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Country: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Size: Churchill 6.75″ x 48 ring
Courtesy of CigarsDirect.com

Avo cigars are the first premium cigars I ever smoked.  The classic Avo no. 2 may be the cigar responsible for setting me down the path of premium cigar smoking and collecting as a hobby.  It got me hooked on hand made premium cigars.  Way back then, the Avo no.2 was my expensive special occasion smoke, because in the beginning I had always thought that $7 for a cigar was extremely extravagant.  My how things have changed… lol.  Over the years I have moved away from the AVO brand as part of my regular rotation of smokes but it has still always held a special place in my heart because of its role in myearly days of cigar appreciation.  Today I have an Avo Domaine no.30 courtesy of my friends at CigarsDirect.com.

Avo Uvezian, the man behind the Avo brand, is a gentleman that exemplifies class and sophistication.  He is a respected cigar connoisseur and a accomplished musician.  The Avo brand of cigars mirrors its creators sense of style and class.  The cigars are know for being refined, smooth, and balanced.  The Domaine utilizes a beautiful Ecuadorian grown wrapper that is fermented a second time after being sent to Santa Domingo in the Dominican Republic.  Some of the finest Dominican tobaccos are used for the filler and binder to lend a robust yet  balanced flavor when paired with the aromatic Ecuadorian wrapper.

This Churchill is a handsome cigar with a smooth silky wrapper.  Construction is almost never an Issue with Avo cigars.  The Domaine is a medium bodied smoke with an earthy, must core.  I also picked up strong grassy/vegetal notes and little hits of sourness as I made my way through the smoke.  It smoothed out a lot in the second half losing that vegetal quality that I have to say I was not enjoying.  It was predominately earth with notes of hay the rest of the way.  Smooth and enjoyable.  Overall this cigar is not my cup of tea, but it is well made and if they don’t always start out the way this one did, I’d consider it a nice mid afternoon smoke.  If they are always that grassy at the start, then I think I would just pass on this cigar.  If I were judging solely on the second half of this smoke I’d score it a solid B, maybe even a B+, but taking it as a whole I can only give it a C.

Rating – C