The AVO Improvisation LE 2020 has a really nice start, delivering some lovely cream, earth, coffee and raisin notes, but the changes that take place in the second and final thirds really take away from the beginning. Not a bad release, but far from the best AVO and not limited edition quality in my opinion.
Nice flavors in the La Flor Dominicana TAA 50 Segunda Edición Maduro. Good dry cocoa and cedar up front with second tier flavors showing leather, nuts and hay. I'm still a bit surprised how mild it is for an LFD (and I like it). The medium strength and body complimented the flavors well. This one I'll smoke again.
The AJ Fernandez Bellas Artes Maduro Toro was a solid smoke and a cigar that fit into some classic stereotypes. It was a Maduro that was dark, rich and strong. The cigar smoked at a full level from beginning to end and the flavors paired perfectly with the body and strength. Finished with beautiful artwork on the bands, this is a great release for AJ.
I was a fan of the La Flor Dominicana TAA 50 Segunda Edición Natural, but I tend to be a fan when LFD makes a Dominican blend finished with a Nicaraguan wrapper. I think the blend is balanced and it has an old school flavor profile that shows the quality of Dominican tobacco with a high quality Nicaraguan wrapper.
The Gurkha Nicaragua Series Toro was fairly average throughout and didn't provide much in the way of exciting moments. It's interesting to see an Aganorsa sourced blend for the brand and we'll see if this leads to more offerings. If so, I would be interested to try them, but for this cigar, it's not something I see myself returning to.
This cigar had the core main flavors that make up a good cigar. Sweetness, spice, wood and earth. The flavors themselves were good, but as a whole lacked harmony. Whoever blended this likes a heavier dose of strength and spice, even at times tipping the balance of sweetness and spice.
The Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Decadas Fundador was an enjoyable cigar from start to finish. The flavor profile was well balanced with varied flavor notes of bread, spices, cocoa, citrus, clover, cedar and earth. Each third presented its own take on the flavor combination which kept my interest the entire time.
The Zino Platinum Exclusive Series Washington D.C. was a great cigar and all the Zino Platinum Exclusive Series smokes have been. It is complex and balanced throughout and it has a nice body and strength level with the flavors. The cherry and oak qualities were lovely, and the pairing between those and the musty wood were quite enjoyable.
The Villiger Cuellar Black Forest Toro Gordo is a fantastic cigar and one of the best I have smoked from Villiger in a while. They really got a great blend out of Tabacalera Palma and what a nice Mexican San Andres offering. This is definitely a maduro I will come back to down the road and one I would highly recommend.
The Kristoff JT Signature Series was a good smoking experience. Significant amount of flavor complexity through the first and second third, and average smoking experience in the last third. Strength and flavor intensity were both medium-full, so this cigar will very much appeal to the fuller bodied cigar smokers.
