoming aromatic early.  Going well with the scotch.  Nicotine buzz apparent.  I think these would age very well.  Very aromatic in the nub.  Smoked it to 1/2".  Nice finish.