CAO Flathead Gears Up With Speed Shop Habano

[JohnS]

CAO Flathead Gears Up With Speed Shop Habano

A new Flathead brand that dials back the power

Jan 6, 2026 -  By Thomas Pappalardo

 

Photos/General Cigar Co.

 

Car enthusiasts are stereotypically known for revving their engines and bragging about horse power, but some prefer a smoother ride. General Cigar Co. has gone under the hood of its automotive-themed CAO Flathead brand and created Flathead Speed Shop Habano, a smoke intended to be more subtle and less powerful than the original. It’s expected to start cruising onto store shelves by February 2.

 

“As the No. 1-selling brand in CAO, Flathead has earned its reputation through bold character and unmistakable style,” says CAO brand manager Cory Beardsley. “Speed Shop gives us a new lane to explore, a cigar with the same spirit but a different feel. It’s crafted for smokers who appreciate performance with purpose and a profile you can drive every day.”

Made in Nicaragua at the STG Estelí factory, Speed Shop Habano consists of an Ecuador Habano wrapper, Mexican San Andrés binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. According to the company, this is a medium-bodied blend.

Speed Shop Habano is available in three box-pressed sizes: V660 (6 inches by 60 ring gauge, $9.99) Big Block (7 by 70, $10.99), and Crankshaft, an entirely new vitola in the Flathead range (6 by 54, $8.99). All three come in 24-count boxes made with the brand’s signature engine-block design.

Source: https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/cao-flathead-gears-up-with-speed-shop-habano

[JohnS]

CAO Flathead Speed Shop Habano Shipping in February

January 6, 2026 - Charlie Minato

The CAO Flathead line, which General Cigar Co. says is the best-selling CAO line, is getting another sub-brand.

Next month, the company will introduce the CAO Flathead Speed Shop Habano, which uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper over a Mexican San Andrés binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. Like most CAOs, it is made at STG Estelí in Nicaragua.

It’s offered in three vitolas:

• CAO Flathead Speed Shop Habano 654 Crankshaft (6 1/2 x 54) — $8.99 (Box of 24, $215.76)
• CAO Flathead Speed Shop Habano V660 Carb (6 x 60) — $9.99 (Box of 24, $239.76)
• CAO Flathead Speed Shop Habano Big Block (7 x 70) — $10.99 (Box of 24, $263.76)

Pricing is said to be between $8.99-10.99 per cigar. Each vitola has an engine-themed name, General says the 6 1/2 x 54 vitola is a new one for the Flathead brand, which debuted in 2013.

“As the #1-selling brand in CAO, Flathead has earned its reputation through bold character and unmistakable style,” said Cory Beardsley, brand manager for CAO, in a press release. “Speed Shop gives us a new lane to explore, a cigar with the same spirit but a different feel. It’s crafted for smokers who appreciate performance with purpose and a profile you can drive every day.”

The Flathead Speed Shop Habano is expected to begin shipping on Monday, Feb. 2.

Source: https://halfwheel.com/cao-flathead-speed-shop-habano-shipping-in-february/459717/