AVO Seasons Limited Edition Series 2023 Spring – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

Back in February of this year, Davidoff announced a new line for the AVO brand celebrating the four seasons as a limited edition series. The first one of these was the AVO Seasons Limited Edition Series 2023 Spring. By the end of the year, four different blends will have been released, but as of this article only two have shipped, Spring and Summer. All blends come in the same 6 5/8 x 50 diadema vitola and each will have the same MSRP of $18. Each of the seasons will be limited to 4,000 boxes of 10 cigars.

The AVO Seasons Limited Edition Series 2023 Spring blend uses an Ecuadorian corojo wrapper, with binder and filler from the Dominican Republic. There are Dominican San Vicente seco and hybrid 192 visos in the filler and the company says they contribute to an aroma reminiscent of spring, with one of the fillers having been aged for 14 years.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Figurado
Length: 6 5/8″
Ring Gauge: 50
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Factory: Cigars Davidoff
Blender: Undisclosed
Number of reviewers: 5 – Sean F. (fullermaine) Randy B. (randobush) Angel M. (Angel) Noah S. (Noah) Chris M. (Chris)
Price: $18.00
Age: 4 Months
Release Date: March 2023
Contributed by: Davidoff Cigars

Initial Impressions – AVO Seasons Limited Edition Series 2023 Spring

Appearance: 94

“Nice looking cigar with medium brown wrapper, tight visible seams, and large veins. It has a tapered foot and tapered cap. It appears to have a very large triple cap, and is aesthetically pleasing.” –Angel M. (Angel)

Aroma: 93

“Off the wrapper, I get a lot of natural tobacco and a slightly sweet bread. There is a slight spice adding in from the foot.” –Chris M. (Chris)

First Third

Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“In the first third, there's a good amount of white pepper tingle on the tongue and lips it only lasts for a short time, then fades. After the pepper fades, a nice amount of vanilla, baking spice, and a slight touch of leather come right in. The smoke texture is slightly smooth and fairly cool. So far starting off very enjoyable.” –Angel M. (Angel)

“Dry leaves, mesquite, savory salt, and paprika, with the retrohale bringing a baking spice and metallic zing. The finish is med-long. The burn starts out wonky but fixed itself 1” in.” –Randy B. (randobush)

Second Third

Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The oak picks up getting into this section. Sourdough bread and the floral/fruit sweetness stick up top, but the cocoa loses some of its richness. A little bit of a red chili spice with the black pepper now. The spice profile as a whole is a bit more noticeable, though still pretty mild.” –Chris M. (Chris)

“Thank goodness for a thick and resilient wrapper as I was able to chomp down near the head a few times and loosen the draw significantly. The second third brings more of the same mix but the flavors are definitely more robust and interesting. As the smoke warms up a touch, little bits of spice in the form of cayenne pepper begin to complement the otherwise bitter combination. The cayenne pepper is especially noticeable on the retrohale. Hints of herbal tea join the finish making it a little less dry by lingering on the palate. Soon after, notes of dried fruit specifically dried plum appear, offering some sweetness to round out the complexity and further balance the bitterness of the dominant natural flavors. Strength jumps up a notch leaving me with a pleasant buzz as the second third closes out.” –Noah S. (Noah)

Final Third

Flavor: 96
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“The leather notes to start this cigar come back to end this cigar.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)

“Oak and sourdough still lead. Dark chocolate, floral sweetness, and earthy coffee just behind. The fruit notes hit more occasionally. Red chili and black pepper still make up a very subtle spice profile. Creeping up on the nub brings in a slight char to the oak, and a little bit of an increase in spice.” –Chris M. (Chris)

Overall Impressions – AVO Seasons Limited Edition Series 2023 Spring

Draw: 96

“After taking just a tiny sliver off the top, I'm getting a fairly tight draw. The tapered foot is so small that I'm not that surprised. I am definitely getting enough air that I won't clip again unless it doesn't open up as the burn moves into the larger ring section. Thankfully it does open up a little, though it is still a little tight.” –Chris M. (Chris)

Burn: 94

“Wonky one inch in, but corrected itself and nice burn the rest of the way, with zero touch-ups or relights.” –Randy B. (randobush)

Construction: 96

“Excellent construction everything held together very nicely felt good in the hand and it was aesthetically pleasing.” –Angel M. (Angel)

Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Experience Overall: 94

“Another great cigar to smoke and enjoy. Nice simple notes of leather, tea, cinnamon, and licorice. Perfect draw and burn that leads to a nice strong ash. The ash was tri-colored and comes off on its own. I'd seek this cigar out and have it my humidor.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)

“This was not a bad cigar at all, even though it did not necessarily fit into my wheelhouse.
Overall, the cigar performed well, with respectable transitions between thirds. I did not care for the metallic zing on the retrohale, which eventually went away in the final third. I would certainly smoke the cigar again, but I don't see it making it into my rotation. To me, the final third was the most enjoyable.” –Randy B. (randobush)

“Overall, this was an excellent cigar, the flavor transitions were just right up my alley. The flavors of vanilla and baking spice, along with the cedar and white pepper in the beginning, were excellent. The texture of the smoke and the temperature were perfect throughout the whole cigar I would definitely recommend this to a wide variety of cigar smokers. This cigar would pair very well with anything from a standard bourbon to a vanilla flavored whiskey.” –Angel M. (Angel)

“Even though the draw was tighter than ideal for the first third and the lineup of flavors doesn't match what I typically reach for when choosing what to smoke, this cigar was immensely enjoyable! I am quite fond of this particular vitola as the change in ring gauge and proportions of binder, filler, and wrapper all but guarantees an interesting progression or transition of flavors that I tend to think of as a story the blender is telling through the leaves. Not only did the profile of flavors build upon one another from start to finish but so did the strength which is always a plus in my book. After a bit of a slow start, this cigar truly shined in the latter two-thirds when the flavors were most balanced, complex, and robust. The smoke was incredibly smooth throughout and the flavors were clearly defined which always makes for a nice experience as I don't have to think too much about what I am smoking. This is exactly the kind of smoke I like when I am deep in a great conversation amongst great friends.” –Noah S. (Noah)

“A very nice mix of what I consider brighter flavors (bread and floral) and darker wood and cocoa notes. Smoking through it I realized that this was a fairly unique profile even though it wasn't the most complex. It definitely worked well for my palate, and I'd seek these out again. I'm quite curious to see who made this cigar.” –Chris M. (Chris)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 86

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

AVO Seasons Limited Edition Series 2023 Spring – Blind Cigar Review