CAO Fasa Noche

CAO Fasa Noche is the darker – Noche translating to “night” in Spanish – side of the CAO Fasa set. The filler is an assembly of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobacco. The binder is Cameroon. The rough light sandpaper-feel dark brown wrapper is Connecticut Broadleaf with barely visible veins and seams. The cigar sports a brown logo on white primary band and a white footer proclaiming “Noche.” It’s the evil twin of the CAO Fasa Sol.

Flavor profile: Pepper, oak, earth, hay, cocoa, nutmeg, hazelnuts and raisins. You really get a dried fruit aroma along with pepper on the retrohale. There are some other fruit notes here and there – bing cherry perhaps. The hazelnuts are joined by the taste of peanuts and other roasted nuts midway through the first third. To my taste, it’s medium-full bodied with strength that accelerates to full.

Construction: one soft spot in the upper middle of the stick that did not affect the smoke. I wish I had noticed it before I bought it. My tobacconist dropped the stick into the bag assuring me it was one of his favorites so I didn’t inspect it. My bad! Otherwise, the draw was fine. Smoke poured out probably violating the Clean Air Act. I’m expecting a notice from the EPA. The burn line was somewhat even. Downside: the ash was flaky and fell off several times.

The cigar never really transitioned after the first third. It’s dark, robust and bold – just too much so. It could use some complimentary notes. For my taste, there was too much pepper and not enough additional spices and sweetness to add to the cocoa and fruit. The cigar had potential at the start but never developed into anything special.

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