CAO Cigars Flathead

CAO Flathead V19

Kohnhed · Sep 9, 2019

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Binder: Connecticut Habano Filler: Dominican (Piloto Cubano), Nicaraguan (Estelí, Condega, & Jalapa) Size: 5.5 x 50 Strength: Medium/Full Price: $11.99 Today we t…

5.50″ × 50 · Medium/Full

Flathead Spark Plug

Leaf Enthusiast · May 2, 2016

Reviewing the smallest size of the CAO Flathead line: the Spark Plug

Sparkplug · 4.50″ × 50

CAO Flathead V660 Carb

Cigar Aficionado · Jan 1, 2016

It's big. It's blocky. And it has the flattest head we've ever seen on a premium cigar. It's also loaded with surprisingly rich, complex tobacco.The CAO Flathead V660 Carb is one of the bulkiest cigars in the CAO Flathead line, which is made by General Cigar Co. in Nicaragua. General inherited the entire portfolio of CAO's preexisting brands after Swedish Match and ST Cigar Group Holdings merged in 2010. Flathead, however was created under General Cigar by Rick Rodriguez and Ed McKenna. The idea was for the cigars to resemble the engine blocks found in America's classic hot rods, and this is reflected in the packaging as well. Each box looks like an engine and even comes with a vintage-style print of a pinup girl. There is undoubtedly a jovial aspect to the theme, but it would be a mistake to dismiss the Flathead as a novelty.The cigar is a gutsy blend that starts with a dark Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, a Cuban-seed binder also grown in Connecticut and a combination of Nicaraguan ligero and Dominican Piloto Cubano tobacco. If Rodriguez and McKenna intended the blend to reflect hot rods and muscle cars along with the packaging, we'd say they delivered.The name Carb 660 is named after the carburetor of a combustion engine and 660 indicates the length and ring gauge. From the first light, this seriously squared-off cigar takes off with notes of ripe fruit, leather and molasses that only gain intensity as it smokes.

Grande · 6.00″ × 60 · Full · Nicaragua

CAO Flathead Speed Shop Habano V654 Crankshaft (6.5 x 54)

Tiny Tim's Cigar Blog · Feb 28, 2026

6.50″ × 54

CAO Flathead Speed Shop Habano Crankshaft

Kaplowitz · Mar 6, 2026

Dessert Spices | Peaches | Butterscotch Dessert spiced pale-to-pink (peach?) fruitiness off the bat, cushioned in chewy butterscotch. Malt. Fustiness. A fleeting hint of cardboard. Peanut butter on whole wheat toast. Sandy. Salty. Quite consistent and when transitional, kindly-smooth. Notes entrench via progression, pick up nicely intermingled nuances. Ash is some-flaky. Press rounds a 1/2" off the cherry. I think I taste cherry. Burn-line is even, but a bit thick and un-pretty. Seams and other

Crankshaft (6.5x54) box-press/flat head · 6.50″ × 54 · Medium/Medium-full · Honduras

CAO Flathead Resonator

Cigar Journal · Apr 20, 2026 · Cigar Journal’s Best Buy Cigars Of The Year 2025

8.00″ × 60 · NIC.

CAO Flathead V19 Camshaft

Blind Man's Puff · Dec 18, 2019 · August 2019

The CAO Flathead goes back to 2013 when it launched a cigar called simply, Flathead. This cigar took its inspiration from motorcycles and had a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. Since then the Flathead line has seen a few line extensions and limited editions, and now in 2019, General Cigar launched the CAO Flathead V19. This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience. The blend for CAO Flathead V19 uses a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, Connecticut Habano binder, and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. It is meant to be a stronger version of the original. Each of the leaves was fermented for a shorter amount of time, but then aged longer. Rick Rodriguez says this process locks in the flavors. CAO Flathead V19 comes in two vitolas: Camshaft (5 1/2 x 50) — $11.99 and Carb (6 x 60) — $12.99. Only 2350 boxes of each size were made.

Robusto · 5.50″ × 50 · Strong · Honduras

CAO Flathead Sparkplug 450

Cigar Coop · Jun 30, 2014

CAO Flathead Sparkplug 450 The CAO Flathead Sparkplug 450 is a line extension to CAO’s Flathead line introduced in 2014.  At the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show, CAO launched the Flathead line.  This would be the third regular production release of the Rick Rodriguez era with the CAO brand.  For this release, Rodriguez blended his first […]

V450 Sparkplug · 4.50″ × 50 · Medium to Full

CAO Flathead Speed Shop Habano V654 Crankshaft

Halfwheel · Mar 25, 2026 · Feb. 2, 2026

I wasn't quite sure what to make of the profile claims made about the CAO Flathead Speed Shop Habano, but I did find it to be a bit lighter and more refined than what I recall from other experiences with the brand. The profile isn't the most adventurous I've ever had, as it tends to stay pretty close to what I would call familiar flavor notes, but it does do a good job of moving between those flavors, much like a well-tuned car taking on a road curvy enough to provide some thrill but also maintain enough speed, while keeping some pretty decent guardrails in place to keep things from going off the cliff. The three cigars performed consistently well, though not without construction issues, but as mentioned above, none were really damaging to the enjoyment of the cigars. I'm curious to hear how regular smokers of the Flathead line feel about this one, but I'm confident saying this is a solid addition to this incredibly popular line.

6.50″ × 54 · Nicaragua

CAO Flathead V660 Carb

Cigar Dojo · Jul 13, 2016

I love what CAO tried to do here. The throwback to a classic era is fun, and it’s always nice to have a cigar to add a bit of character every now and then. Not to mention, it takes real talent to pull off an appearance scheme like that, and I am admittedly impressed. The overall feel works very well, and the cigar itself is nothing to scoff at either. The wide variety of tobacco used here is interesting, and is pulled off nicely—well, for the most part. My only major gripe with the blend is in the first third: flavors are a bit muddled, it’s not clear which direction the cigar is headed, and there is even some harshness on the retro-hale. Around the halfway point, however, things begin to clear up, and the V660 thrives on the clear open road.

6.00″ × 60 · Nicaragua

CAO Flathead

Holt's Staff Reviews · Nov 26, 2019

CAO Flathead debuted back in 2013. Since then, the line has racked up numerous 90+ ratings in Cigar Aficionado. The crowning achievement for CAO Flathead came in January of 2016 when it was revealed as the ‘#3 Cigar of the Year.’ Handcrafted in Esteli, Nicaragua, CAO Flathead includes a wide array of tobaccos. The oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper envelops a Connecticut-grown Habano binder and long-filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The cigar features a sharp box-press shape and, as the name suggests, a flat head.

CAO Flathead V21

CigarCzars · Sep 1, 2021

CAO Flathead V21 cigars are made in Nicaragua with a Mexican San Andres wrapper, Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and a blend of ligero filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and Dominican Republic. Like CAO's previousFlathead V19release, the filler leaves were given an abbreviated fermentation for added boldness and a longer aging process to refine the blend. The cigars were released in August 2021, and are available in two box pressed sizes: Carb V21 (6 x 60) priced at $13.99 per cigar (reviewed here), and Big Block V21 (7 x 70) priced at $14.99 per cigar. Only two thousand boxes of each size were produced, and will be available for a limited time. Each box contains 27 cigars. For more information, please refer to thepress release. The sample CAO Flathead V21 Carb cigar began with a medium-to-full bodied smooth leathery flavor, along with a naturally subtle tobacco sweetness. Right from the start, this cigar was much more enjoyable than the previously released CAO V19, in which the filler also had an abbreviated fermentation but a different binder and wrapper. The V21 was more balanced, and not as bold as the V19. After about 30 minutes, the leathery flavor became more pronounced, but not excessive. The subtle sweetness at the beginning continued. After another 10 minutes, I detected hints of molasses, which gradually faded during the next five to ten minutes. The remainder of the cigar tasted about the same as at the 30-minute mark, and was very enjoyable down to the very end. It took me 85 minutes to smoke the CAO Flathead V21 Carb cigar down to just 1½ inches remaining. During that time, the cigar had good draw, held a long ash, and had an even burn. No relights were required, and only one minor/optional touch-up was applied at about the one-hour mark. The CAO V21 is a very good to superior cigar worthy of a rating between 4 and 4.25 points on a 5-point scale. Recommended for more experienced cigar smokers, but at least some mainstream smokers would enjoy it, too! These are limited edition cigars, so get them while you can.

6.00″ × 60

CAO FLATHEAD RESONATOR

Comedy Cigars Music · Mar 9, 2024

The Resonator is a big dude, but it draws like a much smaller cigar. Excellent draw and a generous smoke output. Spice dances on top of slightly charred oak, embedded with hints of dark chocolate and a sprinkle of salt.Charred oak and dark chocolate blow through the nose. Grilled steak, dark chocolate, coffee, and the s

Resonator · 8.00″ × 60

CAO Flathead V19 Camshaft

Developing Palates · Nov 25, 2019 · August 2019

The CAO Flathead V19 Camshaft is a solid additional to the lineup. With interesting flavors of cedar, baking spices, sweetness, bread, molasses, earth and cinnamon combine to satisfy the palate. I found the first and second thirds to be the most satisfying with the last third to be fairly average.

Robusto Extra · 5.50″ × 50 · Honduras