What a way to celebrate 81 years of a fascinating and colorful life. That's the current milestone for the legendary Avo Uvezian who's still youthful as ever as his Avo L.E. 07 enters the market in a limited edition production of only 4,000 boxes. I was among the fortunate early birds who had the opportunity to sample this new "anniversary" cigar. Nice packaging, too. A wooden box fashioned with a unique L-shaped lid, contains 20 cigars, cabinet style (no cello) and without bands.
The sample I was given looked like it had been freshly rolled and smelled just as sweet. The cigar felt supple and silky. The Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper was somewhat veiny, which was only a minor distraction from the cigar's overall appearance. However, the leaf was even in hue, and buttery in appearance with a nice cap. (If someone had told me it was a Cuban cigar, I would have believed them.)
As expected from past experience, the cap popped off perfectly. The draw was effortless, and the pre-lit flavor was a combination of nutmeg and leathery flavors. The first few puffs were thick and creamy with a warm, toasty flavor and aroma. During the early stages, the cigar was relatively mild with a distinctive cedar aged flavor. Not particularly complex, but a nice clean finish that left a dry note of cedar on the palate. I also found no trace of bitterness in the smoke.
At the one inch mark, the ash was nicely stippled in an alternating grey-black marble pattern and was quite firm. From this point on the cigar started to take on a much richer and sweeter tobacco flavor, while also becoming much more aromatic.
By the cigar's midpoint, it took on a more pronounced woody flavor while remaining consistently smooth and creamy right down to the last inch - literally. Strength-wise, I'd classify the Avo L.E. 07 as medium to full-bodied. A rock-solid smoke, perfect for after-dinner with a fine single-malt scotch, port, or espresso.
The Avo L.E. 07 is sold only through local cigar stores and tobacconists. The suggested retail price is $11.50/cigar, or $250/box.
Appearance: 8
Construction: 9
Burn: 9
Draw: 10
Aroma: 9
Flavor: 9
Final Score: 9.0 |
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