CAO

Nicaragua

CAO Nicaragua is a medium-full strength cigar made in Nicaragua at Plasencia Cigars. It pairs Nicaragua Jalapa wrapper; Nicaragua binder; Nicaragua filler. The catalog lists 8 sizes, from 4⅞ × 50 to 7 × 50.

Maker: CAO
Wrapper: Nicaragua Jalapa
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Country: Nicaragua
Factory: Plasencia Cigars
Strength: medium-full
Sizes: 8 · 4⅞ × 50 to 7 × 50

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 Nicaragua 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 to full: best after a meal, when you can give it your attention.
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›

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Sizes

8 in the catalog

Corona Gorda5⅝ × 46 · Nicaragua Jalapa›Matagalpa5⅝ × 46 · Honduran Jamastran›Tipitapa4⅞ × 50 · Honduran Jamastran›Robusto5 × 50 · Nicaragua Jalapa›Granada6 × 50 · Honduran Jamastran›Churchill7 × 50 · Honduran›Toro6 × 52 · Nicaragua Jalapa›Gordo6 × 60 · Nicaragua Jalapa›

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›Alec Bradley American Sun GrownWhy: medium-full strength, made in Nicaragua, same factory›Plasencia Alma FuerteWhy: medium-full strength, made in Nicaragua, same factory›Nat Sherman PanamericanaWhy: medium-full strength, made in Nicaragua, same factory›Crux Cigars LimitadaWhy: medium-full strength, made in Nicaragua, same factory›Montecristo EspadaWhy: medium-full strength, made in Nicaragua, same factory›Toraño Vault A-008Why: medium-full strength, made in Nicaragua, same factory›

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 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 Rolls a Cigar Built Entirely From U.S. TobaccoNews · 2026-07-12 · Scandinavian Tobacco Group's CAO brand has quietly shipped one of the more interesting America 250 commemoratives on the market: a barber pole toro that uses…›

CAO Nicaragua questions

How strong is CAO Nicaragua?

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

Is CAO Nicaragua 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 Nicaragua made?

CAO Nicaragua is made in Nicaragua at Plasencia Cigars, according to manufacturer and trade sources.

What wrapper does CAO Nicaragua use?

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

What sizes does CAO Nicaragua come in?

The CigarMind catalog lists 8 sizes: Corona Gorda (5⅝ × 46), Matagalpa (5⅝ × 46), Tipitapa (4⅞ × 50), Robusto (5 × 50), Granada (6 × 50), Churchill (7 × 50), Toro (6 × 52) and Gordo (6 × 60). Each size has its own page with the full blend.

How long does it take to smoke CAO Nicaragua?

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 cigars are similar to CAO Nicaragua?

Cigars with a similar build include Alec Bradley American Sun Grown, Plasencia Alma Fuerte and Nat Sherman Panamericana. They share medium-full strength, made in Nicaragua, same factory. 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›