AVO

Today marks our third cigar reviewed from AVO’s Unexpected Series, this time focusing on the Unexpected Passion, which the Davidoff website claims utilizes tobacco aged 25 years. So far, I’ve been mostly impressed with the Unexpected Series—the Unexpected Tradition took home a 92 rating (high for this blog). Let’s see how the Unexpected Passion performs.

Blend Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: AVO Unexpected Passion
• Wrapper: Ecuador
• Binder: Dominican Republic
• Filler: Dominican Republic
• Size: 6 x 50 toro

Appearance & Construction

The AVO Unexpected Passion is a beautiful cigar, primarily because of the gorgeous, extremely oily Ecuadorian wrapper leaf. It’s also expertly constructed, with slight springiness that is consistent the entire length of the cigar.

Taking a whiff off the foot of the cigar, I’m greeted by bright aromas of cedar strips, black pepper, and grilling spices. The pre light draw produces warm notes of bread, light spices, and white pepper that sizzles on my lips.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

It’s a big, delicious opening from the AVO Unexpected Passion. The cigar has a very well rounded texture, and produces the perfect amount of smoke with each puff. The flavors are complimentary, with sweet baking spices, cream and oak on one side and semi sweet chocolate and a dash of pepper on the other. Body and strength off of the bat both sit just under medium. A good start.

It isn’t long before the smoke starts to morph. A tangy, spicy mustard note (that I’m not quite sure about) makes a big entrance. The retrohale gets a dose as well, though the pepper is more evident there.

By an inch and a half in, the AVO Unexpected Passion is an altogether different cigar. Strength and body both climb past medium. The balance of flavors is totally different as well, with black pepper, tangy mustard, toasted bread and liquorice all coming together to make a profiles that’s strange but enjoyable.

As the AVO Unexpected Passion burns past the halfway mark, it’s still not done changing.  The tangy mustard finally decides it’s time to take a break and moves to the back seat. In its place are sweeter notes of cream and cinnamon. Black pepper and charred oak play in the background and on the retrohale. Construction is flawless, with no retouches and a great burn line.

The final third smokes mostly the same, though the strength of the smoke rises and falls at seemingly random intervals. As the cigar burns toward the end, the smoke is characterized by hot spices, mustard, charred oak, and some faint cream. Certainly not a perfect ending, but still very good.

Conclusion

The Unexpected Passion is another big win from AVO Cigars. The smoke is extremely flavorful, complex, and there’s hardly a moment where the cigar isn’t changing and offering even more.

Predominant flavors include sweet cream, oak, tangy mustard, and all kinds of sweet and savory spices. The only other thing I’d mention is that because of the dominant mustard note, the Unexpected Passion may be a cigar more suited for veterans and enthusiasts than for beginners.

Final Rating: 91

Don’t forget to check out our review of the AVO Unexpected Tradition and AVO Unexpected Moment.

Up for review today is another release from AVO’s Unexpected Series which was released, well, unexpectedly earlier this year. I recently reviewed the Unexpected Tradition (it’s amazing), and so I was very excited to review the Unexpected Moment. We’ll be reviewing all four in the series so stay tuned, but here is the review of the Unexpected Moment.

Blend Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: AVO Unexpected Moment
• Wrapper: Ecuador
• Binder: Dominican Republic
• Filler: Dominican Republic
• Size:  6 x 54

Appearance & Construction

The outer Ecuadorian wrapper on the AVO Unexpected Moment is a rich, dark brown with a few major veins and a velvety feel in the hand. It’s a stout cigar, packed full and with just a little bit of springiness when squeezed.

The aromas off of the foot of the AVO Unexpected Moment are complex, soft and seem to betray that at least some of the tobacco in the cigar as extra aged. Aromas include dusty cedar, mulch, sweet grass, some spiciness that tickles the nose and some light cocoa. The draw is a bit restrictive, about an 8/10 in terms of amount of restrictiveness, and the pre light draw features spice that tingles my lips and some granola and maltiness. Let’s light up.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

Leather is the big flavor coming out of the gate for the Unexpected Moment, followed by deep espresso, dusty wood, and traces of cream. It’s very much an AVO profile, but I’ve got to say it’s almost all bitter on the flavor spectrum, so I’m hoping for a bit of balance soon. The retrohale is similarly bitter, with bitter oak and white pepper as the main ingredients.  Strength wise, it’s a solid medium. Smoke production is decent, but the tight draw is definitely bringing it down a bit.

It takes about an inch of the cigar for new flavors to develop, specifically a brownie note that hits the palate and the aroma. It’s quite nice, but doesn’t fully offset the overall bitterness of the flavor profile. The ash that’s developed is solid white and the burn is almost completely straight, which is great. As the cigar progresses closer to the second third, some mushroom and vegetal notes develop, adding some nice complexity. Still, a mostly one sided smoke so far.

At the halfway mark, the AVO Unexpected Moment finally begins to show some balance, with the cream note turning a bit sweeter and the wood note losing some of its bitterness. The cocoa note which was very much in the background of the aroma also builds, augmenting the smoke even more. The retrohale is mostly gentle woodiness, with some black pepper matching it in strength. Construction problems are nonexistent, and the smoke production which was a bit low in the first half of the cigar starts inching up.

The final third of the AVO Unexpected Moment is for the most part more of the same. The strength and body do start to inch up, making it to well past medium. Black pepper makes a big entrance on the palate, giving the cigar a bit of complexity but mostly dominating the other notes on the palate.

Conclusion

I only smoked one AVO Unexpected Moment for this review, so I’m open to the possibility that the issues with overly dominant bitterness are not representative of this blend as a whole. That said, I don’t plan on smoking more of this blend given that AVO has so many other great blends like the recently reviewed AVO Unexpected Tradition.

If you’re a fan of bitter cigars, or like pairing cigars with sweeter drinks like rum or sherry-finished scotches, this could be a winner. On its own, it has some nice flavors but overall falls short.

Final Rating: 84

Up for review today is a new release from AVO Cigars. The brand has been on a roll in 2019, releasing a ton of new blends, at least seven that I can think of off the top of my head: Improvisation Series 2019, Unexpected Tradition, Unexpected Passion, Unexpected Moment, Unexpected Celebration, AVO Regional West and, the cigar up for review today, the AVO Regional East Edition.

I’ve been a massive fan of AVO cigars since basically getting addicted to their Classic Covers Series, particularly Classic Covers Vol. 2, Vol. 3, and Vol. 4. So I was very excited to give this new release a spin. Read on to see what I found.

Appearance & Construction

The most striking aspect of the AVO Regional East Edition’s appearance is the orange bands and the silver compass signet that sits in the middle of the secondary band. It’s a nice look. Shape-wise, the Regional East has a more elegant silhouette, with a long perfecto shape that’s also more slender than the West’s 56 ring gauge belicoso size.  As always with AVO, the cigar is presented with style.

The outer Ecuadorian wrapper is a lighter brown with some mustard hues to it, and has some notable knots. When squeezed, the AVO Regional East Edition has a fair amount of give, but seems packed consistently the entire length of the cigar. There isn’t much to the cold draw, just some spiciness and a bit of AVO woodiness. The draw is about a 6.5/10 in terms of restrictiveness, so that should open up a bit once the cigar burns past the initial tapering.

Blend Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: AVO Regional East Edition
• Wrapper: Ecuador
• Binder: Dominican Republic
• Filler: Dominican Republic and Nicaragua
• Perfecto: 6 x 53

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The AVO regional east explodes out of the gate, with a very dominant cedar note that is followed up by touches of vanilla, cream and spicy mustard that hits the retrohale and the tip of the tongue and is very present in the aroma. The body of the smoke is medium, with medium plus flavor strength. It’s not at all what I was expecting but I’m not complaining. I tend to find the AVO blends I’m disappointed with are the ones where I’m looking for a bit more oomph (I’m looking at you AVO 30 Year).

By an inch in, the spicy mustard flavor is dominant, with dry cedar and leather in the background. There’s a tiny hint of sweet creaminess at times, but otherwise the main flavor categories are bitter, spicy, and sour. Construction wise, the cigar performs decently well, with a very straight burn and good smoke production, but the cigar doesn’t seem to want to stay lit longer than a minute or so.

By the end of the first third, my overall assessment is that the AVO regional east is enjoyable but generally out of balance. The spicy mustard note dominates the other flavors, not leaving a lot of room for exploration.

In the second third, the strength settles down to about medium. The flavors are mostly the same, though some white pepper does sneak in on the retrohale which thankfully tones down a bit. Still though, lacking in balance and in complexity.

Unfortunately, there’s virtually no change to the cigar from here. Mostly out of balance, very much lacking in complexity, and overall a frustrating smoke up until the end.

Conclusion

Despite its elegant look and feel, the regional east is probably one of the least elegant smokes from AVO. Although it presents an interesting profile of spicy mustard, cedar and leather, the cigar rarely finds the kind of balance that would make such a profile work, instead being dominated by either mustard or dry cedar.

Save your wallet on this one and pick up any of AVO’s other 2019 releases.

Final Rating: 78

Up for review today is another new release from AVO Cigars, the AVO Unexpected Tradition. The Unexpected Tradition is one of four new releases in the Unexpected series, and it’s the first of the series to be reviewed here on Fine Tobacco NYC.

As mentioned on other reviews, I’ve been a huge fan of AVO Cigars since getting hooked on their Classic Covers line which to my great sorrow was discontinued. I believe these were some of the brands greatest blends, so it’s heartbreaking to see the number of retailers carrying them dwindle to zero. So with any new AVO release, I’m always hoping that they’ll bring something back that’s similarly powerful, complex, and enjoyable.

There’s only one way to find out if the Unexpected Tradition fits the bill. Let’s light up.

Appearance & Construction

The most striking thing about the AVO Unexpected Tradition is its marvelous wrapper, which has a very attractive golden dark brown coloration, a fine texture, and one or two major veins. What’s not impressive is the triple cap, which was applied so lazily that the top cap is actually hanging off of the cigar. Not a good sign but the problem is resolved when I cut the cigar.

The draw is fairly unrestrictive, about a 6/10 in terms of amount of restrictiveness. The cold draw is traditional (heh) AVO, with some wood, light spices, and a sweet fruitiness. The aroma off of the foot is tantalizing, and quite sweet, with barnyard, cocoa, baking spices, and forest (moss + tree bark).

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

Once lit, the AVO Unexpected Tradition generates quite a bit of tasty, spicy smoke. I’d describe the flavor categories (in order of prominence) as spicy, bitter/salty, and sweet. The spicy notes are of grilling spices and grilled bell peppers, with bitter wood coming in second and sweet chocolate and cream on the finish. Body I’d put at just under medium, with strength just above medium. Smoke production is good, and after half an inch the burn seems in good shape and the salt and pepper ash is holding strong.

By three quarters of an inch in, the AVO Unexpected Tradition starts to evolve, with the fruit note from the smell off of the foot of cigar entering into the mix, and a charcoal note saddling up alongside it that actually complements the sweetness of the fruity note quite well. At this point, the cigar is erring on the side of sweetness and both body and strength have met in the middle at medium.

As the ember reaches the beginning of the second third, the cigar evolves even more, with the body and strength both climbing back up above medium. The smoke is impressively flavorful, with balanced notes of charred wood, fruit, creaminess, and that traditional AVO grassiness. The retrohale is a bit simpler, with just some dusty wood and a bit of the fruit from the palate. It all comes together quite nicely, though the smoke is fairly astringent which means a glass of water is a good thing to have on hand. Construction is still excellent, with just a slight waviness in the burn.

The cigar continues on in mostly the same way, though with some resurging spice, until close to the final third, where a nice vanilla note peeks through on the palate and the aroma of the smoke. There’s also a bit of savory spice as well, alongside primary notes of charred wood, creamy chocolate, and vegetal. The smoke is also a lot less astringent, which is nice. But it does really begin to heat up at about an inch and a half from the finish line, muddying the flavors and introducing harshness. So, not a perfect ending, but still a wonderful cigar.

Conclusion

I haven’t been wowed by many of AVO’s newer releases, but I loved the AVO Unexpected Tradition. It has everything I like about my favorite AVO cigars, and then some.  Excellent flavors of charred wood, fruits, cocoa, AVO grassiness, vanilla, spices and much more. And more impressively, the smoke is mostly in balance the whole way through, giving that great impression of the cigar experience being akin to a full meal. The only flaw shows up in the final third, with the smoke heating up and becoming a bit harsh.

If they had released this cigar as the annual limited edition cigar, I’d be totally satisfied. So I’m even more happy then because this cigar has the added benefit of being a regular production blend.

Highly recommended. A very well thought out and executed blend.

Final Rating: 92

For more than 10 years the AVO brand (led by Avo Uvezian himself until his death in 2017) celebrated each year with a limited edition blend. In 2018, the Davidoff-owned brand decided to re-release two previous limited edition blends: the AVO 22 (reviewed here), and the AVO LE05.  I found the AVO 22 to be a fairly uneventful smoke, complicated even more by its rather lengthy smoking time. The AVO LE05 is a bit different in that it is widely considered one of the brand’s finest limited edition blends. Obviously, the plan today is to put that assessment to the test. So let’s get on with it.

Product Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: AVO LE05 30 Years
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown
• Binder: Dominican Republic
• Filler: Dominican Republic
• Size: 5 3/8 x 50

Appearance & Construction

The AVO LE05 sports a beautiful Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper. It’s got a nice, leathery texture, and one or two very noticeable veins which hopefully won’t impede the smoking experience.

The cigar itself seems to be packed firmly and consistently the length of the cigar. Testing the draw I find it to be just right, about a 7/10 in terms of restrictiveness. The pre light draw releases typical AVO notes of hay, wood, and touches of floral.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The AVO LE05 opens with cool, smooth, mild to medium bodied smoke. Overall, the profile leans toward the bitter end of the spectrum, with a heavy, dominant leather and bitter notes of espresso and wood. It’s a bit overly aggressive on the bitter side, but thankfully there’s some cream and floral finish that balances it out. After a few puffs, some meats and baking spices enter the mix, adding a slightly savory twist and some nice complexity. Still, the leather and bitter espresso at times are a overbearing, and I find myself hoping for a bit more sweetness to balance it out. Smoke production at this point is above average, and overall it’s a fairly complex and satisfying smoke.

At an inch in, the ash on the AVO LE05 is holding strong with a mostly straight burn. A few puffs into the first inch, a strong spice develops on the tip of the tongue, which keeps nice development in the story the cigar tells.

Not much changes until the second third arrives. At this point, the strength of the cigar settles at medium, and sweetness edges in to the profile along with some oak, fully balancing out the more bitter flavors. And dammit, it’s beautiful. Flavor, check. Complexity, check. Balance and harmony? Check. Construction as well is excellent. The burn to this point has had no problems and smoke production is perfect.

In the final third, the AVO LE05 brings forth notes of cream, dry cedar, bitter espresso,   leather, lots of spices, as well as touches of cinnamon and bread. The smoke starts to pick up some heat near the final inch, providing a good stopping point, but the final third

Conclusion

The AVO LE05 really is a wonderful cigar and its performance justifies the praise it receives.  After a little bit of trouble with imbalanced bitterness at the beginning, the cigar opens up to become very complex and harmonious. This is an easy buy, but don’t wait too long. Once this cigar is gone, it’s gone for good (at least until the next re-release!).

Final Score: 91