CAO Cigars Pilón

CAO Pilon Robusto Extra (5 x 52)

Tiny Tim's Cigar Blog · Sep 13, 2020

5.00″ × 52

CAO Pilón Revisited

Blind Man's Puff · Feb 10, 2021 · August 2015

We originally reviewed the CAO Pilón Robusto back in 2015 and gave it a 91. Every now and then we like to go back and review the same cigar and see how things have changed. This is not from the same batch we reviewed before so it does not have 5 years of age on it, this is a new production of the cigar. 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. CAO Pilón gets its name from the fermentation technique that goes back to 1800s Cuba. Skilled workers called piloneros used a slow, 18-month fermentation technique using smaller round pilons instead of today’s huge square ones. The process involves hemming tobacco leaves together and stacking them, layer by layer, in a circular pattern. While this process was far more labor intense than methods used today it maximized the flavor and color of the leaves. This process took Rick Rodrigues several years to master to make this cigar. The blend uses an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and fillers. CAO Pilon comes in 20-count boxes and three sizes: 7×48, 5.5×44 and 5×52.

Robusto · 5.00″ × 52 · Medium-Strong · Nicaragua

CAO Pilón Robusto Extra

Cigar Journal · Jan 30, 2019 · Looking Back: Cigar Journal’s Best Buy Cigars of 2018

Robusto

CAO Pilón Robusto

Cigar Coop · Sep 29, 2015

The CAO Pilon was one of three new lines by the CAO brand of General Cigar Company unveiled at the 2015 IPCPR Trade Show. CAO is a brand long known for a reputation of innovation. With the CAO Pilon, it incorporates innovation a little differently – namely it uses an old Cuban fermentation technique that had been popular […]

Corona · 5.50″ × 44 · Medium · Nicaragua

CAO Pilón Churchill

Cigar Aficionado · Feb 1, 2018

This toothy Churchill burns evenly, its draw, full and open. Sweet nougat and earth notes meld pleasantly with woody intonations and hints of vanilla. The finish is oaky.

Churchill · 7.00″ × 48 · Medium-Full · Nicaragua

CAO Pilón |

Kohnhed · Sep 22, 2015

Wrapper: Cuban Seed Ecuadorian Habano Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan Size: 5 x 52 “Robusto” Body: Medium/Full Price: $6.50 MSRP ($4.25 online stores) Today we take a look at the new CAO Piló…

“Robusto” · 5.00″ × 52

CAO Cigars Pilon

Kaplowitz · Apr 26, 2023

Citrus pith | White pepper | Cedar An elegant cigar, perchance lacking in a certain subway-fare(savoir faire). Invigoratingly-crisp palate. Dark-dry citrus-white pepper. Thin molasses-soaked, cappuccino-froth-cedar. Slight burn woes and a soft-spot cap.

Robusto · 5.00″ × 52 · Medium · Nicaragua

CAO Pilón Robusto

Halfwheel · Jun 27, 2016 · August 2015

If you read through my notes, it should be no surprise that the CAO Pilón Robusto picked up a few points in the nine or so months it's been since I originally reviewed it, though a lot of that may very well be due to the fact that I only smoked one cigar for this redux and simply got lucky. When this cigar is on, it is quite enjoyable, something that is as true today as it was nine months ago, with good complexity and bright flavor at multiple points and a decent evolution from start to finish. If you have yet to try the CAO Pilón, I'd certainly recommend it; with a bit of luck you may have just as an enjoyable experience as I did.

Robusto · 5.00″ × 52 · Nicaragua

CAO Pilón

Cigar Dojo · Nov 3, 2015

The CAO Pilón is a budget-friendly stick with solid flavor and draw. Flavors of cedar, spices, tobacco, nuts and cocoa are all visible—and though it is not the most refined cigar you’ll ever smoke, it most definitely outperforms its price point.

5.00″ × 52 · Nicaragua

CAO Pilón

CigarCzars · Aug 16, 2020

CAO Pilon cigars are made in Nicaragua with Nicaraguan filler and binder leaves, and a Cuban seed Ecuadorian wrapper. These cigars are named after an old-world Cuban fermentation technique that was used to process the wrapper leaves naturally. CAO Pilon cigars were introduced in 2015, and the Robusto size (5 x 52) was named Cigar of the Year by the French Cigar MagazineL’Amateur de Cigareduring July 2020. Current SRP is $7.49 per cigar. You can read General Cigar's original 2015 press releasehere, but prices have changed and two more vitolas have been added since then. To view the most recent 2020 press release,click here. The sample CAO Pilon Robusto began with a sweet peppery taste. After a few puffs, an earthy flavor joined the mix followed by a woodsy taste that quickly became predominate, as the sweet pepper lingered in the background. The flavor was full and the body medium-to-full. After about 15 minutes, the wood taste was still predominate, but the smoke became more mellow with the flavor throttling down a bit into the medium-to-full range. As the wood taste became less intense, hints of nuts emerged. Beyond the half-way point, the flavor did not change very much, and remained very enjoyable until the end. It took me about an hour to smoke the CAO Pilon Robusto cigar down to two inches remaining. During that time, the draw was good, the burn was mostly even, and the cigar held a long ash. No relights were required, just a couple of minor touch-ups. The process of fermenting the wrapper leaves in smaller round pilons requires more time, but resulted in a somewhat unique woodsy tobacco flavor. Yes, the proof is in the puffing. This old-world method may be more labor intensive and require more fermentation time than normal, but the result was worth it. I enjoyed the CAO Pilon more than theCAO Flathead V19, which was fermented in less time than normal (but aged longer to compensate). It's good that CAO is experimenting with different ways of processing cigar tobaccos to create distinct flavors. In the case of CAO Pilon, the end result is a superior cigar worthy of a rating of 4.25 points on a 5-point scale. And at a price of $7.49 for a Robusto, CAO Pilon is an excellent value, too!

Robusto · 5.00″ × 52

Pilón

Leaf Enthusiast · Nov 10, 2015

Today we take a second look at the latest release from CAO Cigars…Pilón

Corona · 5.50″ × 44

CAO Pilón

Holt's Staff Reviews · Apr 19, 2024

I’m smoking a CAO Pilón in a 5-by-52 Robusto. The cigar is named for the heavy circular piles, or pilóns, the tobaccos are assembled in during a labor-intensive fermentation process before they’re sorted and sent to the rolling gallery to be rolled into cigars by skilled cigar rollers. CAO cigars belong to cigar-making giant General Cigar Company, the parent company of Macanudo and several Cuban-heritage brands sold in the U.S., including Punch, Partagas, and Cohiba. CAO isn’t a Cuban-legacy brand, but it’s been a staple in many premium shops for twenty-five years.