Pre-light Experience

The wrapper on the AVO Regional North Edition is medium brown and has some slight raised, knotty veins present. The seams are easily visible as they are raised a fair amount and the tapered head is a bit sloppily finished. There are two bands with the primary being the traditional design for the brand but carrying a primary color of yellow and denoting North on one side. The secondary band is yellow and silver with an image of a boat in orange. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of cedar and hay and the small foot opening doesn’t provide anything different. The pre-light draw brings an airy and slightly young cedar along with a mild spiciness on my lips and the tip of my tongue.

Pre-light Experience

The AVO Regional North Edition is a nice perfecto and sports a wrapper that is Colorado in coloring with some faint Natural qualities as well. The wrapper sports tooth and has small veins present throughout. It is firm in hand and has aromas of graham crackers, warm spices, tobacco and cedar.

Pre-light Experience

The AVO Regional North Edition has a UPC sticker perforated to leave the UPC and logo intact when opening the cellophane. The cigar is also double banded. Aromas were bread, sweet graham cracker, with hay and wood from the the small portion of exposed foot.

Pre-light Experience

The AVO Regional North Edition has an even Colorado maduro wrapper shade to the beautiful perfecto shaped cigar. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and head well wrapped. Aromas from the wrapper give pungent pie spices and barnyard. Cold draw gives hay and roasted nuts.

First Third

The cigar begins with a mix of cedar, cinnamon and mustiness. At three quarters of an inch in, some cream joins in and mixes with the cinnamon. The retrohale is musty cedar and faint cinnamon. At an inch and a half in, the cream has departed, the cinnamon has become very light and the profile has become a bit dry. As the third comes to a close, the cedar gains a light toast and is even with the mustiness while the cinnamon is faint in the background. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

The first third open up with a blast of sweet spices and I am getting some strong cinnamon notes. There are some faint earth qualities and touches of cedar as well. There is this musty barnyard quality. In terms of strength and body, the cigar is smoking at a medium level.

First Third

The first third starts things off with bread and light baking spices, with wood to add accents. Post draw baking spices are present and immediately start building in strength. There is a burning paper note as it settles, with intensity fortunately as a background note. By the halfway point, a sour citrus is hitting the side of my mouth.

First Third

The flavor profile within the first third is hollow. Thin flavors of mainly light cedar, hay and baking spices. Retrohaling gives the most rewarding experience (relatively speaking) as it gives pronounced cedar and baking spices. The finish has a lingering soft cinnamon and leather. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the toast note and cinnamon increase slightly. At an inch in, the toast note is now pretty heavy on the cedar and the cinnamon is no longer present. The retrohale is toasted cedar and mustiness. As the third comes to a close, the profile is a dry mix of toasted cedar and mustiness. The strength remains at medium.

Second Third

The second third delivers a flavor profile that is similar to that of the first, but stronger in body and strength. I am getting strong cinnamon notes and they are paired with strong oak and cedar qualities. There are still some barnyard notes as well, and the cigar is smoking at a level just above medium.

Second Third

Bread, cedar and a citrus finish with paper and dry cedar carrying into the post draw. Citrus and cedar really define the post draw, with a dry and sour combination playing off each other as the cigar progresses. Approaching the halfway point, sour, sweet citrus and cedar combine in a harmonious way.

Second Third

Smoking through the second third, the profile wakes up. Greater depth of flavors with added coffee beans and chestnuts. The cedar, hay and baking spices from the first third also elevate in intensity. Strength and body remains medium.

Final Third

The final third continues on with the toasted cedar and mustiness. The retrohale remains toasted cedar and mustiness. At an inch in, the toast note transitions to a light char. The cigar wraps up with the charred cedar and mustiness. The strength remained at medium.

Final Third

The final third finished with some faint bread and honey notes, but it was predominately that of cedar, cinnamon spices and barnyard. It smoked around the same level in the second third, just above medium, and it had a burnt toast finish.

Final Third

Cedar and trailing citrus sweetness lead the profile into the last third. Some cocoa comes through, mixed in with that cedar. Earthy peat comes in as the cigar settles, with that taking up home in the middle of the profile.

Final Third

The last third is less dynamic than the second third. The profile is overall full of cedar, hay and baking spices. The added coffee beans and chestnuts within the second third are now entirely gone. Strength and body finishes medium.

Burn

The burn was straight through the first half of the cigar, coincidently when the first ash dropped. After that, the burn was a bit wavy, but never needed any attention.

Burn

Very good burn from start to finish. Well constructed cigar.

Burn

The burn is straight through the review, with the ash holding on up to 2 inches at points. I wouldn’t expect anything less coming out of O.K. Cigars.

Burn

Perfect burn. Even, solid ashes, cool burning and ample smoke production

Draw

The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.

Overall

The cigar had a nice start with the inclusion of the cinnamon, but once it dropped out in the second third, the profile became very basic, just toasted cedar and mustiness which it maintained the rest of the way. With a cigar of this length, it needs to maintain its complexity a bit longer or have some further transitioning to keep the smokers attention, which the AVO Regional North Edition wasn’t able to do. I don’t really see myself returning to this one.

Draw

Perfect draw on the cigar.

Overall

I didn’t really know what to expect with the AVO Regional Series when they were first announced, I probably still don’t, so I am not sure if these are meant to be premium and special or just a fun release. Either way, I think they failed, but I am hoping that it was meant to be just a fun release. I didn’t find the AVO Regional North Edition overly complex or enjoyable, and while the vitolas had the potential to be cool, it was a weird time of year to release a series like this. Nice construction, medium body and strength, but a lack of flavors.

Draw

The draw starts out in the resistant range, roughly 2-1/2 to 3 notches, but as the cigar progresses to the shoulder it opens all the way up to 1/2 notch, putting it right in the ideal zone of resistance.

Overall

The AVO Regional North Edition provides a nuanced, balanced and engaging cigar experience for at least two thirds, and a pleasant smoking experience for the last. Construction and draw is impeccable, but again what else would you expect for a cigar coming out of O.K. Cigars. The natural comparison here is going to be to the South Edition, and I gravitate towards the North Edition. One could say it’s just a bit more refined. The price point is not going to be any surprise to AVO cigar smokers, but might make it a challenge to be a regular appearance in my humidor. Total smoking time was somewhat quicker than expected at 1 hour and 48 minutes.

Draw

The draw was also perfect, giving the best air flow.

Overall

In the race of North Edition vs South Edition, North barely wins via instant replay video footage. I don’t particularly enjoy one profile over the other, but North Edition showed better consistency and flow. The best part was the second third, giving a good showing of coffee beans, chestnuts, cedar, hay and baking spices. But the majority of the time, it was the last three (average tasting) flavors aforementioned. Although the AVO Regional North Edition is better, I don’t think I’ll be in a rush to revisit.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.85

Cost/Point

$2.39

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.00

Cost/Point

$2.33

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$2.05

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$2.30

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: AVO Regional North Edition