My Weekend Cigar: Avo Limited Edition 2008 Tesoro

In conjunction with the official release date of the highly anticipated Avo L.E. '08 Tesoro, I had the good fortune to smoke this cigar on a sunny Easter Sunday afternoon out on my deck with a glass of Dow's Boardroom Porto Reserve Tawny. As usual, I was joined by my good friend, Richard From Up The Street, who partook of a Romeo y Julieta Havana with Rémy Martin. But before I get into my commentary, I'd like to wish a belated Happy Birthday to Avo Uvezian who turned 82 this past Saturday.

As I mentioned in my blog of March 14th, the 5¾" x 50 Avo L.E. '08 Tesoro is seamlessly rolled in an Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper that shimmers with a gorgeous blonde hue from head to foot. The capped popped off perfectly and the pre-light draw tasted like fresh baked bread seasoned with nutmeg. It was so tasty I just let it hang in my mouth and savored it for a few minutes.

Once lit, Richard commented on the volume of creamy smoke that emanated from the cigar. The cigar also took on an entirely different dimension from its pre-light state. The smoke was medium to full in body, very smooth, and dominated by strong oak and cedar wood flavors with a splash of spice on the finish. The cigar wasn't as complex as I expected, but it was very consistent.

Over the course of an hour and fifteen minutes I smoked the cigar down to about an inch-and-a-half, and the Porto served as a sweet counterpoint to all those deep, dark woody flavors. The cigar burned perfectly, too, as the ashes dropped-off in firm, one-inch-plus nuggets that exposed a perfectly round-headed cone.

If I have but one criticism of this cigar, it's that my sample seemed a bit "young." IMO, several more months of aging would have helped round out some bitterness I encountered in the third act. That said, I still recommend the Avo LE '08 Tesoro as a "must try," and if I can get my hands on another, I'll tuck it away for a while and come back to it with a follow-up review.

Since all Avo Anniversary cigars are made in very limited edition, I advise picking up some singles or a box sooner rather than later. Note also that they are sold only in B&M cigar stores.

Finally, I'd also like to hear from anyone else who's had a chance to smoke the new Avo L.E. '08 Tesoro.