Different types of tobacco are grown throughout the beautiful country of Brazil – each with its own special taste. The good people at the CAO cigar company thought this was something worth commemorating. Thus, the CAO Brazilia cigar was created.
In recent years, CAO created Brazilia Carnivale as a follow up. Unfortunately, I was not able to get a Carnivale, but I do have a Brazilia.
The version I have is a box press, size 5 X 52. The wrapper is a Brazilian tobacco that was picked from a rare tobacco crop. The filler is tobacco from Nicaragua. Due to the very dark brown colour of the wrapper, Brazilia is classified as a maduro cigar. I have had this cigar in the past, but I hadn’t paid close attention to the flavours. I remember I enjoyed it, so I thought today would be a good day to analyze the flavour structure.
Keeping with the South American theme, I am pairing this cigar with a 15-year old El Dorado Rum. This rum is produced in the neighbouring country of Guyana. And since Guyana is also a part of my heritage, it’s all the more reason to pop this rum bottle.
Rum is one of those liquors that definitely becomes better with age, and the El Dorado is no exception. The rum is very smooth with a subtle sweetness. It has flavours of apples, cinnamon, pear, and toffee. I begin the Brazilia and am greeted with a peppery taste. After five minutes, this taste fades and transitions into a pleasant spice taste combined with something creamy. As the first third progresses, flavours of wood can be tasted.
The second third welcomes a dried fruit taste, but the spice taste remains. The spice taste is very different compared to other cigars that are known for being on the spicy side. I am not entirely sure how to describe it. The spice is predominant, but it is not overpowering, and the taste is enjoyable without getting tiring. I think this is because of the Brazilian wrapper. Due to the richness of the soil, this tobacco is grown differently than that of other regions and I believe this is where the mysterious and enjoyable spice taste comes from.
The rum is a nice choice for this stogie. Its hints of sweetness provide a nice balance to the wood and spice of the Brazilia. The last third of the cigar becomes a tad bit more peppery, mixed with a smooth cedar taste.
CAO has produced more than two dozen types of cigars. It is always fun when they venture in tastes of the world. One of the first cigars I reviewed was CAO Italia, which was a winner. However, I think Brazilia is the new king in town. It has enough exchange of flavours to keep you interested, and it is not overpowering like most maduros tend to be.
The average price for this stick is CAD$8 to 10, depending on the size. You can find it at many online retailers such as, www.AbsolutCigars.com or www.TampaHumidor.com.
