Avo Companero

This is a limited edition cigar for 2009. The cigar is something to behold in a vitola that is large and bulky, yet somehow still elegant. The wrapper is a rich, dark brown shade and has a nice oily sheen, there are some prominent veins. The construction appears to be excellent, I do not detect any spots that are too firm, or areas that indicate that the cigar might be underfilled. The pre light aroma has hints of spice, leather and grass. The pre light draw shows some peppery notes, but there is a grassy undertone.

The cigar opens well, with some notes of spice and tobacco. There is a grassy undertone that detracts from the opening experience. The burn is razor sharp and the ash is a very crisp white. The draw is slightly tight, but there is not an undue amount of labor required to produce acceptable amounts of smoke. For the first inch to inch and a half the grassy notes are the only detractors from this cigar.

At near the one third point of the cigar the profile has notes of spice, tobacco and a sweet herbal note. The grassy notes are still noticable at the back of the palate, but are fading away. The burn has stayed strong, but there is some flaking of the ash that causes a bit of a mess. The draw has opened up and is producing clouds of flavorful smoke.

At just past halfway the profile is showing notes of leather, rich tobacco and dark wood flavors. There is still an herbal tone at the back of the palate that is threatening to become grassy again. The burn and draw have stayed consistent.

The final half of the smoke shows a profile of leather, tobacco and grassy notes. The burn and draw stay true throughout the smoke showing excellent construction.

The finish is a bit sharp, showing notes of grass, tobacco and leather.

Appearance- 90 this is a very nicely presented cigar
Taste- 86 this would have been much higher without the grassy notes that pester the palate
Construction- 89 the tightness of the draw and flaky ash hurt this score
Strength- 91 a nice full presentation
Overall- 89 an excellent presentation that shows aging potential