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.

Comments

Anonymous said…
How does it compare to the 07's?

And any idea when they will be released?


Thanks!
CigarAdvisor said…
I thought the Avo L.E. '07 was much more complex and full-bodied. It's very similar to the discontinued Avo 22, which Avo told me was one of his personal favorites. Again, I've only had the one Tesoro, so the jury's still out. The Avo L.E. '08 Tesoro cigars should be arriving in cigar stores around the country in the next few weeks.
Anonymous said…
Thank you for the review. My local shop is going to notify me when they come in. I'll try and get a fiver put several of them away to stew for a while.

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