Moontrance

Today is about a cigar/cigarillo that I carry around with me so frequently that I’m absolutely shocked I haven’t written to you all about it yet. I usually have this stick in the form of a tin of cigarillos with me, and I like to share them as I feel like it’s a very pleasant smoke. It reminds me of the pipe tobacco my dad used to smoke when I was a kid.

Moontrance by CAO is another CAO Flavours line that they have executed flawlessly. While the aroma is sweet, the tobacco itself is actually very mild. I generally prefer this cigar in a petit corona form, or as a cigarillo. I do consider this to be a dessert cigar, something to round out an evening. A corona is large a ring as I would recommend for this stick.

Moontrance earns its popularity from a very beautiful blend of bourbon vanilla, exotic fruits, and a good quality tobacco. Unlit and uncut, it has quite a few floral notes, layered with an unmistakable bourbon vanilla and tinged with honey aroma. Cut, this little number is such a fantastic bouquet– I’d take a dozen of Moontrances over roses any day! The cut stick leads the nose with that heady vanilla, but the senses also taste through smell the fruits and honey.

On the first lighting, the vanilla definitely leads the way. But on the draw, it’s just the tobacco and fruits that I get. The wrapper isn’t sweetened, so it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the complex flavor of the cigar. The cigar definitely benefits from the additional essences added to the tobacco, the tobacco itself isn’t really anything to write home about. On the other hand, it also doesn’t smell like what I consider the stinky old man cigar- that stogie that has to be just as offensive to smoke as it is to be near. This cigar is an elegant aroma, it has a sophistication. The tobacco is meant to be part of the experience but it is certainly not the leader in any way shape or form.

While I do generally consider medium body cigars more my style, I enjoy this smoke for the lightness of it. The Moontrance is a lovely cigar to round out an evening, as it doesn’t go straight to your head. It’s more of an aromatic experience, and it goes well with wine, coffee, darker beers, and the spiked seltzer waters I’ve been enjoying lately. To me, the Moontrance is a ubiquitous cigar for any smoker who wants a nice night cap. I would not try to pair this cigar with a heavy meal, in fact, I can’t really think of a food that would really jive with it. As it is mostly vanilla, there’s a lot of flavors it can certainly enhance– I’ve had this with breakfast a few times, as I keep a clear head afterwards.