CAO Session Garage is a medium bodied, highly smokable cigar with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper that gets a unique post fermentation treatment, in a 5 1/4 x 54 format. It has a Dominican binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers.
The post fermentation treatment deepens the wrapper’s flavour and darkens its colour, and the filler combination gives Session its bold flavour. Session is medium bodied, so it stays easy to enjoy on any occasion. At medium strength, it suits smokers who want a balanced, dependable cigar.
The 5 1/4 x 54 Garage is the compact size of the Session range. CAO Session Garage was created for the garage and the shop, and it suits any smoker who wants a dependable medium cigar.
CAO Session was inspired by the many cigars smoked in a garage and was created by CAO Master Blender Ricky Rodriguez with his friend and colleague Yuri Guillen. CAO goes where the tobacco takes it, sourcing leaf from the jungles of the Amazon, the mountains of Colombia, the valleys of the Dominican Republic and the volcanoes of Nicaragua. Removing boundaries, borders and limits from the process leaves a tobacco experience unlike any other.
Box of 20 cigars
mgraham1985 (verified owner) –
Purchased 2/10/21, smoked 24/12/21. Stored at 64% RH.
This was like smokeable candy for me. Pre light was brown sugar, chocolate and more sugar through a 9mm punch.
First third had some small burn issues, draw was pretty tight. A second punch to open things up to about 13mm fixed them. Dominant flavours are still chocolate, sugar and now that it’s opened up a little tiny hint of cinnamon.
On the second 1/3rd, the sugar lets up, with flavours of cocoa, cedar and black pepper on the retrohale. Ash has surprisingly stayed together and finally drops off about halfway through. Closing out, pepper leaves and candied lemon comes in.
Citrus picks up even more. Cocoa and black pepper following and on the retrohale. It’s like a lemony chocolate. Think chocolate orange, but with a candied lemon instead of orange. And it’s stayed that way pretty much all the way through the final third. With about 2 ¼” left, the cap came off a little – and back to the super sweet wrapper. I’ve never had a wrapper that’s so sweet.
If you’d told me that I’d like citrus in a cigar I’d call you crazy. But here we are. CAO for me can be anything from meh (CAO Italia) to one of my top 10 (Flathead V660). I’ll need to smoke a couple more, but if they follow this, this is going to become a favourite.
A (verified owner) –
I got one in a CAO sampler. Before light up, the draw tasted like Redman chewing Tobacco; no complaints there. The draw was stiffer than what I’m used to, but manageable throughout. The aroma was like fresh motor oil with some extra sweetness, very unique. The taste was uniform throughout, though if I gave it some extra gas, it had some coffee flavour. It did canoe; I let it go an inch before a touch up. The canoeing had no effect on the taste. I took it to about half the length of where the band was before it turned. I’m a fan, and am looking forward to their other products.
mindom2004 –
Very satisfying, good burn, smooth medium flavor. NOT dissappointed 🙂
loknes2006 (verified owner) –
I’ve had many CAO cigars throughout their portfolio and all have been solid. I just had my first Session and it was equally as a good. Even though the draw was slightly tighter than I prefer it didn’t affect the performance or enjoyment. I have a couple more resting away in the humidor that I’m looking forward to.