CAO proudly presents Vision, a limited edition cigar inspired by the fans of CAO and the tutelage of the brand’s Blender/Ambassador Rick Rodriguez by the legendary Benji Menendez.
“Whether traveling across the world visiting cigar shops and even in doing virtual events as I have been for the last several months, the CAO fans always tell me that CAO Cameroon is one of the absolute best Cameroons on the market. It got me thinking about the time I spent learning the art of leaf priming and selection with Benji Menendez. Back then he loved Cameroon wrapper (he still does, by the way), and he spent a lot of time teaching me which tobaccos are the best for bringing out the Cameroon’s natural sweetness. I’ve never developed my own blend with a Cameroon wrapper, and I thought it was time to do it, to share my take on a Cameroon-wrapped cigar with Benji and the fans of CAO. It’s my way of saying thank you for this amazing career I have in the cigar business,” said Rick Rodriguez.
Rick and the CAO blending team in Nicaragua experimented with dozens of combinations before ultimately meeting Rick’s ideal of what CAO Vision should be. Calling upon the knowledge imparted in him by Benji Menendez and based on the preferences of his own seasoned palate, Rick settled on a blend that features tobaccos from three countries and four growing regions.
After meticulous selection for aesthetics and flavor, only the finest Cameroon wrapper leaves were chosen for CAO Vision. The delicate, toothy wrapper was placed over an Ecuadoran Sumatra binder and Nicaraguan Habanos fillers from Estelí and Jalapa. The result is an unforgettable cigar that delivers elaborate notes of nuts and spice and culminates in a subtly-sweet finish.
Just as Benji Menendez’s knowledge was a gift to Rick, Vision is a gift to the fans of CAO who continue to support the brand year in and year out. CAO Vision is packaged as such, in a custom-made, 20-count humidor, constructed out of Spanish cedar with piano hinges. The humidor features cascading lights that illuminate the sheen of the Cameroon wrapper and underscore the cigar’s meticulous construction.
Handcrafted at STG Estelí in Nicaragua, CAO Vision will be released in just one size, a 7” x 50 Churchill called Vision which will sell for a suggested retail price of $18.99 per cigar. For the U.S. market, 2,500 boxes will be made available beginning on November 9. In support of the brand’s popularity in export markets, CAO will release 2,000 boxes of Vision to select retailers in Europe and Asia.