Last post on CAO and "a good smoke".

General has ruined the line. Many reviews you are referring to were written before the acquisition, and or on previous stock. The CAO you smoked a few years ago is not the same as you will smoke today. Go to an old school cigar shop and ask if they have any original CAO sticks, and they will know exactly what you are asking for.

Here is a link that identifies the beginning of the end:
LINK

Here is a link that identifies the desecration of whatever was left:
LINK

CAO went from a boutique that produced some really good cigars to a subpar product. General changed the blends with meh tobacco, went cheap on the wrapping leaf, started to mass produce them and they lost what made them good.

Camacho (and this makes me so damn sad) is going through the same thing now. Davidoff bought the line and changed the blend, made it cheaper. The Camacho triple maduro was a blow your doors off stick that comes around once in a blue moon. It is now nasty. Oliva is rumored to be next, and Drew Estates was recently bought by Swisher.

This is what makes brands like Fuente is damn special. Rarely will you ever get a bad Fuente. The quality control is insanely good, and something that a company like General is just not interested in.

Hopefully the latest rounds of great boutiques will stay independent. Tatuaji and Illusione are doing some amazing things.The Surrogates Animal Cracker is another exciting stick as is the CroMagnon line. AKA does some good work and Jay Lundy is a good guy (for a Texan). If you can get your hands on the AKA 2011 Respect, buy as many as you can, amazing sticks. La Palina, especially stuff coming out of the Miami factory (goldie, Mr. Sam) is very good.

If you want to drink Natty light, have at it, but are you going to suggest it if someone wants a good beer? Yeah, people have different tastes and no one taste is "right or wrong" but Natty light =/= Chimay.