Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the AVO Expressions Limited Edition 2024 is dark tan and has some decently raised veins running down the back that carry a lighter color to them. The seams are a bit raised and the head is finish with a small pigtail. There are two bands, both with a white, black, metallic red and yellow color combination. The primary is the traditional brand design, while the secondary denotes the line. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of cedar, hay and earth, while the foot brings cedar and banana bread. The pre-light draw brings cedar, breadiness and floral notes.
Seth: The AVO Expressions Limited Edition 2024 is a nice looking cigar. The cigar is finished with a silky wrapper that has few veins throughout. Those present are small to medium in size. The coloring between Claro and Natural, and it has faded golden hay coloring. Aromas on the cigar are of warm spices, earth, tobacco and cedar. Faint cocoa as well.
John: The AVO Expressions Limited Edition 2024 came in cellophane and had a UPC sticker with the cigar information and an integrated tear tab so it remained intact when opened. There is a Limited Edition AVO Cigars primary band and an ‘eXpressions’ secondary band. For additional artisanal complications, there is a twisted tail style cap. I weighed the cigar at 16.6 grams and measured the humidity at 58.5% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included sweet bread, a vegetal aroma and a combination of faint earth and wood. From the foot, I was picking out hay and dry wood.
Jiunn: The AVO Expressions Limited Edition 2024 has a Colorado Claro wrapper shade. The wrapper look could have had a deeper brush through with QC as there are a few under fermented green spots. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas consist of heavy barnyard stank and spicy cedar.

AVO Expressions Limited Edition 2024

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, earth and black pepper. At a quarter inch in, some construction paper joins the profile. The retrohale is toasted cedar, construction paper, zingy black pepper and mild earth. At an inch and a quarter, the construction paper is even up front with the toasted cedar. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and construction paper are even up front, with the earth and black pepper a bit behind. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third starts out with a nice cedar profile that is paired with some soft spices, hay and earth. There are tobacco notes present on the finish with some creamy qualities as well. Medium in strength and body.
John: The first third opens with dry hay and wood as light spices and tannic wood team up for the finish. The first third settles into a profile of creamy wood, a mildly dry wood center and sweetness to finish. As the first third continues, a vegetal note quietly moves into the center of the retrohale. Some time later, spices have progressed to the front of each puff. By the bottom half of the first third, mild chocolate is sitting just under the tannic wood through the retrohale.
Jiunn: The first third’s expression reveals balance. Flavors of hay grassiness and sweetness, subtle cedar, bread and cedar. Retrohaling gives a spicier version of cedar and increased hay grassiness. The finish is clean with mixed nuts. Strength and body is medium.

AVO Expressions Limited Edition 2024

Second Third

Aaron: The second third begins with the toast level increasing a bit. At a half inch in, a light creaminess joins the profile. At an inch in, the earth moves up to become even with the toasted cedar and construction paper. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth and construction paper with mild black pepper. At an inch and a half in, the black pepper mellows a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar, construction paper and earth are all even up front, with black pepper in the middle of the profile and some light creaminess in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second third is in line with the first. Cedar and soft spice notes are present up front. Hay, earth and tobacco as well. Finish of cream notes while continuing to smoke at that medium level for strength and body.
John: Creamy, tannic wood greets me in the second third. After a few puffs, sweet wood leads off each draw. The post draw is driven almost entirely by medium strength dryness. That profile remains static for the remainder of the second third.
Jiunn: The second third’s expression switches to a cedar driven influence with added subtle cherry cordials. The hay grassiness and sweetness, as well as mixed nuts is greatly missing though. Strength and body remains medium.

AVO Expressions Limited Edition 2024

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, a minty vegetal astringency joins the profile while the creaminess increases a bit. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and earth with a bit of construction paper and the minty vegetal astringency. At an inch in, the astringency picks up a bit as the construction paper mellows a fair amount. At an inch and a half in, the minty vegetal note loses the astringency. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with the black pepper and minty vegetal note in the middle and some creaminess and construction paper in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The final third is a continuation of the first and second. Cedar and soft spice notes that are accompanied by some hay and earth. Tobacco notes are present as well with some cream on the finish. Medium in strength and body.
John: The last third begins with creamy earth, wood and a sharp tannic wood to finish. A delayed and mildly toasted earth comes into the post draw. After the last third has a chance to settle in, some dryness is also present on the post draw. There is an increasing bitterness and tannic quality to the post draw as it progresses. It intensifies to just over medium level and I find it quite distracting.
Jiunn: The final third’s expression is less impressive than the second third. The remaining profile is merely mundane cedar and mixed nuts. It’s not bad tasting as there are no offensive flavors but just needs much more than this to be good. Strength and body finish the same medium.

AVO Expressions Limited Edition 2024

Burn

Aaron: The burn line was straight throughout, and the ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.
Seth: Perfect burn from start to finish.
John: The burn was even through the entire cigar.
Jiunn: Perfect burn performance. Even burn, tight ashes and cool burning temperature.

AVO Expressions Limited Edition 2024

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: Great level of resistance on the draw.
John: The draw is slightly into the resistant spectrum, roughly 1-1/2 to 2 notches.
Jiunn: Perfect draw as well, striking the ideal balance between resistance and air flow.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, earth and black pepper. Some construction paper joined in fairly quickly. The second third saw some light creaminess join in. The final third saw a minty vegetal astringency join in which later lost the astringency and the construction paper moved to the background. The construction was perfect. The AVO Expressions Limited Edition 2024 had an average flavor profile throughout, mainly driven by the toasted cedar, earth and construction paper. The construction paper was a bit of a wet blanket over the whole profile where it might have been able to shine a bit more otherwise. Not a very exciting flavor profile and not a cigar I’d really see myself coming back to.
Seth: I enjoyed the AVO Expressions Limited Edition 2024, but it also seemed too expensive for the cigar. AVO has a solid core portfolio, so you can smoke similar offerings for a better price and have them all the time without worrying about an LE being off the market when the run is over. The flavor profile of cedar, hay, tobacco and spices is always a classic, and AVO does it well, so delivering a similar quality with an LE is silly. I guess you can say this is a good cigar, and a good AVO, but a bad LE. But, that is the case for many cigars.
John: The AVO Expressions Limited Edition 2024 is pleasant, albeit lacking in any overly engaging or dynamic flavor combinations, up until the last third where it became unbalanced. The burn was perfect while the draw was slightly into the resistant spectrum. This isn’t a cigar I believe lives up to some of the great releases that have come out in years past in the AVO line. The flavor profile is entirely forgettable and not something I would want to smoke or return to. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 41 minutes.
Jiunn: Does expressing one third of 2024 count? No it doesn’t. The first third was one of Avo’s classic profiles. One that is filled with balance in earthy grassy funk and just the right amount of natural sweetness. But the remaining profile kept on falling shorter and shorter. This AVO Expressions Limited Edition 2024 isn’t something I’d like to come back to as the core lines are even better and cheaper than this.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$3.13

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$2.95

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.25

Cost/Point

$3.43

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$2.95

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: AVO Expressions Limited Edition 2024