First Look
A look at the newest cigars. If you have a cigar most of us haven't seen yet, send us a regular photo, digital photo or scan of a photo and we'll include the cigar on this page. Contact the News Editor for details.
First Look: CAO L'Anniversaire Napoleon
May 1999
Manufactured by: Tabacalera Tambor, S.A.
Marketed by: C.A.O. International, Inc.
Where rolled: San Jose, Costa Rica
Filler: blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan
Binder: Sumatran seed grown in Ecuador
Wrapper: Grade 1 Connecticut Broadleaf maduro
Tobacco aging: 1 year
Aging after rolling: 90 days
Qty rolled/month: 60,000 for entire CAO L'Anniversaire line
Release date: March, 1999
C.A.O. International got their start 30 years ago making meerschaum pipes. In 1995 they introduced their first line of cigars, developed with help from Carlos Toraño and Nestor Plasencia. The cigars were met with acclaim from the marketplace and the critics. In 1996, the C.A.O. Gold line was introduced, again to much acclaim. The C.A.O. L'Anniversaire Maduro line was introduced in 1998 and was positioned as a more full-bodied compliment to the other two C.A.O. lines which were mild- and medium-bodied, respectively. The line was selected by Cigar Insider as one of the best cigar lines of 1998.
| Cigar | Size | MSRP |
|---|---|---|
| Corona IV | 5.5 x 42 | $ 6.30 |
| Robusto | 5 x 50 | $ 6.60 |
| Churchill | 6.875 x 48 | $ 7.00 |
| Belicoso | 6 x 54 | $ 7.40 |
| Napoleon | 4.75 x 52 | $ 7.40 |
| Aristocrat | 8.75 x 48 | $12.50 |
Find out more
Profile of C.A.O. International
Interview with Aylin Ozgener-Sherman*
Review: C.A.O. Honduran Presidente
Review: C.A.O. Gold Double CoronaC.A.O. International company website
*Note: The interview with Aylin was conducted in May 1998 and the unnamed and as-yet-unreleased cigar line she talks about was to become the C.A.O. L'Anniversaire Maduro line, which was launched in September 1998.