I don't know about you, but I can't say the word consigliere without attaching a thick & heavy Italian accent. It's just one of those words that beg to be spoken in a long, theatrical way. The big screen mob families have seen some great consiglieres over the decades. Tom Hagen from The Godfather, Silvio Dante from The Sopranos, and one of my favorites, Billy Crystal as Dr. Ben Sobel in Analyze This. I suppose it's a IYKYK kind of thing. Anyway, let's talk cigars. Back in 2005, CAO and HBO had a partnership to produce The Sopranos cigar. It had a short run before being discontinued, but there was an special gift set with 2 cigars shaped like baseball bats, 2 like champagne bottles, and 1 like a bullet. All of it in a box that is meant to look like the trunk of a car. Certainly worth looking it up if you haven't seen it. In 2016 CAO decided to bring back the five-nation blend under the new name, Consigliere. So let's give the head the freakin' chop and burn the whole foot down!
The Deets
Cigar: CAO Consigliere Soldier
Origin: Estelí, Nicaragua
Factory: General Cigar Co.
Size: 6 x 54
Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Columbia, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua
Appearance 9/10
It's a nice cigar to hold. The slightly oily Brazilian wrapper is gritty with tight seams and only minor veins. The band is unique and snug, although I'm not sure I draw a connection to mob families. It's the same band used from The Sopranos offering. The uniformity is pretty decent, the body is dense, and the foot bunch looks exceptionally even. The cap is too small for a flat head, making it almost certain you're going to cut into the danger zone. Overall, a sharp looking consultant.
Draw 8/10
Off the light I can tell things are tight and the cigar was going to need some attention. Being so snug, I had to wait a few for the cigar to warm up in order to attempt to make some elbow room. I removed a small twig at the halfway mark and things improved, but continued to tighten up as it burned. Usually removing a twig on the last third is a death sentence, but I went and did it any way. Surprisingly still snug and borderline acceptable. I wrestled with giving this a 7.5 because of the amount of tinkering required. I did get my puffs, but I had to work for it.
Burn/Construction 8.5/10
Right away I notice that the ash is very dark, pretty much black in some areas. It was firm though and had almost no flaking. No swelling or cracks occurred on the wrapper during the session. The burn line was rough though. Always slanted, wobbly, requiring more and more touchups. Ignition was a slight problem and a slower puffer would likely have needed to fully relight the cigar. I managed to keep it going at a reasonable pace, but again, I had to work for it.
Taste 8.5/10
1/3 - I was a taken back a little when the beginning puffs were only Light+ to Medium. A softer start than one might think just looking at that oily Mata Fina. I pick up some walnut, bark, dark leather. All of it pretty smooth and the retro seems to mimic the palate. The finish has a slight mineral note. Towards the end of the 1st third some cocoa bitters arrive.
2/3 - Ok, now we're into what I would expect from a mobster with full body. This phase brings out bold earth, vegetables, and the walnut submits to bark a little. The halfway mark introduces a creaminess into the retro which helps balance things out.
3/3 - Dark chocolate comes in evenly, which is welcomed. The dark leather moves way up while still co-staring bark and walnut. The creamy earth retro is pleasant and a hint of mineral still lingers on the finish.
Overall 8.5/10
There seem to be a mix of positive and negative reviews on Consigliere over the years. I suppose I can see why. I only smoked 1 for this sample, but I've had a number of these smokes over the years and consistency is an issue. Some taste and perform great. Others taste fine, but have poor performance, and others have been crash n' burn. Generally speaking, for the right bargain, the Consigliere is a Sure, Why Not.
**Number of cigars smoked for the review: 1
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