Origin : Dominican Republic
Format : Perfecto
Size : 4 5/8 x 52
Wrapper : Ecuador
Filler : Dominican Republic
Binder : Dominican Republic
Hand-Made
Price : ~$6 each
I could not resist when I saw this beautiful cigar in a cigar shop in Paris. I have a special feeling for perfectos since this is a vitola that is almost always perfectly constructed and allows me to concentrate on flavor characteristics of the stick. The tobacco in this cigar comes from the “Domaine AVO”, a finca in the Dominican Republic that belongs to Avo Uvezian, the brand founder. The wrapper is a twice fermented Ecuador.
Appearance : Rating:
As you can see from the picture, the Avo Domaine 20 scores high in the looks department. It has everything to please – from a pure brown shiny wrapper to a classy-looking, elegant band. It has a Cubanesque smell and a slightly woody pre-draw.
Construction : Rating:
As with most Avo cigars, construction qualities are exceptional – I wasn’t surprised when I saw that the perfecto burned perfectly well and had a clean irreproachable draw. The burn was slow and resulted in a solid white ash.
Flavor : Rating:
Unfortunately I won’t be able to use the word ‘exceptional’ again. The cigar starts with a swift black pepper hit. The smoke is immediately smooth and I’d qualify it as medium-bodied. As soon as the pepper fades out, I have a clean leathery taste on the palate. It turns out that the leather will remain the main flavor throughout the smoke, with regular cedar undertones. I was pleasantly surprised in finding no harshness at all until the nub.
Value : Rating:
At $6 each if bought by box, it’s quite a nice value for a perfecto. Considering the fact that you are almost sure to get a reliable construction, the Domaine line appears to me as a nice addition to the humidor.
Overall Rating : Rating:
I recommend this cigar to those who like medium-bodied, moderately complex sticks. Might be a good idea to offer this one to non-smoking friends, too – or just enjoy it in the morning.