Cigar:            CAO Mx2 (Maduro times two)

Size:             52 x 5.0

Country:          Nic

Wrapper:          CTBL,Maduro / Bra, Maduro

Binder:           Bra, Maduro

Filler:           Nic, Hon, DR, Peru

Flavor Strength:  Med

NicotineStength:  Med

Date Received:    2005-02-07

Suspected Age:   

Vendor/Price:     Gift from The Makule Guy, ASC.  Thanks!

Beverage(s):      Dead Guy Ale, Water

Smoke time:       1:45

Date:             2005-03-22

Posted to ASC:    2005-03-22

Overall score:    4.0/5.0

Overall:    Good cigar.  Beautiful cigar.  Well constructed and tightly packed.  Strong unlit sweet barnyard aroma.  Cocoa and leather with a dry, short finish.  Some slight sweetness in the long finish.  Flavor very consistent from end to end.  Not as full flavored as advertised.  My guess is that these would benefit from a year or more of age.

Ambience:   Solo at Daniel's sitting at the piano bar.  Thank god I got out of there before the piano player started playing. 

Construction:     Toothy, oily, darkly mottled wrapper.  Darker triple cap.  Evenly firm.  Strong barnyard aroma - this one really smells like sweet horseshit. 

Cut & Prelight:   Good cut.  Tight draw.  Bit of a lip tingle.  Not much draw flavor beyond tobacco.

First third:      Initial puffs were peppery, then immediately cocoa and leather.  Not sweet, but rather dry.  Dark raised burn ring.  Moderate smoke volume.  Draw opened a little.  Firm, gray ash held to 1.5". 

Second third:     Consistently cocoa and leather.  Still dry, short finish.  Some mild sweetness in finish if you wait long enough.  Smoke has slightly sweetened.

Third third:      More of the same.  A bit of pepper on the palate occasionally.  Burn was uneven but not pathological.  Leather has changed to a more woody flavor.  Smoked it to about 1" when it became vaguely disconcerting - my palate may have gotten tired and the nicotine kicked in a little.