CigarMind

CAO

CAO Amazon Basin

CAO Amazon Basin is a medium-full strength cigar made in Honduras at Honduran American Tobacco. It pairs Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper; Nicaraguan binder; Brazilian Bragança, Colombian, Dominican filler. The catalog lists 2 sizes, from 4 × 38 to 6 × 52.

Maker
CAO
Wrapper
Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder
Nicaraguan
Filler
Brazilian Bragança, Colombian, Dominican
Country
Honduras
Factory
Honduran American Tobacco
Strength
medium-full
Sizes
2 · 4 × 38 to 6 × 52

Blend details are claims from manufacturer and trade sources. Blends can change between releases.

What it tastes like

what the wrapper usually brings

CAO Amazon Basin uses an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. Sumatra wrappers tend toward earth, cinnamon and a mild sweetness. That is the leaf's general character, not a tasting note for this cigar.

How to smoke it

rules of thumb
  • Time: plan on about 1 hour to 1 h 30 min for a 6-inch size.
  • When: Medium to full: best after a meal, when you can give it your attention.
  • Pair with: cognac, a brown ale, or coffee.
  • Pace: about a puff a minute keeps it cool and lets the flavors change from third to third. Do not inhale.
  • Before lighting: cut just above the cap line, toast the foot evenly, and take a cold draw to check it.
How to cut a cigarWhere the cap line is, and which cut suits this size›How to light a cigarToast the foot for an even burn, with a guided timer›
The Secret Math on Your Cigar: What 52 Really MeansThe numbers on a vitola are a fraction in disguise, and they quietly predict how your cigar will taste.›Your New Cigars Are Sick. Rest Will Cure Them.The trade has a name for a freshly rolled cigar's rough early months, and it is not a metaphor.›Canoes, Tunnels, and Other Ways a Wet Cigar MisbehavesMost burn problems are not the cigar's fault. They are your humidor's.›Lounge Rules Nobody Hands You at the DoorThe etiquette of the cigar lounge, translated for the newly initiated.›

Sizes

2 in the catalog
Daggers4 × 38 · Ecuadorian Sumatra›Toro6 × 52 · Ecuadorian Sumatra›

What to try next

matched on wrapper, strength, origin, factory
A step milder: CAO Pilonmedium · Ecuadorian Habano Viso›A step fuller: CAO Flathead V19full · Connecticut Broadleaf›CabañasWhy: Sumatra wrapper, medium-full strength, made in Honduras›Quintero (Non-Cuban)Why: Sumatra wrapper, medium-full strength, made in Honduras›Cuba Aliados Flor de AliadosWhy: Sumatra wrapper, medium-full strength, made in Honduras›Sancho Panza Double MaduroWhy: Sumatra wrapper, medium-full strength, made in Honduras›Villazon & Co. PunchWhy: Sumatra wrapper, medium-full strength, made in Honduras›Punch ClásicoWhy: Sumatra wrapper, medium-full strength, made in Honduras›

From the desk

reads and news on CAO
Seven Hundred Fifty Cigars, One Price Increase, and a Tariff Bill That Keeps GrowingRead · 2026-08-20 · Scandinavian Tobacco Group raised prices across nearly 750 SKUs on August 3, the broadest single-day hike in recent memory. The increase hits Alec Bradley, CAO, Macanudo, Cohiba, and half a dozen other brands. But the wholesale bump is only half the story. A separate import charge, tied to tariffs, climbed from 6 to 7 percent the same day, meaning even cigars whose base price did not change now cost retailers more.›Two Hundred Fifty Candles, Lit at Both Ends: The America 250 Cigars Worth ChasingRead · 2026-07-08 · The semiquincentennial has its own cigar category now. Here is every commemorative release we can verify, what is actually in them, and which boxes deserve a spot in the humidor after the fireworks fade.›Waiting On The Box: Rocky Patel And The America 250 MomentRead · 2026-07-31 · A crowded field of semiquincentennial cigars is about to gain a release from one of the most prolific blenders in the business. Here is what we know, what we can infer, and why this toro matters even before the bands arrive.›The Maestro Steps Out Front: Esteban Disla and the Rise of DomainRead · 2026-07-17 · For decades his blends carried everyone else's logos. With Domain, the man behind some of boutique's cult favorites finally put his own name on the band.›CAO's Cult Amazon Basin Gets an Extra Year of SleepNews · 2026-09-26 · One of the most talked-about blends of the past decade is back in rested form.›CAO Goes All-American for the SemiquincentennialNews · 2026-07-17 · CAO has released a limited edition of its America line built entirely from U.S.-grown tobacco, timed to the country's 250th anniversary.›CAO Puts American Tobacco Front and CenterNews · 2026-07-15 · The original CAO America line has been running since 2007 on a blend that pulls binder from Brazil and filler from four countries.›

CAO Amazon Basin questions

What does CAO Amazon Basin taste like?

CAO Amazon Basin uses an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. Sumatra wrappers tend toward earth, cinnamon and a mild sweetness. That is the leaf's general character, not a tasting note for this cigar; log a smoke in CigarMind to record your own.

How strong is CAO Amazon Basin?

CAO Amazon Basin is listed as medium-full strength. Medium to full: best after a meal, when you can give it your attention.

Is CAO Amazon Basin good for beginners?

It is a stronger cigar. Most newer smokers are better served starting milder and working up to it. Smoke it slowly, a puff a minute or so, and do not inhale.

Where is CAO Amazon Basin made?

CAO Amazon Basin is made in Honduras at Honduran American Tobacco, according to manufacturer and trade sources.

What wrapper does CAO Amazon Basin use?

CAO Amazon Basin uses an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder, with Brazilian Bragança, Colombian, Dominican filler. Blends can change between releases, so check the band year if it matters to you.

What sizes does CAO Amazon Basin come in?

The CigarMind catalog lists 2 sizes: Daggers (4 × 38) and Toro (6 × 52). Each size has its own page with the full blend.

How long does it take to smoke CAO Amazon Basin?

For a 6-inch size, plan on about 1 hour to 1 h 30 min. That is a rule of thumb of 10 to 15 minutes per inch at a relaxed pace, a puff about once a minute.

What drink goes with CAO Amazon Basin?

With a Sumatra wrapper, common pairings are cognac, a brown ale, or coffee. Match the drink's weight to the cigar's: lighter drinks for milder cigars, darker spirits for fuller ones.

What cigars are similar to CAO Amazon Basin?

Cigars with a similar build include Cabañas, Quintero (Non-Cuban) and Cuba Aliados Flor de Aliados. They share Sumatra wrapper, medium-full strength, made in Honduras. Similarity here is by wrapper, strength, origin and factory, not by a tasting panel.

Smoking one?

Scan the band and log itRecord your own notes by third; your Palate DNA learns from them›Every CAO line›