CAO Italia Gondola (20)

CAO Italia Gondola is a singular Torpedo with old-world soul — a full-bodied figurado that brings rare Italian Habano-seed tobacco into a four-country blend, delivering complexity that few cigars on the market can match.

Handcrafted in Nicaragua under Honduran-grown Habano-seed leaf, the cigar wears a dark, oily wrapper and binder from Honduras, while its core showcases a long-filler blend of rare Italian Habano grown in the Benevento region between Rome and Naples, joined by aged Nicaraguan and spicy Peruvian leaves — a Cuban-seed lineage rooted in Italian soil that gives this cigar its unmistakable earthy sweetness.

The smoking experience opens with cedar, black pepper, and a savory toasted-bread note, then deepens into rich layers of earth, cocoa, espresso, leather, dried fruit, and molasses — finishing with brown sugar warmth, subtle floral nuance, roasted nuts, and a long, sweet tobacco trail. The tapered Torpedo head focuses the smoke and keeps every flavor sharply defined.

This Torpedo vitola measures 6 1/4″ (159mm) with a 54 ring gauge, hand-rolled for approximately 75–90 minutes of unhurried, full-bodied smoking.

Our suggestion for cigars of similar strength:

• Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2
• Tatuaje Black Gran Toro

Ideal with single-malt Scotch, a glass of Barolo or aged Chianti, dark roast espresso, or añejo rum — pairings that honor its Italian roots and stand up to the cigar’s earthy-sweet, full-bodied complexity without smoothing over its character.