AVO 30th Anniversary Cigar Review | The Best Summer 2018 Cigar?

Somewhat ironically the Avo 30th Anniversary photo shoot was take after the fourth nor’easter (winter snow storm, in the Northeast corridor of the USA) we’ve experience in this crazy month of March here in Philadelphia.

However, that may have been for the best, as we are giving this a white hot nod for the best Spring / Summer 2018 cigar that money can buy! Read on to find out more about this newly released smoke from Avo…

30 Years of Avo: 1988 – 2018

Released to celebrate the 30th year since the founding of Avo Cigars, this is the first in a scheduled series of three cigars to be released during the course of 2018.

As part of the “Improvisation Series”, this is stated as an improvised blend of the Avo Classic No 3.

High Level Details

This is a limited edition release, set to just 2,400 boxes of 25 cigars.

Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominian Repubilic
Vitola (size): 7.5″ X 50 [Double Corona]
Official Launch Date: March 15th, 2018

The price per cigar is $16, and for a box of 25 it’s $400.

Our review of the cigar puts it in the mild – medium category. But don’t let that put you off if you’re a full bodied cigar guy, as this unique smoke has some tricks up its sleeves!

Super Premium Presentation Cigar Box

As a fitting tribute to the brand’s founder, Avo Uvezia, this box has been well thought out and immaculately made. I liken it more to a luxury watch box from Rolex or Omega, rather than a standard cigar box…

There is an outer cardboard box that surrounds the true star of the show – the actual cigar box itself.

This box has a nice metal button push (I’m sure it could be used as a temporary humidor with a few Boveda packs in it), to reveal the enclosed cigars.

But that’s not even the half of it! The box itself is textured to mimic the legendary style of Avo Uvezia, with his hallmark panama hats and linen suits. That’s something we fully support here at Bespoke Unit, as we cover suits in great detail from how they fit, to “dress codes” and more.

Upon opening the box you’ll be presented with 25 cigars neatly packed and wrapped.

It’s truly hard to think how this presentation could be topped!

Avo Improvisation Series – 30th Anniversary Cigar Review

As with all our cigar reviews we strive to sample a number of cigars here at Bespoke Unit in order to get an accurate impression of what we think of the particular stick in question.

Pre Light

The first thing you’re going to notice is the sheer size of the DOUBLE CORONA!

It’s a large 7.5″ in length with a 50 ring gauge. However, with that being said, it does not feel overly cumbersome, or hard to handle by any means.

Upon initial “dry draw” and smelling the wrapper, we’re getting light, sweet, earthy and even nutty notes. It looks akin to a Connectucit wrapper in color, but has more of an earthy depth to it.

There are a few veins, and did not feel dry nor oily.

First Third Of The Smoke

The first few initial draws have a relatively light flavor of not an overly powerful depth, and are somewhat earthy on the palate.

However, within a few minutes you’re going to be hit with some amazing citrus notes!

We are also detecting some cedar and other “dry” woody smells, with even a slight hint of cinnamon.

Second Third

Well, this is some roller-coaster of a cigar, as the citrus notes have faded somewhat and a creamy butterscotch center has come to the fore during the second third. The smoke at this point seems thicker, but not so much so to make it seem like a meal.

Wow this stick is telling one hell of a story thus far!

As this cigar is so long, we had to include another picture of deep into the second third (maybe I should have done this review in quarters!).

Again, the 7.5″ Double Corona size didn’t ever feel overbearing, or a “chore” to consume…

The flavors are maturing and evolving very nicely.

Final Third

We like to smoke ’em deep here are Bespoke Unit. On this beast we got to pretty much the end of the second “Avo” band as she was still telling us a great story.

In the initial part of the last third slight hints of pepper and spice emerged (as one would expect), and we were still getting some nice smooth nuttiness.

Storytelling & Depth

To be honest this is one of the most exciting cigars we have tried this year at Bespoke Unit.

The unassuming light wrapper, and mild to medium body is PACKED full of amazing flavors ranging from citrus to nuttiness and butterscotch. This array of flavors gives the cigar a very welcoming depth in a lighter package. I can see this as a perfect Spring / Summer cigar during a round of golf, or even out in the garden at a mid-afternoon BBQ.

Pros & Cons Of This Limited Edition Stick

We want to be fair and mention both the pros as well as the cons of this cigar.

Pros

The box is insane! The stick itself is full of flavors and tells an amazing story, with some interesting notes throughout….

Further, the Double Corona size is something to behold. Not to be confused with a “novelty” size, this cigar is in charge and tells a fantastic story with its length.

Cons

There are, however, two cons we found with the cigar.

First of the six sampled thus far all had “soft spots” in the middle of the stick. This did not seem to detract too drastically that we could tell from the overall very enjoyable experience.

Secondly, the bands are SUPER glued on! The wrapper is quite fragile.

The paper has a soft “linen” texture, being a nice nod to the founder’s style, but does make it hard to remove the wrappers (compared to a glossy finished wrapper).

Some may not smoke as low as we do, but you’ll at least want to get past the first “30th” band, as there is still some major flavors down there to discover. Again, with the six cigars we’ve tried thus far, all have suffered some wrapper damage in the removal process, no matter how delicate we’ve tried to be.

Final Thoughts On The Avo 30th Anniversary

This is a blockbuster stick that is going to be perfect as we move into the warmer summer months. With the stick’s citrus notes, mild to medium profile and overall great story, what’s not to love!

Even with the two aforementioned issues, I still think it represents great value with its well-designed box featuring 25 cigars in a commanding Double Corona size. The investment of $400 for a box is not cheap by an means, but you’re buying some real quality here.

As this is a limited edition, don’t delay if you’re a fan of the brand and / or looking for a great Spring / Summer smoke.

"This mild - medium bodied cigar is a wolf in sheep's clothing. The roller coaster ride of flavors is something to behold (so don't pass this one over full bodied cigar peeps!). These flavor notes range from strong citrus in the first third, to creamy light butterscotch. In a Double Corona size, this relaxing smoke could become a summer 2018 favorite! But act fast as it's limited to only 2,400 boxes!"

Bespoke Unit Rating: ★★★★