Avo Uvezian to start national tour for new L.E. '08 Tesoro cigars

Among the best experiences I've had since I started working in the cigar business has been the opportunity to meet some really wonderful people. One of them is none other than Avo Uvezian, who turns 82 years young on March 22nd. Coincidentally, I started in the business in 2001, the same year Avo introduced his first Limited Edition Anniversary cigar, the "Avo 75."

Next week, in conjunction with a national tour of exclusive dinners, Avo will debut his latest opus, the L.E. '08 Tesoro. The new cigars are blended with Dominican-grown Piloto, Olor and San Vicente tobaccos, wrapped in an Ecuadorian sun-grown leaf, and rolled to 5¾" x 50. Presented in a box of 20, the band has been placed at the foot, and the cigars are positioned "head down" in the box. (Look for my review of the Avo L.E. '08 Tesoro in "My Weekend Cigar" blog on Monday, March 24th.)

I first learned about Avo cigars during the mid-1990's cigar boom. I was working in the video business and a co-worker turned me on to the brand. Needless to say, it was love at first light. So you can imagine my anticipation when I had the chance to interview him at my first RTDA show in 2002. Since then, each year Avo has been gracious enough to spend some quality time with me, and because we're also both musicians, we've formed a bond that goes beyond our mutual love for fine cigars.

Avo has had a fascinating life, too. He was born in Lebanon in 1926. As a young man he trained professionally as a musician, which led him to The Julliard School of Music in New York City. From there he went on to play with some of the top jazz musicians in the world. Today, Avo has his own jazz festival, The Avo Sessions, held annually in Basel, Switzerland. During the early 1980's Avo lived in Puerto Rico and performed in his own restaurant where he would smoke cigars made especially for him. Those first "Avo cigars" also marked the beginning of his relationship with master blender, Hendrik Kelner, and as they say, the rest is history.

The Avo dinners will commence on March 20th in Lake Mary, FL and move on to select cities across the U.S. through April 30th. So on that note, I'm pleased to announce that Avo will be making a special stop at the Famous Smoke Shop Retail Store in Easton, PA on Friday, March 28th from 2:00 - 3:30 P.M. Attendees will not only have the chance to meet and greet Avo, but he'll also be autographing boxes of Avo cigars. I'm even bringing my keyboard so Avo can entertain us. Maybe he'll teach me a few new licks, too. If you live anywhere near the Lehigh Valley of western NJ/eastern PA, make the time to stop by the store. For more information on his appearance you can call 610-559-8800, or view the Famous Smoke Shop Retail Store calendar.