Ave Maria Ark of the Covenant

Origin : Nicaragua
Format : (Petit?) Gordo
Size : 4.5 x 60
Wrapper : Ecuadorian Habano
Filler : Nicaraguan
Binder : Nicaraguan
Hand-Made
Price : ~$7 each
More info about purchasing Ave Maria cigars...

Since the Ave Maria was released, it has been one of my favorite cigars. I usually only smoke full bodied cigars, so for me to find a medium bodied one that I like this much is rare. My father is new to cigars, and this is the one that got him to enjoy them. This works out in my favor because now I have someone to split a box with every now and then to cut costs.

Appearance :
The dark brown habano wrapper appears perfect. There is not one vein running through the entire stick that would affect the burn pattern. If the wrapper doesn’t draw you in, the band sure will. The Ave Maria has one of my favorite cigar bands of all time. The vivid colors and the giant knight just drew me in immediately.

Construction :
This thick beast was packed too tight. It was tight to the point that it was relatively difficult to draw from. Other than that flaw, the rest of the construction was great. The cap was perfectly flush. The cigar cut very clean and was very easy to light. And the ash was very strong, holding on until halfway.

Flavor :
The flavor started off very toasty with a mild spice. Shortly after that there formed some honey notes. These sweet notes combined with the pepper for a nice sweet and spicy flavor. About an inch or so in, the flavor mellows out and a earthy profile comes out. By halfway the cigar became very sweet and the honey notes were met by a cedar flavor. The finish was mainly all earth and sweet tobacco flavors. The spice had died down to just an undertone.

Value :
I don’t feel that this cigar is worth the $7 asking price. I feel a $5 price tag would be more logical. But in my current location, with taxes how they are, $7 is almost an industry average per stick, if not a little bit higher. So I guess that the $7 price tag is a fitting price overall.

Overall Rating :
Ave Maria has a great, relatively consistent flavor profile that I enjoy very much. The cigar has a solid medium body. Other than the minor draw issue, it is great, especially for a Cigars International house brand. I highly recommend this cigar to everyone. As I said before, it is one of my favorites.