CigarMind

CAO

CAO Italia

CAO Italia is a medium strength cigar made in Honduras at Honduran American Tobacco. It pairs Honduran wrapper; Honduran binder; Italian, Nicaraguan, Peruvian filler. The catalog lists 3 sizes, from 5 × 56 to 6¼ × 54.

Maker
CAO
Wrapper
Honduran
Binder
Honduran
Filler
Italian, Nicaraguan, Peruvian
Country
Honduras
Factory
Honduran American Tobacco
Strength
medium
Sizes
3 · 5 × 56 to 6¼ × 54

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

What it tastes like

what the wrapper usually brings

CigarMind has no sourced tasting notes for CAO Italia yet.

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 strength suits most of the day, including an afternoon with a drink.
  • 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

3 in the catalog
Gondola6¼ × 54 · Honduran›Ciao5 × 56 · Honduran›Piazza6 × 60 · Honduran›

What to try next

matched on wrapper, strength, origin, factory
A step milder: CAO Goldmild-medium · Ecuadorian Connecticut›A step fuller: CAO Braziliamedium-full · Brazilian Arapiraca›

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 Italia questions

How strong is CAO Italia?

CAO Italia is listed as medium strength. Medium strength suits most of the day, including an afternoon with a drink.

Is CAO Italia good for beginners?

Usually, yes. Medium strength is manageable for most newer smokers who smoke slowly after eating. Smoke it slowly, a puff a minute or so, and do not inhale.

Where is CAO Italia made?

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

What wrapper does CAO Italia use?

CAO Italia uses a Honduran wrapper over a Honduran binder, with Italian, Nicaraguan, Peruvian filler. Blends can change between releases, so check the band year if it matters to you.

What sizes does CAO Italia come in?

The CigarMind catalog lists 3 sizes: Gondola (6¼ × 54), Ciao (5 × 56) and Piazza (6 × 60). Each size has its own page with the full blend.

How long does it take to smoke CAO Italia?

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.

Smoking one?

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