|
Author
|
|
Ceedee
Forum Moderator
Registered: March 2007
Location: The Blacktop Lounge - Matthews NC
Posts: 5513
|
|
Review Date: Tue March 20, 2007
|
Would you recommend this to someone? Yes |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 7
|
|
Pros:
|
Great construction & draw; consistent taste profile, solid ash
|
|
Cons:
|
Price/marketing scheme; needs a bit of age, pricey for the lack of complexity, foot band hard to remove
|
|
Well, I finally got away to sample this cigar that was kindly sent my
way by Stogie! I've just got to give props to him for getting this whole
concept of the Cigar Live Tasting Panel and Group Review going. Stogie,
thanks again man, you sure are one of a kind! Here is my first Tasting
Panel review on Cigar Live, I hope you enjoy.
BTW, here is a link to my accompanying pics of the review, if you want to
follow along more closely: My Cigar Review pics
On to the review... First I had to take in the robusto sized beauty,
called the "Catalyst", part of the Vision line of cigars from CAO. Upon
inspection it was nicely constructed and smelled wonderfully. The
wrapper was pliable and a bit oily - reminding me of leather a bit. I
did see one vein that was a bit larger than I would have expected, but
it didn't take away from the smoking experience at all nor was it an
aesthetic issue either. The two bands were top notch and had that sort
of graphic nature to them that made the cigar seem impressive. The foot
band was individually numbered and mine was # 0006431. Neat. Dunno what
that really means - I guess it's some sort of built-in exclusivity
factor a la Padron, or some small protection against fraud? Whatever the
case I gotta hand it to the marketing peeps at CAO, they do know how to
create a nicely styled product.
I took off the foot band and found it a bit hard to remove without
tearing the wrapper. This is a pet peeve of mine with any cigar. I took
extra care to unband the foot without doing too much damage, but the
wrapper was ripped a bit. Bummer. Anyway, I got it off and then
concentrated on the cap. Which was by the way, well constructed, but not
impeccable. It looked ok, just not what I thought a $12 - $16 cigar
should look like. I clipped away... I then took a pre-light draught and
my mouth perked-up! Tasted clean and like a good tobacco taste (no spice
or fruitiness etc.) - just a touch of leather to boot. I lit the cigar
and it started off really well. From the get go, it was what I
imagined. Nice clouds of white smoke and a sweet leathery taste. No
real complex taste, but a nice cigar taste. It reminded me of the Torano
Casa Torano a bit, without any hint of the spice. The ash started off
well, but didn't show a razor sharp edge. It looked a bit like the stick
was a little wet, but the ash did burn evenly nonetheless.
From there, I started to get the slight taste of cedar to complement the
leather and clouds of white smoke did begin to really come with each
puff. The ash kept burning evenly and with about an inch and a quarter,
I knocked it into the stinky. So far so good. Not much complexity, but
I DID enjoy the taste. I paired the stick with a nice Sam Adams lager
(the crispness accented the finish of the smoke) and some pretzels,
which did tend to clear my palate a bit. Of course, I was listening to
Bob and Dale on the Dogwatch (3/16) and followed their review of the
Henry Clay while keeping my stick "in tune". A parallel did occur. I
really did like the taste of the Vision, but at the same time, it was
not that complex at all. The normal tobacco taste with a bit of leather
and woody accent. It wasn't mild nor was it strong. Right down the
middle for my tastes. Basically, this is what Dale was at with the Henry
Clay if I remember correctly.
I kept puffing and sipping and after an hour or so, was down to the
final third. There is where I did get a little bitter hint and more
spice kicking in. I put this down to perhaps a stick needing a bit more
age at the 65% rh level in the humi to even out the smoke. With a little
flame-purge, things picked-up once again. The stick kept an even burn
and the ash was stable and not crumbly at all and this is what I
expected. The taste stayed right where I started and really didn't waver
at all one way or the other - consistent and pleasing, right until I
dropped it into the stinky after an hour and a half.
In all, I would call the cigar a nice cigar and one that I would NOT
recommend against for anyone wanting to sample one. For my money
however, it is probably NOT something that I would put up in my top 25
smokes to recommend to others looking for something new or different to
try that they didn't try before. It was a very good stick, just not a
great stick in my humble opinion. With a bit more age, this could
change the overall experience and perhaps decrease the bitter finish at
the end of the stick that I experienced, but I am not sure that the
complexity would change much. I would recommend some of the other cigars
in the CAO stable first - Italia, Brazilia, Gold and even perhaps the
Sopranos sticks before this one. Nevertheless, the experience was
pleasing and if I had the opportunity to try another Vision with a few
months more age on it, I would be happy to re-examine my opinion!
Thanks again Stogie and thanks again to the rest of the CL crew for
following along with me!
Cheers,
CD
------------------------------
"Vini, Vidi, Fodi!"
|
|
|
|
GoinFerSmoke
Forum Moderator
Registered: March 2007
Location: Salem
Posts: 4981
|
|
Review Date: Wed March 21, 2007
|
Would you recommend this to someone? No |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 7
|
|
Pros:
|
Nice mellow smoke
|
|
Cons:
|
One-dimensional
|
|
I would have to agree pretty much with Ceedee, this cigar s what I would call marketing ploy, it is one-dimensional never gains any momentum... I kept expecting the flavor to build, or even change but it stayed the same... if it was priced at a couple of bucks I would add it to my yard 'gar list of fave's...
i will say it did burn even all the way down, the draw was nice and though I had none of the problems with the wrapper or the label problem Cee had... my expectations were just not met. I had high hopes for this and it was a let down for CAO to not have a better cigar. I think this one would be aimed more toward women smokers
I will only add you can fool all of the people some of the time....
This one I would not recommend to anyone, it was decent but nothing to gush over...
------------------------------
Get all the fools on your side and you can be elected to anything. - Frank Dane
|
|
|
|
|
The Bruce
Active Member
Registered: March 2007
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 290
|
|
Review Date: Sun March 25, 2007
|
Would you recommend this to someone? Yes |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 7
|
|
Pros:
|
good draw, looks nice, smooth taste, lots of smokes.
|
|
Cons:
|
Price, the snobby smoker look.
|
|
Since this is a panel review I will do a more formal review.
This CAO Vision is cigar Number: 0006420
First Third:
The cigar has an easy draw and a beautiful black and white firm ash. It has a wonderful rich smoke. The flavor is smooth light and peppery. It is quite pleasant.
Second Third:
Same as the first third, although it is buring a bit hotter. And . . . BAM! the flavor and strength just got kicked up a notch.
Third Third:
It's getting stronger and I am having a slight burn issue. The bottom part is burning slowly, but it's easily fixed with a torch. I'm still a happy camper.
Bottom Line: I like the smooth peppery flavor a lot. It's aftertaste is ok as well. But it's price is really high for what you get, maybe it's a box it comes in. I also feel like a cigar snob smoking this cigar with it's Lilu Dallas(from the 5th Element) dress sytle band. But I think everyone should smoke one. Go out and get one. This cigar would have scored an 8 but the price made it less desirable.
Finally, I'd like to thank Stogie for the cigar. It was very generous of you to supply the panel. Let's hear it for Stogie! Hip Hip! Hurray!
------------------------------
--
Erik The Bruce
|
|
|
|
|
CigarRob
Cigar Press Member
Registered: March 2007
Location: Western Pennsylvania
Posts: 425
|
|
Review Date: Mon March 26, 2007
|
Would you recommend this to someone? Yes |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 7
|
|
Pros:
|
Free ;-) • Surname • Smokability
|
|
Cons:
|
Detail to Finishing • Over-Hyped • Money's Worth Issue
|
|
Thank you, Mr. Stogie, sir, for your generosity and all your hard work providing this little haven for us to enjoy. Kudos!
Spending about 2-3 hours per day driving to and from work, with some days being more, and the appearance of sunshine here in the 'Boig the last few days, I thought today was a great day to spark the CAO Vision Robusto on the ride home.
I apologize for leaving my cigar's registration/license/nonsense number on the front seat of my car. I'll look for it and add it later if it is to be rescued. (Honestly, do we need more bands on cigars?)
This cigar arived with a small chunk of wrapper knocked off exposing the binder about 2/3 of the way down. I was concerned it might effect the draw. The wrapper was a slightly toothy, somewhat veiny colorado maduro. The cap was attached rather sloppily and not smoothed over the rest of the head, but left looking "like a cap" with several prominent wrinkles along the sides and the edges raised. The Vision felt more like a corona in my hands, which I liked, and also felt firm yet light in hand.
The bottom band slid off without any trouble and the cap held on to a bullet cut with the trusty Xikar. I admit, at this point, I was not very impressed considering the packaging and marketing, but I forged on in the name of science.
Applying flame to the Vision is when things shifted gears. A triple-flame torch ignited this neon pup in an instant and the draw was perfect yielding an unexpected amount of smoke from a relatively small cigar.
The first hit actually took me back to my first North Carolina Cigar Crawl. There was something in that smoke, aroma, palate, something that just felt like I was new to the handmade cigar and just found Mecca. Tobacco and spice and boy it was nice as I unconsciously started driving faster on Interstate 79.
Just as my 80 mpg cruise came to an end behind an old lady in the hammer lane doing 50, the flavor of the Vision settled into a medium bodied, albeit somewhat spicy smoke with little variation through the rest of the length.
Draw was perfect. The burn was above average and the little doink in the wrapper was never heard from again. I enjoyed the cigar...don't get me wrong. It just lost its 'Wow!' factor rather quickly, but settled into an enjoyable cigar nonetheless. Well made, but one dimensional, with enough strength to keep you interested and a firm ash that didn't blow off with the car window cracked and the AC running.
Final word on the CAO Vision Robusto is 'OK.' Not bad...not great. You expect at least that from CAO, but you might be led to expect much more from this dressed up, red carpet, neon number than what you get. If you are a CAO fan, as I am, you will likely continue with your favorites after herfing the Vision. For me, they are the MX2, Criollo, and Maduro. I suspect if you took away the battery powered cigar boxes and this cigar would be priced right where it should be.
Again, thank you, Stogie, for a fun, enjoyable smoke and the opportunity to be part of this review group.
Faithfully submitted this 26th day of March 2007.
~CigarRob
------------------------------
Host/Producer, Blowin' Smoke Podcast™
|
|
|
|
|
terrasco
Senior Member
Registered: March 2007
Location: San Angelo, TX
Posts: 2185
|
|
Review Date: Tue March 27, 2007
|
Would you recommend this to someone? Yes |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 8
|
|
Pros:
|
Good draw, burns nicely, decent flavor and aroma
|
|
Cons:
|
Price and marketing
|
|
I will keep this brief because I agree with the previous reviews. Thanks Stogie for supplying the cigar.
Lit nice and even. Fragrant Dominican aroma at first settling into a mellow richness. Nice hint of pepper throughout and very clean taste. Burned well throughout. Nice ash. Very well constructed cigar using quality tobacco.
My thoughts on this cigar is that it would make a great mid-price cigar but the marketing overkill may have doomed it.
Thanks again Stogie for your generous gift. It was a good cigar and I enjoyed it very much.
|
|
|
|
|
tekeeladude
Forum Moderator
Registered: March 2007
Location: Omaha
Posts: 2043
|
|
Review Date: Wed March 28, 2007
|
Would you recommend this to someone? Yes |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 7
|
|
Pros:
|
Nice looking cigar with really good taste. Nice draw
|
|
Cons:
|
High price, burn issues (maybe just a fluke)
|
|
CAO Vision Catalyst (Robusto) -- Band number 0006439
Appearance/Construction: Very nice looking Dominican corojo wrapper with a few noticeable veins. Nice contrast between the bands and wrapper. No visible construction issues. Nice firm feel from head to foot.
Cut/Pre-light Draw: Before I cut the cigar, I noticed the cap did not appear to be applied very well. However, it cut very easily with my Palio cutter and I did not have any problems with it during the entire smoke. The pre-light draw was excellent. I noticed the taste of tobacco, slight cedar and just a slight taste of something else. After a couple of pre-light draws I was able to pick it out that taste -- a very subtle cinnamon/gingerbread flavor.
Light: The numbered ban on the foot slid off easily and I also removed the upper band without any damage to the wrapper. I applied my torch lighter and this cigar lit up easily.
Burn: The first couple of puffs I picked up a woody taste with a touch of cedar. I also got some really strong spice at first. After letting the cigar sit for a couple of minutes the spice really subsided, but I was still able to pick it up. At this point I was really impressed with the flavor -- nice creamy tobacco flavor mixed with some leather and cedar with the occasional spice -- very smooth. After another five minutes I noticed I was starting to have a slight burn issue. One side was burning slower. Since I was smoking out on my patio, my first thought was the burn issue was possibly being caused by the slight breeze. I tried everything to get the burn to correct itself, but I ended up having to touch up the burn with my lighter. This was definitely something I was not expecting from this cigar. (Side note: Last night I smoked a La Aurora 1495 outside and the wind was blowing much stronger--I did not have any burn issues.) I continued to smoke and really enjoyed the flavor of this cigar. The second third of the cigar produced a nice smooth and creamy smoke with little to no spice. Around the last third I started picking up the spice again. I was just enough to get your attention, but not enough so it took away from the other flavors. Throughout the burn of this cigar I continued to have burn issues. I had to touch up the cigar 4-5 times before I was finished. I noticed there was a vein running along the side that was burning slower--maybe this was the cause of the burn problem.
Overall, I was really impressed with the taste of this cigar--nice creamy taste, with tobacco, leather, cedar and a nice spice. I would say this was a medium to full bodied cigar. As soon as they become available in the local shops, I will probably pick up another few to see if the burn issue was just a fluke. I do think there has been way too much hype about this cigar and think this cigar should be priced around $6-$8 instead.
Again, thanks to Stogie for adding me to the group review and sending this cigar.
------------------------------
We're the last of the radio-free, piss and vinegar, American independents! ~ Roger Clyne
|
|
|
|
|
BigBuddha76
Forum Moderator
Registered: February 2007
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 2455
|
|
Review Date: Thu April 12, 2007
|
Would you recommend this to someone? Yes |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 8
|
|
Pros:
|
complex, rich
|
|
Cons:
|
none
|
|
this cigar was an excellent smoke. It started out spicy and intense, with the flavors all peeking their heads out individually, around half way through everything melded together, creating a complex and mellow bouquet of tobacco flavors, with a hint of pepper on the tip of the tongue.
I liked this cigar and can recommend it if you like a medium to almost full cigar
------------------------------
Zack "Buddha" Alderfer, Cigar Live's #1 Kilt Wearin' Pirate
CigarLive's ORIGINAL mass bomber
|
|
|
|
|
cabaiguan
Getting Active
Registered: March 2007
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 98
|
|
Review Date: Sun April 15, 2007
|
Would you recommend this to someone? Yes |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 0
|
|
Great reviews by the group. It is obvious that you all have a passion for cigars and took this task seriously. Thanks for the candor. It sounds like this is a stick that I will eventually try but it is not on my priority list based on the collective reviews. By the way, the pics that CeeDee took helped out tremendously as I read all of the reviews.
Thanks,
Cabby
------------------------------
Check out NUbCigar.com
|
|
|
|
|
xxwaldoxx
Cigar Press Member
Registered: March 2007
Location: Reading
Posts: 1167
|
|
Review Date: Tue May 8, 2007
|
Would you recommend this to someone? Yes |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 8
|
|
Pros:
|
Great construction with flavorful smoke
|
|
Cons:
|
Overpriced
|
|
During our pre light inspection we found the cigar to be constructed very well. It was smooth and soft to the touch and firmly packed when pinched. After opening up the head we both found the draw to be decent (although mine was a little firm due to my plug cut). Once lit the cigar produced thick clouds of smoke and gave way to a slow and even burn.
The first third was composed of Medium bodied smoke with a smooth finish. The base flavor at this point was a rich tobacco flavor with a woody background flavor. When passed through the sinuses I picked up a pleasant spice that kept me interested.
The second third continued to please, leading to a richer flavor while the body slowly began to build. The burn remained even and produced a light colored, firm ash. The resting smoke was light and filled the room with a mild woody aroma.
After about an hour and a half we wrapped up the cigar and both felt that it was a good smoke. We agreed that the price would be much more appealing at around $8.00 per single as we felt it did not merit the $14.00 price tag it currently holds. This is something we would recommend picking up, but maybe wait until some of the hype dies down, and hopefully the price will die down as well.
------------------------------
Walt White
Co-Founder: Stogie Review
|
|
|
|
|
|
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
