One of the fuller-flavored cigars by CAO, the Criollo is a classic mix of Cuban seed tobaccos from Central America.

The word “Criollo” literally means native seed. The Criollo ‘98 was an experimental hybrid seed grown in Cuba when they were searching for a solid tobacco strand to fight mold and other agricultural difficulties. It was later picked up by CAO and debuted as the CAO Criollo. Immediately it was dubbed a cigar that could compete with the finest Cuban cigars on the market. Grown and cultivated in Nicaragua and matched with Cuban seed Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, the Criollo has a medium to full-bodied damp and earthy aroma. The CAO Criollo is another solid addition to the CAO family and a Nicaraguan masterpiece.

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Gary J. Arzt

It will be fifty years this August that I smoked my first cigar, and I still remember it clearly. I immediately became a devotee of Havanas, and in December of that same year, 1958, I spent three weeks in Cuba visiting tobacco fields and factories and talking to everyone that would talk to me. Back then, my Spanish was excellent.

In 1995, I smoked my first non-Cuban cigar, a La Flor Dominicana, and I have been enamored of Dominican cigars ever since. More recently, I have added Nicaraguan cigars to my repertoire and am totally enjoying them all.

We are living in the best of times for cigar aficionados: there are more well made, full bodied cigars (my preference since I was 17) available than ever before.

Christian Eiroa

Cigar Review owner, Kevin Godbee, paid a visit to the offices of Camacho Cigars in Miami to interview it's President, Christian Eiroa.

The cigar business is certainly in the blood of this MBA holding, 36-year old. He was born and raised in Honduras and his father started the original company Caribe Imported Cigars which evolved into Camacho Cigars.

Christian has been the President of Camacho since 1998. During this interview, Christian smoked the Camacho Corojo and I enjoyed the new Camacho 10th Anniversary while we sat on plush leather couches in Christian's richly appointed office.

Christian is an interviewer's dream. He made my job very easy. He is driven, but laid back and relaxed at the same time. The best part for the interview is that he seemed to love answering questions, talking about the business and telling personal stories that relate to the topic. We talked for so long that this interview is divided into two parts.

He was very forthcoming and not afraid to get personal and let us see inside the real person, beyond the macho good-looking Latino guy we see in the Camacho ads.

I began by asking him about his start in the cigar business.

It's not hard to find Italian food on Mulberry Street. But, it's not always easy to find really good Italian food there.

I was coming out of a cigar store with a business associate, on a recent visit to New York City, and we were considering where to eat lunch. Looking left, looking right, I saw crowded outdoor tables at every restaurant that lined both sides of the street. It was a very beautiful day in April. Amen ... because, if we were going to smoke a cigar, we would have to dine outdoors.

Made in limited quantities, the La Aurora Preferido is one of the best selling super premiums made in the Dominican Republic. Available in an assortment of wrappers, the cigar has gained worldwide recognition for its quality, consistency and flavor. Photo by Michael Sherwood of Stiletto Studios in Clearwater, FL.

To see the high quality larger picture  ...