CAO Italia Piazza Gordo

I have not received my order.

Some say the CAO Italia Piazza lacks taste and they’ve either lost their taste buds or their cigars needs some ripening in the humidor. I’ll get a bland Piazza every now and again, but it’s rare. Mostly medium to full flavor that is deliciously smooth and zesty at the same time. I don’t touch mine till they’ve had 4 months in the humidor.

I enjoy trying cigars with diverse tobaccos. Sometimes they miss the target. The CAO Italia Piazza is a bulls-eye. The Italian and Peruvian filler leaves create a multi-faceted and complex blend that is slightly sweet, somewhat herbal and quite tasty. The Habano wrapper adds familiarity to the mixture at the same time. A full-flavored and I might add full-bodied, combination. Not as exotic as another favorite, the Drew Estate Acid cigars, but not ordinary either.

The filler tobaccos in the CAO Italia Piazza seem to be quite dense and they absorb humidity more than others. This can make the draw tight. If the pre-light draw is tight I give them a couple hours out of the humidor and try again. It usually loosens up with some breathing. When this cigar is right, it offers unmatched smokability.

This is a big, beautiful cigar that is sheer pleasure to smoke. The draw is somewhat firm which I find just right for a large stick. Lots of smoke comes from this one and a rich aroma. The burn is slow, steady and usually very even. Flavor-wise, the CAO Italia Piazza is a mixed bag that includes traditional Cuban flavors like leather and cedar along with more exotic notes like apricot and grape.