This cigar was enjoyed with Glenlivet 12 neat & soda water
Pre-Light: 9 Points of 10 Possible
First impressions... Cigar is hard, well packed. Pre-light smell of the wrapper and foot are of a nice rich musty tobacco. No spice or pepper. Medium oil.
Straight cut right off the end.
Cold draw - green tea/oolong tea (that's a first), light hay
Lighting and Burn: 12 Points of 15 Possible
Lighting the cigar and drawing, I hear a crackling (one section of wrapper is burning faster than 2/3 of it...), same section is burning faster, will have to correct. Ash stayed on for a few inches at a time.
After correction, same section is still burning a slight bit faster, but better. SOLID ash.
2/3 burn evens out without another touch-up. Burn remained good with slight wavy lines and final burn was perfect.
Construction: 28 Points of 30 Possible
No label, celloed cigar, cello was untinted. Cigar looks good, triple cap like I would expect from an AVO. Construction is neat, perfect wrapper, smooth, triple cap, pretty firm, well packed, slight box press at the foot. Good draw and fair amount of smoke.
Flavor and Aroma: 30 Points of 45 Possible
Strength on light is on the lighter side of medium.
First 1/3, I am tasting wood, bread, a bit of pepper and light toasted nuts, metal on the retrohale. Smooth, leather notes. Pretty pleasant aroma coming from the smoke. Body and flavor are just under medium. Long dry finish.
Metallic taste going into the 2/3, grasses, acidic, light spice. More leather coming in. Musty earth. Flavors are becoming a bit stronger, solid medium flavor now. Body is medium, almost medium plus.
Final third flavors remain the same. Dry leather, metallic earth, slight cream. Body is medium plus.
Summary
A great cigar, initially a bit of a strange burn. But settled out. Overall a great cigar, but the flavor profile was not my cup of tea. I expected a bit more out of AVO LE maybe, I have had a fair number of AVO sticks, including a LE 30yr Maduro (which I LOVED). A bit disappointed.
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