Arango Cigar Co. Adds CAO Gold to Clasico Series, New Chi-Town Sizes to Punch and Macanudo Lines

Arango Cigar Co., the Illinois-based wholesale distributor and importer of hand made cigars, fine tobaccos and smokers’ accessories, has announced that it has added the CAO Gold lineof cigars to its Clasico Series of private label brands.

The Clasico brands, which includes cigars bearing Macanudo, Punch and Romeo y Julieta bands, are private label brands that are exclusive to Arango and are only sold at brick and mortar shops, not through mail order or Internet sites. The tobacco blends in the Claisco lines mirror those of the national brands they are patterned after. The CAO Gold uses an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut shade wrapper, while the filler and binder are Nicaraguan and bunched in the entubado style. The profile is described as offering a mild-to-medium body and creamy flavor.

Like the rest of Arango’s Clasico lines, the vitolas in the CAO Gold Clasico pay tribute to notable Chicagoland areas: the 5 1/2 x 44 Mag Mile, 5 x 50 Windy City, 6 1/8 x 52 Bucktown belicoso and the 6 x 60 Gold Coast. Each size comes in boxes of 15 cigars, with single stick MSRPs ranging from $4.75 to $6.70. They have already begun shipping to retailers.

Additionally, the Macanudo and Punch Clasico lines have both added the new 5 1/2 x 50 Chi-Town vitola, presented in a glass tube and in ten-count boxes. They have also begun shipping to retailers.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.