CAO Moontrance Corona Cigar Review

Cigar Review Posted By: avantgrade

Cigar Stats: The Moontrance Corona is a 5.1" x 42 Corona with a
African Cameroon wrapper.

Cigar Strength: avantgrade describes the cigar strength as being Mild.

Cigar Price: This Cigar was bought for $2.50 and was purchased Local B&M.

avantgrade purchased this cigar on 2010-01-01.
It has 4 months of additional aging.

Look and Feel: 19 / 20
Flavor and Aroma: 37 / 40
Burn Consistency: 29 / 30
Bonus Points: 5 / 10

Food: none

Beverage: none

Cutter type: Dual Blade (Mean Sarding - Sub brand of Xikar)

Lighter: 3 Jet Torch (butane)

Appearance: The golden Cameroon wrapper is very smooth you would almost guess it was made from homogenized tobacco. The understated blue band goes well with the cedar wrap and a ribbon foot wrap.

Presence of veins: minimal to almost none

Humidity: 67%

Cigar draw: only slight resistance

Cigar feel: Smooth

Oily or dry: Oily

Ease/quality cut: the cap snipped with ease

Pre-light flavour: Remember, this is a flavored cigar: subtle sweetness on the cap is the first thing to hit the lips and the palate, but

Country of origin: Nicaragua

Origin of wrapper: Cameroon

Origin of binder: Nicaragua

Origin of filler: Nicaragua

Initial Light

I know, I know Most cigar smokers frown upon flavored cigars, immediately associating them with convenience store offerings. The Flavours line by CAO is different in my book. They are a wonderful change of pace from the traditional cigars, and equally as enjoyable given the right occasion.

The sweetness of the cap is quite calming, balancing out the spices inherent to the Cameroon wrapper. My new 3 flame torch lighter toasts the foot perfectly, gently igniting the tobacco. The cigar seems so delicate, it makes you want to take the time to light it right so you could enjoy every subtleness it has to offer. Vanilla and bourbon are coming through, with notes slight leather in between puffs. The smoke is rich and rightfully aromatic, making it a perfect smoke at social gatherings.

First 1/3:

What I find most enjoyable about the Moontrance is the harmony between added flavors and those naturally present in good tobacco. The first third eludes to that perfectly. Vanilla and peach flavors are easy to detect, but they are subtle enough that notes of leather and white pepper spice are not lost from the tobacco. Given the gauge of a corona-sized cigar, burn issues are not a concern, and the draw is just right, with only a slight amount of resistance.

Second 1/3:

I tend to think of the body of a cigar as being the bass line of a song. If you have too much bass in a ballad, it will appear completely out of place. Just as if you listened to AC/DC and Cliff Williams (the bassist) was not there, the sound would lack substance.

Throughout the length of the cigar, the body never really picks up above medium. That, however, is more than acceptable for such a relaxing and calm smoke, allowing the fine notes from the flavor infusion to not be overpowered.

The smoke is plentiful, and the ash tends to fall about every inch, which is not surprising for a skinnier cigar.

Final 1/3:

As the nub approaches, the added flavors begin to fade in comparison to natural tobacco. There is a presence of lightly roasted nuts, along with a faint peach and vanilla infusion. The spice of the Cameroon wrapper does a wonderful job, leaving you to savor the last inch of the cigar for a few hours after it goes out.