The CAO Cameroon L’Anniversaire Robusto is a celebration of CAO‘s enduring legacy in the cigar industry, particularly marking the brand’s exploration into the use of Cameroon wrappers. Introduced in the late 1990s, this line was developed to commemorate CAO‘s significant anniversary, quickly earning accolades for its innovative approach and exceptional quality.
The choice of a Cameroon wrapper was a nod to the rich tobacco heritage of West Africa, known for producing some of the most sought-after wrappers in the world, appreciated for their unique flavor profile and impeccable burning qualities. Since its introduction, the CAO Cameroon L’Anniversaire series has stood the test of time, maintaining its position as a favorite among aficionados who seek a blend of tradition and innovation in their smoking experience.
When you’re in search of a dependable cigar with approachable taste from a tried-and-true brand, CAO Cameroon is worth a look. CAO cigars are named for the initials of brand founder Cano A. Ozgener, an engineer by trade, who got into the tobacco business in 1968.
Founder Cano A. Ozgener produces one of the best-known brands of Meerschaum pipes in the world, so jumping from producing pipes to manufacturing cigars was logical. He teamed up with two Cuban expatriates who really know their cigars - Carlos Torano and Nestor Plasencia.
The brand achieved a good amount of recognition before the Ozgener family sold it in 2007 to the Scandinavian Tobacco Group which, in turn, folded CAO into the portfolio of General Cigars, the parent company of Macanudo, Cohiba, and several other name brands.
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In 2010 General Cigar Co. took over the CAO portfolio after the Swedish Match and ST Cigar Group Holdings merger. Since then, General Cigar Co. The CAO Cameroon selection itself, has an interesting history. The line was launched in 1999 under the name CAO L’Anniversaire 1968-1998 honoring CAO’s 30th anniversary as a company.
Additionally, those first CAO Cameroons were blended by Nick Perdomo and made at his Estelí, Nicaragua tabacalera. The CAO L’Anniversaire line was developed in honor of the 30th anniversary of CAO cigars.
The CAO L’Anniversaire Cameroon has been named one of Cigar Aficionado’s Top 50 Cigars. Giving it a ’92’ rating, the magazine noted, "Nicely pressed, with rich color. The cigar has a lovely draw and burn. It’s nutty and toasty, with coffee, cocoa, and dry wood flavors. The finish is long."
This gem is worthy of your best single malt scotch or single barrel bourbon.
Cigar Specifics
- Vitola: Robusto
- Length: 5″
- Ring Gauge: 50
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Wrapper: Cameroon
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Factory: STG Estelí
- Blender: Undisclosed
Wrapper
Cameroon cigar wrapper is grown in the nations of Cameroon and the Central African Republic in Africa. The luxuriant, tropical landscape of Central Africa is home to a series of remote tobacco farms operated by locals.
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Political and economic instability and a lack of infrastructure has made exporting Cameroon wrapper a dangerous and difficult enterprise. However, the crops grown there are unlike any other tobacco in the world due to the soil and the climate.
Cigar-makers who blend with Cameroon wrapper prize it for its nutty, sweet, and spicy taste as well as its toothy complexion. Cameroon wrapper is also thinner and more fragile than other varietals. It must be handled carefully by the rollers.
Reviewer's notes
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed.
Appearance and Construction
“A box pressed robusto adorned with a toothy medium brown wrapper with many tiny veins. This sample is very superb looking with sharp lines from the box press and amazing texture throughout. All topped with a well-applied triple cap.” -John A.
Construction: Seamlessly rolled with a neat, sharp box pressing. Wrapper has a very fine tooth with an almost leathery texture. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve guessed Habano. The cap’s seams are wider than usual and well applied.
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Flavor Profile
“The first puffs on this cigar open up with velvety soft smoke with light white pepper and baking spice on the back of my palate. This is a very nice start. Through the nose the smoke is chock full of white pepper and just the slightest burn. It’s just perfect for me right now!” -Jason H.
“Upon lighting up I am greeted with a medium-bodied profile of wood, salt, faint leather, and peppered cream. Retrohaling results in a wonderfully creamy aroma. Just as quick as the strong notes of salt and wood come in it immediately subside an inch into the cigar, which results in a much-balanced experience of the former flavors for the rest of this third.” -John A.
“Into the final third, the creaminess carries more baking spice to it, and the retrohale is filled with dry, well done, but not burnt toast, graham cracker, and soft fluffy baking spice. The finish is now a pleasant medium.” -Randy B.
The cold draw gave me flavors of hay, maltiness and nuttiness. The texture was creamy and at the same time dry. The flavors i felt were quite peppery flavors, earthiness, dark roasted coffee and woody cedar notes.
In the background there were flavors of leather, nutmeg, an incredibly difficult to explain sweetness that is easiest described as combination of vanilla and fruitiness, autumn leaves bonfire and butter dough.
Changes During the Smoke
“The smoke output has up ticked and with it came some sweet cocoa and fresh roasted coffee flavors. The toasted oak notes continued to be in the background rounding out the profile. The wrapper has continued to crack and swell in the final third. "There is a lot of baking spice and cedar this third.
“The final third seemed to have mirrored the profile from the second. But it did not reach its full potential as it started to fall apart from the swelling and cracking.
CAO Cameroon develops with nutty notes of almond, chestnut, and hazelnut as the cigar advances. A moment or two of bitterness eventually subsides in favor of a balanced profile cocoa and pepper. Hints of fresh bread make their way through.
Twenty-five minutes in, CAO Cameroon grows in intensity but stops short of overpowering my palate. Notes of leather, pistachio, and coffee bean obscure the Toro’s original nuances, but underlying hints of brown sugar and saffron sustain its sweetness.
Burn and Draw
“Excellent construction, the cigar burned decently and the draw was a beauty to withhold.” -John A.
“At the beginning, the draw felt a bit snug. The burn tended to waver on this sample yet only required one touch-up to keep things going acceptably well. Considering the breeze, I’m quite pleased with the burn performance.” -Jason H.
“In summary, this cigar was a soft, mellow, well-performing smoke. The draw was exceptional, delivering mouthfuls of tasty smoke with a mild medium finish. The burn and the construction were pretty much flawless. There was something oddly relaxing about this cigar. That said, I reckon that I’d smoke it again. Be perfect with coffee.” -Randy B.
With a shallow cut to the cap, you can savor a CAO Cameroon Toro for an hour. The draw is navigable throughout the entire nub, which imparts a mellow finish with notes of cedar, cocoa, and spice.
Overall Experience
“Some days are just better than others, and this was one of those days. Beautiful weather paired with good company and capped with a superior cigar make this a day to remember. I honestly can’t remember a cigar with such luxurious smoke. And the light pepper and baking spices on my palate were interesting and welcome. This one is highly recommended!” -Jason H.
“Overall, this cigar was a decent performer. While the flavor wasn’t as lively or complex as I would have liked, it certainly was predictable the whole duration. Lots of wood, salt, peppery cream, and some earth notes were the main takeaways flavor-wise for this medium-bodied based cigar. Construction and burn characteristics were wonderful as there were no technical issues smoking this cigar. While I may not have this cigar in a normal rotation, I am sure it would suit many smokers’ likings.” -John A.
“I’d smoke this again right now. It has a very classic profile and almost perfect resistance. Would I reach for this again? The short answer is maybe. The profile never seemed to pick up much and was relatively muted throughout the review.
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If you like medium-bodied cigars with a nutty, lightly spicy flavor, this L’Anniversaire could be the ticket. I also think there’s something to be said for the cigar’s dimensions.
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