People have asked me over and over what I thought was the best new cigar at IPCPR. I reviewed 2 of the top 3 since I got back, but the one that stood out on the floor of the show was the Avo Heritage. Now there are a lot of factors as to why it stood out. Edward Simon the brand manager for Avo was kind enough to take the time to talk to me about the new cigar. I had been walking around for hours and I decided to sit down and enjoy a cigar in its entirety at the lounge they had set up. I smoked, had a drink (water) and listened to some nice Jazz from the musicians they had at the booth. When you factor in all of this the Avo Heritage was the best in show.

But now that I am home in Brooklyn and I had a few cigars since returning it is time to sit down and review the new Avo Heritage which should look a little familiar to fan of Avo. The wapper is the same as the one used on the Avo LE 2009 Companero which I raved about. The sticks will come in four sizes- Toro, Churchill, Robusto and a 4 x 56 Short Robusto. The stick will be limited to select merchants and will retail between $7.00 and $9.50.

On a side note, if you are in New York City on September 10, 2010 from 1pm to 6pm there will be a special Avo Heritage Introduction Event at De La Concha which is located 1390 Avenue of the Americas which is between 56th and 57th Street.

Cigar: Avo Heritage
Size: 4 7/8th x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Ecuador (Cuban Seed)
Binder: Dominican San Vincente
Filler: 3 different Domincan Ligero, Dominican Seco, Peruvian Seco
Strength: Medium/Full
Twitter: @avocigars
Facebook: Avo Cigars
Official Site: http://www.avo.com

Avo Heritage Robusto

Appearance and Construction: Seeing the Avo Heritage is like seeing an old friend. As I mentioned before I loved the Avo LE 2009 Companero and was sad to see my stash disappear. Comparing notes between that review and this review the blends are very similar to say the least. The general make up of the cigar is the almost the same. The wrapper is loaded with oils but it is somewhat veiny. The stick itself is nicely rolled with a gorgeous looking cap. The band is bronze with the Avo logo and on one side in cursive is Avo Heritage.

Flavor & Notes: The foot of the cigar is a departure from what I have come to expect from Avo. The notes of barnyard are not present which is a nice departure for me. Through the nose I pick up some fresh cedar while the cold draw served up notes of sweetness, wood and earth. Once lit the ligero tobacco is noticeable with notes of pepper especially though the nose. As we continue the first third the sweetness develops into a caramel like note with some wood notes that are heavier then cedar. As we enter the second third of the cigar the strength kicks up a notch while the notes become a bit sweeter. There is a definite caramel/mocha thing going on here with continued spices and wood. In fact if I close my eyes I am easily transported back to the white couches of the Avo booth at IPCPR with some soft jazz in the background of my thoughts. The final third of the cigar some faint spice remains but its minimal at this point even through the nose and I begin pick up a note of warm chocolate along with some wood and earth on the finish.

Smoking Characteristics: The draw of the Avo Heritage robusto was loose and it smoked a little fast for my liking but it never burned hot. The ash while not flaky was weak and it often fell into my lap after an inch. The stick did produce a nice amount of smoke and had a delicious aroma, even to those around me.

Conclusion: A box purchase is definitely in the future for these, and could be the best Avo regular release to date but I still like the LE 09 to date as the best Avo ever in my humble opinion. Delicious from pre-light to last exhale the cigar should not be skipped over once they are released. Prior to today I had 3 cigars in the running for cigar of the year 2010, the addition of this cigar makes it 4.

Rating: 93
Price: $7.00