CAO Colombia Tinto

The Colombia is CAO's spotlight on a rarely used origin: Colombian tobacco, grown from an old Cuban seed called Ica Mazinga in an isolated mountainous region near the Caribbean coast. The Tinto — named after the Colombian word for black coffee — is the 5 x 50 robusto, wrapped in a Honduran Jamastran leaf over a Cameroon binder, with that distinctive Colombian filler plus Brazilian Mata Fina.

What it tastes like

This one leans smooth and easygoing: toasted nuts and cedar lead, with coffee, a little earth and a soft sweetness underneath. It smokes mild to medium, so it's gentle and approachable while still offering more nuance than a typical starter cigar. The Cameroon binder adds a subtle spice that keeps it from being one-note.

That mellow, nutty character makes the Tinto a genuinely good cigar for newer smokers, or for anyone who wants something flavorful but light. If you're just getting started, the how to cut a cigar guide covers the basics, and the cigar strength guide explains where this sits.

The Colombia is worth trying simply because so few cigars feature Colombian leaf. Log the Tinto in the Casa DNC app and rate it, then compare it to another mellow CAO like the Gold Vintage Crémant.