CAO Pilón Añejo Robusto

The Pilón Añejo takes its name from the pilón method of fermenting tobacco — stacking leaves in tall piles so they age and mellow under their own weight. The result is an extra-aged, four-country blend: an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over a Honduran Habano binder, with Seco and Ligero filler from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The Robusto, at 5.5 x 54, is the everyday size.

What it tastes like

That aging shows. You get cocoa, leather and spice up front, with earth and cedar rounding it out, and a smoothness that comes from the extra time the tobacco has spent resting. It's a medium to full-bodied smoke that's rich without being aggressive — the kind of balance that makes a cigar easy to keep coming back to.

If you like depth and a little spice, the Pilón Añejo is a satisfying step up. The cigar strength guide helps place where it sits, and since it's a limited release, it's worth logging your impressions while you have one.

This was a small-batch release, so it's the sort of cigar to track and savor. Add it to your humidor and rate it in the Casa DNC app — and if you enjoy this aged, cocoa-forward style, the darker CAO MX2 Robusto is worth a look too.