CAO Flathead V680 Sparkplug Review

Overview

The CAO Flathead V680 Sparkplug is a cigar that dares you to take it seriously—a bold, unapologetic statement from an era when ring gauges swelled like hot-rod engines and conventional restraint was left in the dust. Launched in 2013 as part of CAO’s collaboration with General Cigar, the Flathead line is a love letter to gearhead culture, with nomenclature drawn from V8 displacement lore and packaging that evokes greasy wrenches and garage-floor grit. But beneath the theatrics lives a blend orchestrated by master blender Rick Rodriguez that earns its place in the premium tier. This is not a gimmick dressed in Corojo; it is a full-bodied Honduran-meets-Nicaraguan composition that demands attention from the first puff to the last ash.

At its heart, the Sparkplug is a 6 x 80 torpedo—an absolute leviathan that, at its release, ranked among the largest production cigars on the market. The box-pressed format is no mere aesthetic flourish; it tames the unwieldy girth, delivering a draw that, while slightly loose, remains coherent and rarely airy. The wrapper is a Honduran Corojo in a Colorado shade—medium-dark, semi-oily, and visibly toothy—that announces a blend built on aged longfillers from both Honduras and Nicaragua. The first third hits with a blast of white pepper on the retrohale, layered over earthy leather, dark roasted nuts, and a molasses-like sweetness that lingers on the finish. It is a brash opening, but one that hints at the complexity to come.

As the Sparkplug settles into its second third, the pepper recedes into a more nuanced core of espresso, cocoa nib, and aged cedar. The leather refines, taking on a creamy texture that plays well with emerging notes of dark cherry and the distinctive, almost funky earth that Honduran Corojo is known for. By the final third, the cigar builds to a crescendo: bold roasted coffee, dark chocolate, and charred oak dominate, the body thickens, and the strength climbs to the upper reaches of full-bodied. The finish is long, peppery, and cocoa-dusted. Construction is generally solid, though the massive ring gauge means burn can waver in the first inch without a careful, even toast. Ash holds in dense grey columns. This is not a cigar for the impatient—it demands 90 minutes to two hours of undivided attention.

The V680 Sparkplug remains a polarizing figure in the premium cigar world—a symbol of the great ring-gauge inflation that purists love to debate. But where many cigars of this size become hollow parlor tricks, Rodriguez coaxed genuine depth and evolution from the blend. It rewards the smoker who leans into bold, full-flavored profiles and doesn’t flinch at a bit of ruggedness. Smoke it slowly, with reverence for the craft that turned a spectacle into something worth savoring.