AVO Syncro 10th Anniversary Limited Edition

Looking back over the past two decades, the late 2000s to early twenty-teens were likely some of the most transformative years for Davidoff and its subsidiary brands. This period included the acquisition and overhaul of Camacho, a refresh of the AVO brand, and a series of unconventional releases from both Davidoff and AVO—embracing blends that highlighted Nicaraguan and other non-Dominican tobaccos, marking a notable departure from their Dominican roots.

For AVO, this new direction was signaled through the 2015 debut of the Syncro Nicaragua cigar—the first in a growing series that now spans four core-line blends. As the line reached its 10-year anniversary this year, AVO commemorated the occasion with a limited variation of the original blend, featuring leaves from similar regions (though lacking a Peruvian influence) incorporated into difference positions within the blend.

“The AVO Syncro 10th Anniversary Limited Edition celebrates a decade of innovation and craftsmanship. With this cigar, our Master Blenders showcase their unwavering commitment to expanding the boundaries of taste. The unique blend and distinctive vitola honour the Syncro legacy, delivering an unforgettable experience for our cigar enthusiasts around the globe.” —Edward Simon, cmo at Oettinger Davidoff

AVO Syncro 10th Anniversary LE Breakdown

The AVO Syncro 10th Anniversary Limited Edition was rolled in a single box-pressed 6⅝″ × 50 diadema fina format, featuring an Ecuadorian wrapper atop a binder from Nicaragua and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. This differs from the Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper of the original (or perhaps AVO’s simply less specific on blend details), which also uses a Dominican binder and a bevy of filler varietals from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Peru.

The cigars were first announced in March, making their debut a month later at the PCA 2025 trade show in New Orleans.

Appearance

The banding is unmistakably AVO—crisp lines, metallic accents, and a complementary color palette that feels celebratory without being loud. But what really catches the eye is the cigar’s vitola: a soft-pressed diadema fina, complete with tapered head and rounded shoulders that stretch into a classic box-pressed frame. It’s a shape you don’t see every day, and it gives the cigar a subtle elegance before it ever hits flame.

The wrapper leans toward a classic Colorado hue—reddish brown and fairly muted in appearance. There’s not much sheen or oil to speak of, and the surface feels smooth to the touch. Seams are a little more noticeable than expected, with a few bordering on loose (enough to give pause when handled), while the veins are mostly fine with a couple medium-thick ones that stand out across the leaf. The cigar feels lighter than expected for its size, and the bunch gives a soft squeeze—just shy of under-filled, at least as far as the pre-light examination suggests.

On the nose, the wrapper brings out tangy barnyard notes, cedar, and a flash of citrus. The foot shows more minerality and a damp earth character, while the pre-light draw lands cool and crisp—like mint leaves muddled with garden herbs. There’s a clean, refreshing quality to it that borders on spritzy.

Smoking Experience

The AVO Syncro 10th Anniversary kicks off with a quirk—smoking a bit too profusely from a specific section of the foot during toasting, as if one patch of leaf was eager to get going before the rest. This evens out after a few puffs, though it leaves a brief impression of imbalance right from the jump.

Initial flavors lean dry and bitter, with notes of sun-dried hay and roasted nuts. Sticking with the roasted nut analogy, it leans further into fibrous territory than I’d like, as if you roasted and ate them with the shell intact. There’s a sting to the tongue and a faint floral or perfume note hanging in the background, hinting at something elegant that doesn’t quite materialize. A sharp, bitter coffee component begins to develop, pushing across the back of the tongue and into the rear roof of the mouth. Through the retrohale, there’s a muted peppercorn character—not quite spicy, but still carrying a tingle. The overall profile leans more bitter than fiery, lacking the satisfying punch of Nicaragua’s volcanic terroir.

Construction-wise, the cigar performs well early on. The burn line stays clean past the one-inch mark, and the ash is light gray with some streaks of medium gray—not particularly flaky, but visually fragile. The draw is firmer than ideal, producing a medium-light amount of smoke per puff. Flavor is in the mild-medium range at this point, with medium body and strength taking the lead. Smoke lands on the center on the tongue, then gradually works toward the rear-center and back sides.

As the cigar progresses, an astringent bitterness dominates the finish, leaving a puckering sensation across the cheeks and lips. A slight touchup is needed after the ash falls, and the most compelling flavor—a lightly acidic coffee note—rises as the highlight. Midway through, there’s a surge of mineral character across the mid-palate, paired with roasted chestnut and a lingering note of black licorice. These flavors hang on in one form or another throughout the majority of the experience, though they rarely lift into something truly engaging.

Near the halfway mark, the draw opens up noticeably, briefly transforming the profile into something far more enjoyable. A fleeting but satisfying sequence of toasted bread, nutmeg, and cinnamon arrives, with minty pine and a touch of background sweetness giving the cigar its best moment of the entire session.

Unfortunately, the finale trends downward. Smoke output fades, the cigar heats up near the band, and the profile begins to singe the tongue. It becomes paper-like in texture, with flavors of cherry skin, root spice, and lingering dryness that sap the finish of vibrancy. The potential is there, but it flashes too briefly, never quite sustaining long enough to elevate the overall experience.

Would I Smoke This Cigar Again?

I don’t say this often with AVO, but I probably wouldn’t. There was something off with this one from the get-go, feeling under-packed and kicking off with a strange toasting experience. AVO is among the best at showcasing bitterness in a positive light, but this one lacks that usual floral charm—instead leaning more toward a ‘bitter beer face’ kind of harshness that would make Keystone Light blush.

• AVO limited the cigars to 3,400 boxes of 20 cigars for the US market, not divulging the international release numbers.
• This is the fifth release in the Syncro series (and the first limited edition), following the AVO Syncro Nicaragua, AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata, AVO Syncro South America Ritmo, and AVO Syncro Caribe.
• Currently, the AVO Syncro 10th Anniversary Limited Edition ranks on Dojoverse as “100% Smokable,” placing in the top 46 percent of cigars on the all-time leaderboard.

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