CAO Flathead V770 Big Block

Built around the oversized V770 format, CAO Flathead V770 Big Block takes the line’s muscle-car theme into full-throttle territory with a 7 x 70 box-pressed profile and a dense, Broadleaf-driven character. This cigar is made in Nicaragua with a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper, an Ecuadorian Connecticut binder, and long-fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, giving the blend the hearty, substantial feel that has made Flathead one of CAO’s most recognizable modern releases.

The smoking profile leans rich and earthy, with notes often centered on dark cocoa, coffee, leather, sweetness in the molasses range, and touches of pepper. That broad ring gauge gives the V770 an especially slow-burning presentation, so this is a cigar best suited to unhurried time outdoors or after a full meal; at 7 x 70, a relaxed pace can easily put it in the 2 to 3+ hour range. The line also became especially well known after the Flathead V660 Carb earned a 95 rating and the No. 3 spot on Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 Cigars of 2015, helping establish Flathead as one of CAO’s most talked-about maduro offerings.

Presentation is part of the appeal here as well. Boxes in the Flathead series are styled with hot-rod inspiration, including collectible artwork that reflects the blend’s automotive concept. For smokers who enjoy large-ring cigars with a rich maduro profile and bold visual identity, the Big Block lives up to its name without straying from the blend that defines the Flathead line.