The Stogie Guys

Over two decades ago, Avo Uvezian founded a cigar company. A Lebanese-born jazz pianist and a former jewelry designer, he was an unlikely addition to the world of cigars. But this Juilliard-trained talent, in partnership with Hendrik Kelner, would quickly make an impact on the industry, selling over 750,000 cigars in his company’s third year and inking a distribution deal with Davidoff.

More recently, Uvezian celebrated his 85th birthday with a new cigar. The release follows in the tradition he started ten years ago when he introduced a limited edition smoke to celebrate his 75th anniversary. This year, Uvezian has paired a sun-grown Dominican wrapper with a Peruvian binder and San Vicente and Piloto Cubano filler tobaccos.

The resulting Avo Limited Edition 2011 is available in only one size: Diademas (6.6 x 50). Its production is limited to 100,000 cigars worldwide, including 60,000 cigars for the U.S. market. Such exclusivity helps explain the hefty MSRP of $17.50.

Shipments of the Diademas started to hit tobacconists in late March. Those who were lucky enough to find and afford the cigar were rewarded with a stunning, double-banded perfecto that has minimal veins, a beautiful cap, and pre-light notes of hay and molasses—an aroma that’s very similar to the PG Symphony 20th, which is also crafted by Kelner.

The cold draw is surprisingly easy despite the cigar’s firm feel. Once lit, the rich, abundant tufts of smoke emit flavors of caramel, black coffee, roasted nuts, cream, and cedar spice. The aftertaste is characterized by a sharp bite on the middle of the tongue. I’d describe the profile as medium in body and moderate in strength.

Leather becomes a force into the midway point, adding bitter tones to the flavor and slightly increasing the Diademas’ overall intensity. To its credit, though, the cigar smokes more like an orchestral performance than a heavy metal rock show, displaying a fine balance from light to nub. And the combustion qualities of both of the samples I tested for this review were superb.

In the end, instead of being an example of an overpriced limited edition that’s more style than substance, the Avo Limited Edition 2011 emerges as a top performer. Sometimes you get what you pay for. In this case, that’s a good thing. So I have no qualms about echoing the chorus of praise this cigar has already received, and I’m awarding it a rare rating of five stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five stogie-rated cigars can be found here.]

-Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

[Editors’ Note: In celebration of the five-year anniversary of StogieGuys.com, we’re updating and re-publishing some of our oldest articles, many of which focused on cigar basics. Our hope is to encourage a discussion among readers and reacquaint the community with important cigar fundamentals.]

Golf and cigars go together perfectly. You’ve got hours outdoors, you can ash your cigar anywhere without getting dirty looks (except for the greens), and compared to the rest of society, golf courses generally provide cigar-friendly environments.

There are plenty of firms looking to cash in on this match made in heaven with all kinds of specialty golf cigar gadgets ranging from cigar tees to hold your cigar to golf bag humidors. But dropping extra cash on a gadget is completely unnecessary if you follow a few simple tips.

First, make a good decision about what to smoke. The golf course is perfect for a Churchill or, if a smaller ring gauge is more to your liking, a lonsdale. Remember that your cigar may sit un-smoked for awhile as you four-putt, only to find that it went out. Larger cigars have a higher tolerance for re-lighting.

Second, you need to light your cigar properly. While golf courses are perfect for smoking a stogie, the wind that never seems to be blowing at your back can make lighting a cigar awfully difficult. If blocking the wind with your hand doesn’t get the job done, you may want to try using a hat to block the breeze. Or sit in your golf cart (if you’re riding, not walking) and duck behind the clear plastic windshield. A torch is preferable to matches under windy conditions.

After you’ve got your cigar selected and lit properly, the next challenge is deciding where to rest your cigar while you swing away. Plenty of outfits hawk special “cigar tees,” but all you need is a flat, non-flammable surface: various places in golf carts, tee box markers, or even a few tees from your bag. Just try to avoid laying your cigar directly on the grass—especially the greens—as many golf courses are saturated with chemical fertilizers.

Our final tip regards how many cigars to bring to the course in the first place. The standard is one cigar for every nine holes. But it’s better to come over-prepared, especially if the course has a slow pace of play. That makes three cigars per 18-hole round a good rule of thumb. Just remember to store your stash safely in your golf bag inside a simple leather case or a cigar tube.

-The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’ve been very impressed with Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s new cigars, particular the 2010 Short Run limited release. But despite the fact that it is reportedly the third best-selling size, I’ve never been a huge fan of the six-inch by 60-ring gauge size. Still, I was looking forward to trying the Dominantes (6.25 x 60). It’s fuller-bodied than the smaller Short Run sizes, but still features graham spice, butter, and woody notes. Add a bit of leather into the mix and you get an interesting blend with the excellent construction I’ve come to expect from Carrillo’s cigars.

Verdict = Buy.

-Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys