Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Mexican
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Size: 5.5 x 55 Robusto Grande
Strength: Mild/Medium
Price: $16.00

I’ve had this cigar marinating naked in my humidor for 5 months. Should be rarin’ to go.

BACKGROUND:
Released: March 22, 2022
Blender: Henke Kelner / Eladio Diaz
From Atlantic Cigar Co.:
“The 10th and final release in the Improvisation line to commemorate this special and iconic milestone. The AVO brand over the past decade has released the AVO Improvisation to honor the birthday of the brand’s late founder, Avo Uvezian. A composer who had a passionate zest for life. A life that was filled with music and seizing opportunities whenever possible to create rich, noteworthy experiences for all to celebrate. Two blends are used for this year’s release and are inspired by the layout of white and black keys on a piano to capture the essence of AVO as a brand and the musical affinity of its founder. The ‘Closing Improvisation’ showcases two distinct yet complimentary blends to pair with various occasions, times of the day, and flavor and intensity preferences of the aficionado. The Improvisation 2022 White is created with binder and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic and dressed with a silky, golden Ecuador Connecticut wrapper. The Improvisation 2022 Black also uses an Ecuadorian Wrapper, but contains a binder from Mexico and filler tobaccos from both Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Only 1,500 boxes of 22 cigars were produced for this final limited edition release.”

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
Immediately, an obstacle. There is a plug somewhere in this stick and I’m going to terminate it. I shove my PerfecDraw draw adjustment tool deep into the darkness and find that plug just below the cigar band and I rip it out like I’m George of the Jungle. Mission Accomplished. A perfect draw for my tastes.

A mild start. Flavors don’t count yet. They are confused and attempting to get their gig line straight while I continue to puff away.

I’m no fan of mild strength blends. Invariably, they don’t have much flavor. As much as I complain about strong cigars, I prefer disappearing into the nicotine mist over strangulating a mild strength stick to get it to man up.

I’m going in…hold the rope. I believe I taste some sourdough bread, graham cracker, generic nuttiness, malt, and zero sweetness.

No mention of this cigar getting extensive aging after it was rolled or information about the tobacco used. Here is the perfect example of a ‘special limited edition’ that is nothing special. The description by Davidoff is just more bullshit that says nothing about the blend…just how special Avo Uvezian was. And for that special and exclusive right, Avo charges $16.

And with an inch burned…nada. Just another bland cigar. This stick should have started with a big bang of complexity and that important feature is nowhere to be found.

Zero transitions. The finish is like an old toothpick.
The burn is good. I’m desperately trying to find something good to say about this cigar.

1-1/2” burned and the strength remains an annoying nothing. And with that annoyance, it brings flavors fit for someone who has never smoked a cigar in their life.

A couple reviewers went from it’s just OK to high praise. Stranger than two tortoises humping on a lonely Texas highway.

The cigar has not improved one iota. It’s Spam in a can.

It is a real chore to write my drivel when the cigar deeply under performs. It sucks the energy right out of me. All I want is the cigar to come to life soon or I begin counting the fractions of an inch till the cigar becomes detritus.

I guess if you don’t care what you smoke, this is the cigar for you. Except that instead of a $16 price tag, this cigar would be comfy in the $6 range.

The flavors I read in some reviews are pretty much barren displays of a missing complexity that the cigar just can’t find in its DNA. It’s not like the other reviewers found a flavor wheel experience.

The cigar should have hit medium by now, but it is in a solemn deep coma.

I have the White version. It must be better than the Black that lies in shame in my ashtray.

Instead of physical torture, the guards at Abu Ghraib could have used this blend to get any information from the terrorists they needed. “No! Don’t make me smoke another. I will tell you anything you want.”

The halfway point arrives in a dilapidated pumpkin coach.

Some black pepper shows up for the first time. And I do believe the cigar is about to leap to medium strength. Fuck me…about time.

Everywhere I look, the cigar is sold out. Maybe the blend needs years of humidor time.

I’m sorry. This cigar sucks.
All hail to the smokers who seek out a review and immediately scroll down to the rating score and move on.

RATING: 70

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS