I smoked a Brazilia on the 4th of July, and got coffee and chocolatey tones...
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I stayed at a Holiday Inn last night.
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My point is, if that's what he used to get, but is concerned about a change in flavor profile, it could be a bad stick or need rest.
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I love the Brazilia GO!'s, and have smoked quite a few. Sometimes, more recently, I do feel that the flavor profile is different, as in "not as good," but as pointed out it may just have been a stick victim of outside forces not pertaining to CAO. Or, maybe it's just my smokers paranoia.
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I'll let them rest for awhile and go back to my LFD DL 700s for the time being...they've had a nice time to rest in the humidor...time to get the coffee brewing :-)
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The only CAOs I enjoyed were the MX2s and Brazilias, but I haven't had one in a long time.

If General did buy the brand for its value, and then proceeded to cheapen the recipes—or even change them at all—then they are fools.

Which means it's probably true.
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Except that General didn't buy CAO.

General was acquired by Swedish Match in 2005.
Henri Wintermans/STG bought CAO in 2007 so they could branch into premium cigars.
Then Wintermans/STG merged with / acquired by Swedish Match in late 2010.
Swedish Match consolidated operations a bit and stuck CAO under General.

I've had a few conversations with Ed McKinnea, the VP at General who is now in charge of CAO and correcting the issues and image damage that has occurred over the last few years since the initial Wintermans acquisition is something very personal to him as he has the attitude, interest, pride and drive that rivals the boutique and independent manufacturers, he's not the generic faceless bottom-line book pushing corporate schmuck in a suit. Anyway, per Ed, the blends haven't been changed and unless you are smoking OSAs, the CAOs you're smoking are pre-General cigar.
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Nice review...
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Always informative:-)
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JR Cigars was bought by Altadis USA . . . not Swedish Match. Altadis and General Cigars are the two biggest distributors of cigars in the USA . . . probably world wide. You're welcome. :-)
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