AVO embodies the clean and colorful design that Camacho made so easily accessible to consumers, while maintaining the classy/refined feel of Davidoff’s premium selection. And this is where you’ll find their booth – positioned between these two juggernauts in the premium cigar scene. AVO itself is no newcomer though, introduced in the early ’80s by musician Avo Uvezian. It has been a special year for AVO Cigars, celebrating Mr. Uvezian’s 90th birth-year. And Uvezian was in attendance at the show, seen taking photos with show guests and cigar personalities at the AVO booth.
AVO 90th Classic Covers Volume 4
It’s the fourth and final installment for AVO’s luxury/limited edition “Classic Covers” cigars, which are a part of the brand’s “Improvisation Series”, introduced in 2015. The concept cleverly incorporates the brand’s musical background by “covering” their own core-line cigar blends, much in the same way bands often cover each other’s songs.
The first cigar in the series was released in March, 2015, covering AVO’s “Classic” cigar. Volume 2 was then introduced at the 2015 IPCPR, paying homage to the AVO Heritage blend. Following the same timeline, the Volume 3 was released in March, 2016 – commemorating brand patriarch Avo Uvezian’s 90th birthday, featuring a play on the brand’s AVO XO cigar. Now, at the 2016 IPCPR, there was only one blend left to cover: AVO Domaine.
The Domaine is the brand’s most premium regular production cigar – a fitting choice to end the Classic Covers series. The Volume 4 cigar features a similar wrapper and filler makeup, using a more choice selection for an upgraded experience. The binder has been changed from Dominican (used on Domaine) to Ecuadorian Sumatra for Volume 4. A singular figurado vitola will be offered, which uses the same “No. 50” size from the Domaine lineup. Packaging resembles the Volume 3, shaped after a record player, with a removable vinyl lid for display and built-in slots for converting the box into a functioning ash tray.
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano 2000 Marron
- Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
- Filler: Dominican (San Vicente Mejorado Volado | Yamasa Visus | Pilito Visus | San Vicente Visus)
- Factory: OK Cigar Corp, Inc. (Dominican Republic)
- Production: Limited Edition (2,000 boxes)
- Packaging: 18-ct dress box
- Vitola: 6″ × 50 × 54 figurado
- Price: $17.90 ($322.20/box MSRP)
- Release: Shipping October
AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata
The Fogata was actually released in June, though the cigars were the centerpiece for AVO’s booth. The blend is a followup to AVO’s Syncro Nicaragua line, a critically acclaimed 2015 release that received multiple year-end awards, including Cigar Dojo’s #6 Cigar of the Year. The AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata again ventures to Nicaragua, this time showcasing a more fiery experience from Nicaragua’s more northern regions of Estelí and Condega (as opposed to the sweeter side of Nicaragua’s Ometepe island with the original cigar).
SEE ALSO: AVO Syncro Nicaragua Cigar Review
The name translates to mean “bonfire” or “campfire” in Spanish, showcasing the amped-up experience with this new iteration. But the cigar isn’t all “fire” – as the name “Syncro” implies, the blend synchronizes (or balances) the Nicaraguan intensities with a diverse, multinational blend; including an Ecuadorian wrapper, Mexican binder, and Dominican fillers (accompanied by the Nicaraguan fillers as well).
The cigar’s four sizes were displayed in AVO’s inclosure, having a bonfire simulation front and center – which used vapor and orange light to give the appearance of a live fire in the booth (nice touch).
- Wrapper: Habano 2000 Clara (Ecuador)
- Binder: Negro San Andreas (Mexico)
- Filler: Nicaraguan (Estelí Ligero & Condega Visus) | Dominican (Yamasa Visus, Piloto & San Vicente Ligero)
- Factory: OK Cigar Corp, Inc. (Dominican Republic)
- Production: Regular Release
- Packaging: 20-ct boxes
- Vitolas: 4
- Price: $8.90 – $11.90 (MSRP)
- Release: June 27, 2016 (worldwide in 2017)
- Short Torpedo: 4½ x 52 | $8.90
- Robusto: 5 x 50 | $9.90
- Toro: 6 x 54 | $10.90
- Special Toro: 6 x 60 | $11.90
Packaging
Complimenting the new retailer displays shown by Camacho, AVO will also introduce visual displays, showcasing more convenient paper and tin-packaged samplings of various AVO blends/sizes. There will also be an 8-ct tubo robusto pack, featuring 3 of AVO’s core-line cigars (Classic [3], XO [3], and Heritage [2]).
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