I'm wondering if I got caught up in some cbid hype? Recently won a 5 pack of Black label CAO's which was really played up BIG. While I love most of the CAO line, I confess to never having tried the black label.

Anyone have any thoughts on the topic?

Is it fact of is it fiction? I'd be interested to hear Jon's take.

I have been very happy with the box of Frontiers that I got. Pretty hard to go wrong with these. I got mine before the bidding went crazy and for the money I say they are great but that's just me.

My .02 is you can't go wrong with the CAO Blacks.

I'm on my second box and it is one of my Go To smokes!

Knof

Love them!

I wish I had the $$ to buy more of them.

Matt

No hype. Love them.

http://cigars.about.com/library/weekly/aa121302a.htm 

I like 'em! You can only get them from CI.

My first on sucked. No flavor, no smoke to speak of. After a few months rest, my 2nd was quite the opposite. Maybe too early OTT, can't remember. Maybe just a bad one.

There is at least one other place you can get them, but they are definately not hype. Picked up a ten cigar CAO sampler that was supposed to be 4 maddie belis, 4 xtreme coronas and 2 cameroon coronas, no cameroons were in there but they made subs for an extra maddie and a black. Smoked the black a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it, a very good medium cigar.

I keep telling myself I should get more, but I need to hold off a bit untill my wallet comes back from the hospital 😛

Some hype in the sense that there is a concerted effort to convince you that you've found the "ultimate" cigar, and need never look any further..............that said, it is an excellent smoke, IMO...........

maybe i just burnt out my taste buds but cao all sort of taste the same to me

The CAO Black,

has as close to the taste, of ISOMs, as you can get in a domestic cigar. This is just my opinion, but it reminds me of a Monte #2 ISOM. I have only smoked the CAO Black, in the Beli. Vitola, so I'm not sure of the others. I usually prefer the Maduros, but this is one natural wrapper, that I enjoy very much.

Later

Dave (A.K.A. Homebrew)

Hello all! New guy to this board but bought more than my share of cigars here! LOL. I post as jaroth28 on CW, I see some familiar names here. I love the CAO Blacks-bout a few fivers of em and blew threw em in no time. So I had to buy a box! I think with a little age they might get even better (not too much though-they are pretty mild already)!

Had my first CAO Black gifted to me by Flyboy last night. First thank a million to Flyboy for the stick, I really enjoyed it. Perfect Construction, Nice draw, Nice flavor balance and excellent smoke volume. I'll definitely buying more. I don't know about the comparison to ISOM Monte #2s, but let say definitely superior to a domestic Monte #2. I would say there are better cigars like PAMs and Anejos, Hemis and AF SGs. There are some comparable in quality but the list is not long. Probably on most peoples top 20 list once they've tried them.

What they said. I like the Gothic best.

I like the CAO Black Bengal a natural wrapper with plenty of flavor. Quality smoke.

I want to like this cigar, but much like the "forbidden sticks" I've had, it just deosn't do it for me. It's a cigar with great construction but I have yet to get all the flavor that others have noted. I'd much rather have a Brazilia.

I have one left out of a 5 pack and I plan on revisiting him this summer.