REVIEW: AVO Heritage

Today's cigar review is for a line a lot of people were very excited about coming out of the 2010 IPCPR trade show. Somehow, over the past two years, I've never taken the time to smoke one or, if I did, I don't remember it. I went with the smallest size in the line because my smoking time was short. An interesting note: while the Avo Heritage line was released in 2010, this size was only released back in February of 2012.

From the AVO Heritage press release: Centuries of tradition, knowledge and passion are what you will dicover in each AVO Heritage cigar created by Master Cigar Composer Avo Uvezian, alongside undisputed Master of Tobacco Hendrik Kelner – assisted by Eladin Diaz and Manuel Peralia, plus the many talented farmers, blenders, and rollers.

A lot of collaboration went into this cigar, and from most of the things I have heard, it has paid off. Time to give the Avo Heritage a go for myself.

Specifics  
Vitola: Short Corona
Length: 3 5/8
Ring Gauge: 43
Wrapper: Ecuadorian sun-grown
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Price: $6.00
Smoking Location: My back deck
Beverage: water
Manufacture's Website: http://www.avo.com

Pre-Light  

This is a small cigar and feels like a small cigar. I smoke a lot of shorter sticks due to weather and timing issues, but this one feels exceptionally small. The wrapper of my AVO Heritage was a medium to dark borwn color with almost perfect circle-shaped black dots. It was a pretty rough looking cigar. The pre-lit aroma smelled like plums and other dark stone fruit. The cold draw was nice, free, and also had a dark, fruity taste to it.

First Half  

Lighting my AVO Heritage was no issue, but the first flavors I got out of the cigar were not really to my liking. The front of the profile had a lot of grassy, vegetable flavors that once reaching the end turned sour. The other part of the finish was a rather harsh white pepper taste. It's a little cigar but it produced a lot of flavor that, unfortunately, I was not digging. The construction on the other hand was perfect. I had no issues with running burn lines or tight draws. The nicotine strength was a solid medium from the get go.

Second Half and Final Thoughts  

It didn't take long to burn into the second half of my AVO Heritage and really nothing in this half changed from the first. The front profile taste was still very grassy and toward the end, very musty. The back end white pepper flavor did die down a bit and was no longer harsh, but for me was overshadowed by the front. Construction stayed spot on and the cigar burned a very dark ash, which was interesting. The nicotine level never rose above medium.

My final thoughts the AVO Heritage: I'm a little surprised by how much this cigar didn't agree with me, but agrees with a lot of other folks I know who, typically, like similar cigars as me. Maybe in this smaller size  the blend doesn't hold up? Or maybe I just don't have the taste profile for this stick in my wheelhouse of enjoyable cigars. Anyway, to each there own and, even though I didn't like it, make sure you try it for yourself.

Would I buy it again? Maybe in a different size, but not this size again.

Would I buy a box? See above.

Dan