CAO Amazon Basin Returns for 2024

General Cigar Co.’s popular CAO Amazon Basin is returning to stores for another run.

Today, the company is beginning to ship the latest batch of CAO Amazon Basin, the first time it’s shipped since January 2022. Like past releases, it’s a 6 x 52 toro that uses an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Brazil, Colombia and the Dominican Republic. The highlight of the blend is the Brazilian filler, which includes a tobacco called Bragança, which General says can only be harvested every three years. The tobacco plants are spaced out further apart from one another than normal—the company says a full yard—and once harvested, the leaves are rolled into tubes called carottes for six months of aging. General says that tobacco is then shipped out of the rainforest via canoes.

Of note, when the cigar debuted in 2014, the blend was described as having Brazilian and Nicaraguan tobacco in the filler.

For the 2024 release, the MSRP is set at $14.29 per cigar, up from $12.99 when the cigar was released in 2022. General has not said exactly how many cigars are shipping, though has said that it is “slightly less” than the 6,000 boxes of 18 cigars it shipped in 2022. Packaging for the line remains unchanged: coiled tobacco in lieu of a standard paper band and the boxes are intentionally designed to look rustic.

“When we launched Amazon Basin a decade ago, we debuted Amazonian tobacco to the world and created a smoking experience that was completely different from anything on the market,” said Ed Lahmann, senior brand manager for CAO, in a press release. “We’re pleased to release the special blend again this year. And while we are not disclosing production figures, the number of boxes we’re releasing this year is down from 2022 because of the scarcity of the tobacco and the care it requires. My advice to CAO fans is if you see Amazon Basin, be sure to get your hands on it.”

The line also had spurned offshoot releases including the CAO Amazon Fumo em Corda, CAO Amazon Anaconda and CAO Orellana.

It is made at STG Estelí and Nicaragua.