April 3, 2012 (Richmond, VA) — When their fans talk, the team at CAO listens. From now (April 3, 2012) through June 30, 2012, cigar smokers will have a chance to select an upcoming CAO blend, as part of the brand’s “Last Stick Standing” promotion.

CAO’s senior brand manager Ed McKenna explains, “Rick Rodriguez has been developing blends with our
team in Nicaragua and has come up with three which we think are all great. So we’re calling on CAO fans to
help us pick the blend that will ultimately be launched as a new CAO collection, to be released late this year,
or in early 2013.”

A special three-pack tin called the Last Stick Standing is now available for free with the purchase of any six
CAO cigars at participating cigar shops across the U.S. Each tin contains three distinct blends, aptly named C,
A and O. The cigars all measure 5 1/2” x 54, which is what Rick Rodriguez considers to be the ideal size for
allowing consumers to truly evaluate each blend.

A dedicated website (www.lss.caocigars.com) will serve as a virtual voting booth, allowing cigar smokers to
rate each cigar on certain criteria, such as flavor, body, construction and overall experience.

For every rating submitted, consumers will be entered to win a box of the winning CAO blend before it’s
available for purchase, or the grand prize, an all-expense paid trip for the winner and a guest to the CAO
factory in Nicaragua. Sharing entries on the Last Stick Standing Facebook page will provide consumers with
multiple entries to win.

Last Stick Standing, AKA “Judgment Day” events will be held at select tobacco shops across the country, with
special event-exclusive offers featuring CAO OSA Sol “Lot T” (4 ½” x 50) and “Lot 46” (5 ¼” x 46 ) which
will be released later this year as the first new additions to CAO OSA Sol since its debut last September. In
addition, a handpicked group of preferred CAO retailers will host guided Last Stick Standing tastings by Rick
Rodriguez who will share his insight on the three blends.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.