Not long after the calendar turns to August, the CAO Bones is expected to begin arriving on retail shelves.

According to a report by Cigar Aficionado, the blend uses a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, Connecticut shade binder, and a filler blend of Nicaraguan tobacco of undisclosed varietal, along with Dominican piloto cubano and Honduran tobacco grown in the Jamastran and La Entrada regions. General Cigar Co. calls it a medium- to full-bodied blend. It is being made at the STG Estelí factory in Nicaragua and is said to be a regular production addition to the CAO portfolio.

The line gets its name from both dominoes and dice, and inside each box will be a set of dice. The inside of the lid is covered with felt so it could be used as a surface to roll dice in. As such, the four vitolas in the line draw their names from dominoes games:

  • CAO Bones Chicken Foot (5 x 54) — $7.49 (Box of 20, $149.80)
  • CAO Bones Blind Hughie (6 x 54) — $7.99 (Box of 20, $159.80)
  • CAO Bones Matador (7 1/4 x 54) — $8.49 (Box of 20, $169.80)
  • CAO Bones Maltese (6 x 60) — $8.99 (Box of 20, $179.80)

CAO Bones is scheduled to ship on Aug. 4.

Update: A representative from General Cigar Co. confirmed the details and provided pictures.

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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.