Cigar Review: Avo Campanero
The Avo Campanero is at least the best Avo limited edition cigar since the Avo 80. It might be better, but I haven't smoked the latter in a year and a half or so, so a comparison would be unfair. Anyway, the Campanero does not need to be measured against a predecessor; it does just fine on its own.
When you pick up the Campanero – even before you cut and light – you can tell you have something special between your fingers. The wrapper has a slightly reddish tint, and a quick sniff of the unlit tobacco suggests a little "zing," a sign of the taste that will come when the stick is ignited. I've smoked a handful of Avo Campaneros, and the construction has been incredibly consistent. The cigar burns evenly (even if it doesn't start with a competent torch-handler) and steadily from foot to cap. For me, the smoke takes an hour, though I do have a tendency to burn through cigars fairly quickly. If you add conversation, coffee or a cocktail to the experience, the Campanero could deliver up to an hour and a half of satisfaction.
As for taste, you know the drill: it's subjective, you might not like what I like, blah, blah, blah. And, I know at least half of you have more refined palates than I. After all, I drink heavy cabernets regardless of the entrée, and I like hefty cigars. So, I'm ready for all the abuse you can hurl at me.
That said, I found the Avo Campanero to be incredibly interesting. It starts with a distinct but slight sharpness – the "zing" I mentioned earlier. You'll also find it in the Davidoff Millennium line. It recedes over the first inch and a half of the cigar and gives way to a fuller, more robust flavor. The Campanero is definitely on the full side of medium-bodied, but the strength does not mask the complexity that emerges in the second third of thecigar.
If you are a "golf course" smoker – you know, you light up a heater three times a year when you chase a little white ball around – don't waste your time or your money on this limited edition cigar. Don't worry; there are plenty of seasoned smokers who will buy up the inventory. For "image" smokers, there are plenty of cigars out there, and the uninitiated would be wiser to start elsewhere. However, if your tobacconist knows your wife's first name (or, for that matter, your wife), where your kids were conceived and all the excuses you plan to make when you've spent too much time at the shop, the Avo Campanero is worth 60 – 90 minutes of your time.
