CAO Bx3 Robusto Cigar Review

Note to the reader: The Bx3 cigar line is currently the subject of trademark dispute between General Cigar and Arturo Fuente. If the name of the cigar is changed due to a trademark finding in favor of Arturo Fuente, the title and content of this article will be updated accordingly.

CAO is a cigar brand that brings an interesting combination of innovation and staying power to the table. Each year, the company intrigues smokers with new blends, one-offs and limited editions. At the same time, flagship blends like the Flathead series remain staples in the humidors of cigar enthusiasts year after year. Today’s review focuses on one of the company’s more recent releases, the Bx3 blend.

Standing for Brazilian times three, Bx3 is exactly what it sounds like. While not quite a Brazilian puro, the cigar utilizes Brazilian tobacco in the wrapper, filler and binder, making it about the closest thing to a puro widely available in the American market. Conceptually, this cigar intrigues me, as I tend to find Brazilian tobacco quite flavorful. To a large extent, CAO is responsible for introducing me to the pleasures of smoking Brazilian tobacco. Particular credit should be given to the company’s Amazon Basin series, a standout cigar if ever there was one.

According to the company’s official Bx3 web page, the blend was created with the intention of carefully balancing strength and flavor. Given the hallmark earthiness that Brazilian tobacco typically introduces to a blend, it should be extremely interesting to see if CAO achieved this goal. For the first CAO Bx3 cigar review, I’ve selected the robusto size, but the cigar is also available in toro and gordo formats.

Critical Stats

• Vitola: Robusto
• Size: 5×52
• Wrapper: Brazilian mata fina
• Binder: Brazilian arapiraca
• Filler: Mata fina, Mexican, Honduran and Nicaraguan
• Strength: Medium to medium-full
• Smoking Time: 55 minutes

First Third

Beginning with a cold draw, I get surprisingly little flavor. A general earthiness, perhaps, but there’s really not much behind it. Upon lighting the cigar, however, things become a great deal more interesting. I’m first met with a big note of sweet, moist earth. This, presumably, is the work of the Brazilian mata fina and arapiraca tobaccos working together. This flavor profile is soon joined by a hazelnut note, a bit of leather and a mild cocoa note in the background. Overall, we’re off to a nice start with a reasonably rich flavor profile.

As the first third continues, the cocoa note remains in the background. It does, however, gradually morph into something more akin to a bitter chocolate. I’m not sure I enjoy this change, as it doesn’t compliment the other flavors quite as nicely. The cigar’s initial sweetness also tones itself down quite a bit, though it remains present enough to be tasted. This leaves the CAO Bx3 with a somewhat duller, more straightforwardly earthy flavor. Overall still enjoyable, though not as much as when I first lit it up.

Toward the end of the first third, I do encounter a wrapper crack. However, I’m able to smoke through it with no serious burn issues and no touch-ups required. This is clearly a well-constructed cigar, which is what I would expect from CAO.

Second Third

Moving to the second third of our CAO Bx3 cigar review, things do begin to pick up again. A tiny hint of black cherry starts to emerge, as does a mild spice note that works nicely with the other flavors present in the cigar. Earth continues to be by far the dominant flavor, though by now it has lost much of its sweetness and adopted a bit of a mossy note in its stead. Interestingly, the cocoa/chocolate note that showed up in the first third more or less vanishes at this point.

The hazelnut note remains fairly consistent, providing some degree of continuity in the Bx3’s flavor profile. In addition to the spice note, which is more of a baking spice than anything else, a hint of black pepper also joins the menagerie of flavors. By this point, the cigar’s strength is at medium and flirting with medium-full. Construction remains consistent, and no touch-ups are required.

Final Third

In the final third, the earth note regains some of its former sweetness, and the pepper note continues to build. Sadly, the pleasant baking spice note seems to have left the party, and it does not return for the final puffs of the cigar. The cocoa note also does not return, and has not been present since around the beginning of the second third.

Hazelnut remains consistent, and there’s a bit of a note of well-aged wood lingering somewhere in the background. I also get a bit of a cured meat note shortly before the end of the cigar (my notes literally read “really good salami”). The Bx3 robusto reaches its end with zero touch-ups.

CAO Bx3 Robusto Review and Closing Thoughts

Flavor

Overall, the flavors I got in the CAO Bx3 review smoke were pleasant. The initial burst of earthy sweetness was particularly enjoyable, and the cigar is quite dynamic for something in its price range (see Value section below). At times, however, some of the flavors were a bit dissonant. While I enjoyed the cured meat note I got toward the end, for instance, it didn’t particularly work with that hazelnut note that is a consistent feature of this cigar. These instances are minor complaints, though, as the cigar presented a generally enjoyable taste experience.

Construction

Here I have to give real credit to CAO. The Bx3 is a very well-constructed cigar, and I was able to finish the entire smoke without touching up once. One wrapper crack did appear, but it didn’t appreciably affect the way the cigar smoked. Once I was past that crack, I had no further issues. Really a well-made cigar.

Value

These days, cigars are becoming steadily more expensive. The CAO Bx3 is a refreshing new entry in the sub-$10 range. I paid about $8.50 for this cigar, and I think it’s a very solid value for that price.

Final Verdict

6.5/10

The final rating for the CAO Bx3 review gave me some trouble. While generally pleasant, the flavor isn’t mind-blowing. This cigar won’t change your life, but it’s also in the above-average tier. Taking decent value and good construction (minus one wrapper crack) into account, I decided to award it an extra half-point, bringing it to 6.5. A respectable smoke, and one that anyone who enjoys earthy flavors in a cigar should certainly try out.