CAO Fuma em Corda Cigar Review

CAO Cigars is at it again, searching for some of the most unique tobaccos to craft their latest incarnation of the Amazon Basin series of cigars. The latest rendition brings us 3 different blends, collectively called the CAO Amazon Basin Trilogy. They were rolled out in three phases in 2017 and represent the what the company describes as a progression of the Amazon Basin series. Each phase is identified with a tobacco cord wrapped around the head of the cigar in a different pattern. This of course was one of the unique characteristics of the original Amazon Basin where they used the cord instead of a band and of course you can smoke through the cord. If you would like to learn more about the full line of the Amazon Trilogy you can check the article I wrote on an Amazon Trilogy event I attended back in December of 2017.

Today we will discuss the CAO Fuma em Corda, one of the three blends in the trilogy. It is a 6 x 58 toro vitola, with the band cord wrapped in a criss-cross fashion instead of being circled around like the original Amazon Basin. They retail for $9.45 and come packaged in 20-count boxes.

The CAO Fuma em Corda blend is described as:

• Wrapper – Honduran Oscuro
• Binder – African – Cameroon
• Filler – Nicaraguan, Honduran, Braganca Fuma em Corda

I purchased the cigars for this review as part of a sampler  at the event I attended ion December, and have smoked two of them as part of this review.

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Pre-light Examination

The CAO Fuma em Corda has a rich, dark brown wrapper, that a slight gleam in the light. It is finished with a simple cap and uses a tobacco cord in lieu of a band. Please note the criss-cross pattern of the rope signifies this as the CAO Fuma em Corda.

There are some fragrant aromas of chocolate and raisin off the foot and a sweet spicy sensation along the barrel.

Once the cap is sliced, the cold draw offered notes of pepper and a hint of mineral through a decently restricted draw.

I rolled the CAO Fuma em Corda around some, closing my eyes and imagining what it would be like down in the Amazon Basin and catching the aromas of the fermenting “corottes”  of leaf. I wonder how it compares to a curing barn or a fermenting pilon?  The cool breeze blew across my face and brought my back t my senses, so onward we go as I take you through this limited edition cigar from CAO Cigars.

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Cigar Review Notes

• Espresso, sweetness, and earthy notes enter early
• Light grey ash rests on a medium char line
• The sweetness is much akin to a dry candy fruit sweetness
• Thick creamy smoke fills the palate
• Cedar notes enter followed by a palate coating savory spice
• Floral aroma evolves with a touch of nut
• Lemon peel enters offering a touch of bitterness
• Slight off burn needed touch up near the midway point
• Lemon peel shifted to more of a pineapple fruit
• Nice sheen growing on wrapper
• Toasty nut enters just before the rope band
• Aroma shifts to spicy
• Burning through the rope
• Tangy fruit notes
• Touch of mint followed by cherry at the end
• Medium to Full in Strength
• Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 20 minutes

Overall, the CAO Fuma em Corda was an extremely complex and flavorful cigar that had a medium to full strength. This is a cigar designed for the seasoned cigar enthusiast and can be paired with many a fine spirit including Rum, Scotch, or Bourbon. Any one of these would enhance or balance the various notes experienced through the journey. These are limited in quantity as all CAO Amazon Basin lines, so look for them at your local shop or favorite online site.