Photos/STG
CAO is combining two well known lines for its 2026 Tobacconists’ Association of America exclusive. The CAO Flathead American Muscle takes the blend from the CAO America series and places it in the box pressed 6 x 60 gordo vitola associated with the Flathead line. Halfwheel detailed the construction as a barberpole wrapper pairing Connecticut broadleaf with Connecticut shade, a Brazilian binder, and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Italy, Nicaragua, and the United States. The cigar is produced at STG Estelí in Nicaragua.
Each cigar carries a suggested retail price of $12.99, with boxes of 12 priced at $155.88. Production is limited to 48,000 cigars, and the release was scheduled to begin shipping around October 29, 2026, exclusively through TAA member retailers. The regular production CAO America Landmark uses a similar multinational blend in a round 6 by 60 format, so the American Muscle version primarily differentiates itself through the box pressed shape and TAA only availability. Brand commentary has noted that Flathead and America have long shared an attitude of bold presentation, making the hybrid a natural fit for the exclusive program.
The release gives TAA retailers a distinctive CAO offering that merges the visual signature of the America barberpole with the squared off profile of Flathead without requiring an entirely new blend development cycle.