CAO is a bold, innovative brand founded in the 1990s and now owned by General Cigar / STG. Famous for colorful packaging, creative marketing, and full-flavored lines that pushed boundaries in the premium segment, CAO helped introduce a younger generation of smokers to cigars beyond traditional mild Dominican profiles.
Long associated with master blender Rick Rodriguez, who spent nearly three decades as CAO's ambassador before founding West Tampa Tobacco Co., CAO's story intertwines corporate scale with individual blending talent. The brand remains a major presence in STG's portfolio—proof that innovation and mass distribution are not always mutually exclusive.