CigarMind

CAO

Heatwave

CAO Heatwave is a full strength cigar made in Honduras at General Cigar Honduras. It pairs Nicaraguan wrapper; Nicaraguan binder; Nicaraguan filler. It comes in one listed size, 5 × 52.

Maker
CAO
Wrapper
Nicaraguan
Binder
Nicaraguan
Filler
Nicaraguan
Country
Honduras
Factory
General Cigar Honduras
Strength
full
Sizes
1 · 5 × 52

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 Heatwave yet.

How to smoke it

rules of thumb
  • Time: plan on about 50 minutes to 1 h 15 min for a 5-inch size.
  • When: A full-strength cigar is best after a full meal and never on an empty stomach; keep water nearby and slow down if you feel the nicotine.
  • 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

1 in the catalog
Robusto5 × 52 · Nicaraguan›

What to try next

matched on wrapper, strength, origin, factory
A step milder: 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 Heatwave questions

How strong is CAO Heatwave?

CAO Heatwave is listed as full strength. A full-strength cigar is best after a full meal and never on an empty stomach; keep water nearby and slow down if you feel the nicotine.

Is CAO Heatwave 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 Heatwave made?

CAO Heatwave is made in Honduras at General Cigar Honduras, according to manufacturer and trade sources.

What wrapper does CAO Heatwave use?

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

What sizes does CAO Heatwave come in?

The CigarMind catalog lists 1 size: Robusto (5 × 52). Each size has its own page with the full blend.

How long does it take to smoke CAO Heatwave?

For a 5-inch size, plan on about 50 minutes to 1 h 15 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›