For this winter, CAO created the Stingy Scrooge and Wicked Winter, the latter of which is being reviewed today. The cigars feature fairly different blends with Stingy Scrooge using a Connecticut habano wrapper, Brazilian Arapiraca binder and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua. Wicked Winter uses a Honduran wrapper, American broadleaf binder and filler tobacco from Honduras and Nicaragua.

• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: STG Estelí
• Wrapper: Honduras
• Binder: U.S. Broadleaf
• Filler: Honduras & Nicaragua
• Length: 6 1/2 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Vitola: Toro Extra
• Release Date: Nov. 9, 2015
• Number of Cigars Released: n/a

The Wicked Winter starts with a big toasty oak flavor. The cocoa from the cold draw is there, but tit takes a few seconds before it makes any interaction with the palate. I also pick up some floral sweetness in the early stages of the finish, which I wasn’t totally expecting, followed by some grass, wheat, hay and creaminess. The first third develops into a mixture of a wood-centric core with oak being the only real varietal I can identify with certain. It’s also quite toasty with some creaminess and hay towards the back end. On the back of the throat I get some black pepper with some salty peanut shells up front. The flavor is medium-full with a lengthy finish. Strength is also medium-full while the body is full. I need to make a touch-up or two to all three samples in the first third, but otherwise construction is great.