Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Avowed The Vow 7.05 Corona Gorda is light brown with a fair number of raised veins. The seams are fairly smooth and the caps are well applied. The band is green, white and gold and has a V on the front, with the line name on each side. The aroma from the wrapper is lightly musty cedar and earth while the foot brings very musty cedar and stewed fruit. The pre-light draw brings more of the musty cedar and stone fruit sweetness along with a mid-level spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Avowed The Vow 7.05 Corona Gorda is ok in appearance. The band is great, and looks fantastic against the Colorado wrapper, but the wrapper is not that pretty. I am sure there is quality in flavors on the wrapper, but it’s not that good looking. It has some slight marbling, showing Natural and Colorado colors, and it is bumpy with veins throughout. There is a leather like texture to the wrapper, and the aromas are that of cedar, leather, hay and tobacco. Pepper spices as well.
John: The Avowed The Vow 7.05 Corona Gorda comes in cellophane and does not have a UPC sticker. I weighed the cigar at 15.6 grams, and measured the humidity at 65.3% using the CigarMedics HumidiMeter Pro. For aromas from the wrapper, I noted sweet wood, faint bread, vegetal notes and a touch of minerality. From the foot, I picked up sweet raisin and tobacco, along with bread and wood.
Jiunn: The Avowed The Vow 7.05 Corona Gorda has a uniform Colorado wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas present a plethora of barnyard funk and cedar.

Avowed The Vow 7.05 Corona Gorda

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with musty, toasted cedar, earth and mild black pepper. At a half inch in, the cedar also takes on an aged note. The retrohale is toasted cedar, earth and light amounts of mustiness and black pepper. At an inch and a half in, a bit of chalkiness mixes in with the mustiness. As the third comes to a close, the musty, aged cedar with a bit of chalkiness is up front, with earth a bit behind and some mild black pepper in the background. The strength was slightly below medium.
Seth: The first third opens with some dry earth, cedar, hay and faint cream qualities. There are some toasted nut and roasted coffee bean flavors present as well, and the finish has some peppery spices. Red pepper notes are prominent. I would classify the cigar as being medium in strength and body.
John: The first third opens with sweet tobacco combining with mildly tannic wood at the core. Wood and herbal notes define the finish. Through the retrohale, I noted baking spices and dry wood, followed by a creamy custard sweetness as the third settled in. Approaching the halfway mark, the profile evolves into a custard and bread base, with baking spices accenting the profile and lingering wood on the post draw. Chocolate appears on the retrohale through the bottom half, rounding out a flavorful and engaging first third.
Jiunn: The first third shows a wide array of flavors. Zesty citrus rind, cedar, minerals, sweet cream and leather. The retrohale gives milk creaminess and amplified red pepper spice. The finish is medium with a combination of leather and cedar. Strength is medium-full and body is medium.

Avowed The Vow 7.05 Corona Gorda

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the toast level increases a bit, and the mustiness mellows a bit. At a half inch in, the mustiness returns to its previous level. The retrohale is now just musty toasted cedar and earth. At an inch and a half in, the mustiness mellows a bit again and the chalkiness has departed. As the third comes to a close, the musty, toasted cedar is up front, with earth a bit behind and mild black pepper in the background. The strength remained at slightly below medium.
Seth: The second third is in line with the first. Dry earth, cedar and hay notes. Touches of leather and cream are present with a finish of toasted nuts, coffee beans and red pepper spices. A balanced cigar overall. Medium in strength and body.
John: The second third begins with creamy, mildly tannic wood, supported by dry wood on the finish. Delayed, mild spices enter the post draw. A musty herbal note takes the center of the profile as the cigar progresses. By the halfway mark, creamy spices lead the draw, while medium-strength dry tannic wood defines the post draw. The profile becomes more wood-driven and slightly less dynamic than the first third.
Jiunn: The second third brings a grassiness to the profile, further lengthening the array of flavors. The other flavors are still intact (zesty citrus rind, cedar, minerals, sweet cream, leather). Strength and body remains medium-full and medium, respectively.

Avowed The Vow 7.05 Corona Gorda

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the earth increases a bit and the mustiness mellows a bit more. The retrohale remains musty toasted cedar and earth. At an inch in, the earth is now even with the lightly musty, toasted cedar up front. The cigar wraps up with lightly musty, toasted cedar and earth even up front, with mild black pepper in the background. The strength remained at slightly below medium.
Seth: The final third delivers some red pepper spices, cedar and hay notes. Tobacco and leather qualities are present with toasted nuts on the finish. Coffee beans are present as well. Slightly stronger than the first two thirds, with some mineral qualities. Medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The final third begins with creamy herbs up front, with tannic wood at medium-minus strength in the center, finishing as dry wood. As the third settles in, medium-strength earth joins the post draw, followed by heavier earth and tannic wood, which take over and define the post draw through to the end. While the third has a number of different flavors, it lacks the complexity found earlier in the experience.
Jiunn: The final third lessens the flavor array. At this point it’s primarily minerals and leather. The only thing intact is the retrohale, as the same intensified dried red pepper spice pulls through. Strength and body is unchanged at medium-full and medium, respectively.

Avowed The Vow 7.05 Corona Gorda

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout and the ash held on through each third.
Seth: The burn was perfect throughout. Great burn line and ash held on well.
John: The burn line remained straight throughout all three thirds, with no touch-ups or re-lights required. An excellent performance.
Jiunn: Burn performance was great, giving even burn, ample smoke production, tight ashes and cool burning temperatures.

Avowed The Vow 7.05 Corona Gorda

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was perfect from beginning to end.
John: Measured at 72 inches of water using the CigarMedics draw machine. Subjectively, the draw was 2.5 to 3 notches toward the resistant spectrum, making for a bit of a snug draw.
Jiunn: The draw was also great, giving the ideal balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with musty, toasted cedar, earth and mild black pepper. Towards the end of the third some chalkiness joined in with the mustiness. The second third saw the toast level increase and mustiness mellow and then return to its previous level. Later, the mustiness mellowed again and the chalkiness departed. The final third saw the earth increase to become even with the musty, toasted cedar up front and the mustiness mellowed a bit more. The construction was absolutely perfect. The Avowed The Vow 7.05 Corona Gorda had an average profile throughout that was quite linear, just focused around the musty, toasted cedar, earth and mild black pepper. Nothing really exciting going on here and not a cigar I’d see myself returning to.
Seth: The Avowed The Vow 7.05 Corona Gorda is a solid release. I would not put it up there with New Dawn, but it is a good blend. It has a dryer profile than New Dawn, and captures qualities of nuts, coffee, leather, wood and faint cream. I would classify it as a solid medium cigar in terms of strength and body. I am interested in seeing how the blend does in the Toro format, because I can picture a much different flavor profile. The burn and draw were great as well from beginning to end. The biggest downfall in my opinion was the wrapper appearance. This is another enjoyable and balanced offering out of Kelner Cigars.
John: The Avowed The Vow 7.05 Corona Gorda starts with promise and depth, offering a sweet and creamy profile accented by custard, bread, chocolate and baking spices. Unfortunately, the second and final thirds gradually lose complexity, becoming increasingly wood and earth-forward, with no evolution. The cigar had an excellent burn with a snug draw that didn’t appear to enhance or detract from the review experience. Overall, the cigar shows early potential but settles into a more restrained, average offering by the close. Total smoking time was exactly 2 hours on the nose.
Jiunn: This is the Klaas that I know and enjoy. A flavor profile that is complex and keeps you engaged with every draw. The medium-full strength is also nice because it’s complimentary to the flavor profile, not stronger for the sake of being stronger. I’ll gladly have more of these Avowed The Vow 7.05 Corona Gorda.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$2.96

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$2.49

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.80

Cost/Point

$2.93

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$2.49

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Avowed The Vow 7.05 Corona Gorda