Wrapper: Ecuadorian EMS
Binder: Mexican San Andrés
Filler: Bourbon Cask Aged Dominican, USA
Size: 6.5 x 50 Toro
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $18.00

My cigars received 2 months of naked humidor time.

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
Beautiful floral aroma with heady notes of wildflower honey. Beneath this stunning introduction are delicate layers of caramel, fresh orange peel, and vanilla custard. The cigar’s taste needs to over perform to match its perfume.

The draw needs a little help from its friend, PerfecDraw. Just a gentle goose that requires only one swoosh that doesn’t need to go further than the cigar band area.

A big cigar that does not hang easily from my lips. My first thought was of an engineer at my recording studio who told me what junior engineers had to slog through during their first weeks at the porn movie looping studio. They endured hours of watching gay porn while the actors sat in front of the screen and added sound effects. Most went screaming into the night. They eventually figured out it would be a good idea to hire gay engineers that could handle the onslaught of BJ’s.

The taste of aged bourbon casks is immediate. A sophisticated palate isn’t required. Bold and upfront.

The trick for any blend is to stand out in the crowd. It needs to be memorable. More and more new releases use this blending style playbook. In 2024, it is becoming difficult to distinguish the forest from the trees. Cigar companies are fighting for your dollar. Their blends need to hit hard with positive feedback. Industry reviews are nice but have no impact. We are superfluous despite our own self-importance. Word on the street and simplistic social media are the springboards that cigar manufacturers look for. They could care less about online cigar reviews.

So why do I do this. I’m an old man and this is a nice distraction in my life. I can’t answer for other reviewers.

Flavors need to catch up. A big cigar panders to the masses. Everyone wants to look like Tony Soprano. There’s lemon, creaminess, slight honey overtones, milk chocolate, and white pepper. No surprise. In 2024, I’ve reviewed so many cigars that taste just like this. No way to enumerate the previous years. AVO is similar to Davidoff in that cigar band fascination holds sway. Your status in the community depends on sex appeal. I know who my base is. They could give a shit about what others think. But they are the minority. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.

The same blends can be had with much less outlay of cash: Powstanie Wojtek 2023 ($13), Wildfire The Hook ($12), BLTC Orthodox ($12), Somm Rioja ($13), Dapper La Madrina Shade ($11), Casdagli Basilica C #3 ($13), and Warped Black Mango ($10).

This AVO tastes similar times 10. My experience tells me that 8 months from now, this will be a much better cigar. The second half will speak to its charm. Will it sway me or will I wonder what is wrong with me for spending $90 on a fiver.

There is improvement as the next 3” begins. The blasé first half is a signal that the cigar was smoked too early. The elephant in the room, when a press release hits the stands, is no mention of aging of the tobacco after rolling. Cigars must meld. It is imperative that this happens for a cigar to have any real chance of succeeding. The normal 6 weeks that 99% of manufacturers allow is a sign for help. Rushing to market to get back sorely needed cash flow says a lot. All the bullshit in the world doesn’t make up for the end result. No one says, ‘The cigar is OK, but we wish it were better.’

I’m having an OK time. I wish it were better.

The flavor profile has not moved an inch. Zero transitions. Barely any complexity. Nuances and subtleties are hanging by a thread. Woulda’, coulda’, shoulda’.

Sure, there is a richness quotient. This is the sole reason that I pontificate ad nauseum that this blend will find a home in the future…movin’ on down the road. At some point. Maybe later. Maybe never.

How does a cigar, with such an effective and aromatic introduction, not meet its own standards of quality. This blend is gorillas in the mist. If you enjoy impressing your friends, this is the cigar for you. If you care about excellence, check out the cigars I mentioned above.

You can purchase this cigar from sponsors Small Batch Cigar (10% off with promo code ‘katman’), Luxury Cigar Club (15% off with promo code ‘katman’), and Cigar Page.

RATING: 90

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: avo cigars, AVO Expressions LE 2024 | Cigar Reviews by the Katman, cigar reviews, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, katman, phil kohn