Jack Straw
Active Member
First off, I would like to thank Gonz and PuffStuff for putting together the group buy, and great deal on these smokes!!
The first thing you notice with this smoke is the unique packaging
Sort of looks like a large package of cigarettes. And when you pop the top, you're greeted by 20 cigars standing on their heads!
Smoke is a 5 3/4" x 50 toro with an LE 08 sticker on the cello,
and is banded on the foot.
The wrapper was very smooth, lightly veined, and caramel in color. The cigar is very firmly constructed with little give when exerting mild pressure on it between the fingers.
Pre-light - This was a very easy drawing cigar with a slight tobacco sweetness, with many hints of things to come!
Upon initial lighting, the LE 08 produced volumes of thick blue-grey smoke, and my first impression was that it was the typical AVO flavor profile on the sides of the tongue and back of the throat, but with a bit more spice. The first few inches of this cigar produced a firm black-grey ash, and the wrapper delivers an extremely pleasant sweetness to the lips and tongue. The initial spice gives way to a rich, sweet, creamy almost chewy mouthful of smoke, similar to other of the AVO lines of smokes, but with a nice spice. At first, it put me in mind of the recently releasesed AVO 787 line, but with a more intense concentration of flavors, and that great background spiciness.
The AVO LE 08 is superbly constructed. It maintained a razor sharp burn throughout the entire smoke with a very solid ash, that initially broke at about 2", and had an effortless draw.
The second 3rd of the cigar, the flavors kept increasing, and the amount of spice did as well, but still remained in the background. The volume of smoke is amazing, easily 3-4 smoke rings per puff! As the oils collected at the end of this wonderful cigar, I began to wonder if it had been "artificially" sweetened, as it was so sweet, it was hard to resist chewing it.
The last 3rd - the spice picks up a bit, not a great deal, just enough on the back of the tongue to keep your interest, and the leathery sweetness that's been present throughout keeps intensifying.
At first I thought this was a great medium-bodied cigar, but my wife just asked me to let the dogs out, and when I got up, I realized how pleasantly "buzzed" by nicotine I am!
Fans of the AVO profile, like myself, will find this to be an outstanding smoke, and I would recommend picking up as many as your budget allows, smoking one now, and if you have the patience, come back to it in 3 or 4 months, as these will, no doubt, improve and benefit from some down time.
For the occasional smoker, you may want to take on the LE 08 after a meal, as it is "sneaky" strong, but paired well for me with a cup of strong morning coffee. A "finger burner", IMHO!
The first thing you notice with this smoke is the unique packaging
Sort of looks like a large package of cigarettes. And when you pop the top, you're greeted by 20 cigars standing on their heads!
Smoke is a 5 3/4" x 50 toro with an LE 08 sticker on the cello,
and is banded on the foot.
The wrapper was very smooth, lightly veined, and caramel in color. The cigar is very firmly constructed with little give when exerting mild pressure on it between the fingers.
Pre-light - This was a very easy drawing cigar with a slight tobacco sweetness, with many hints of things to come!
Upon initial lighting, the LE 08 produced volumes of thick blue-grey smoke, and my first impression was that it was the typical AVO flavor profile on the sides of the tongue and back of the throat, but with a bit more spice. The first few inches of this cigar produced a firm black-grey ash, and the wrapper delivers an extremely pleasant sweetness to the lips and tongue. The initial spice gives way to a rich, sweet, creamy almost chewy mouthful of smoke, similar to other of the AVO lines of smokes, but with a nice spice. At first, it put me in mind of the recently releasesed AVO 787 line, but with a more intense concentration of flavors, and that great background spiciness.
The AVO LE 08 is superbly constructed. It maintained a razor sharp burn throughout the entire smoke with a very solid ash, that initially broke at about 2", and had an effortless draw.
The second 3rd of the cigar, the flavors kept increasing, and the amount of spice did as well, but still remained in the background. The volume of smoke is amazing, easily 3-4 smoke rings per puff! As the oils collected at the end of this wonderful cigar, I began to wonder if it had been "artificially" sweetened, as it was so sweet, it was hard to resist chewing it.
The last 3rd - the spice picks up a bit, not a great deal, just enough on the back of the tongue to keep your interest, and the leathery sweetness that's been present throughout keeps intensifying.
At first I thought this was a great medium-bodied cigar, but my wife just asked me to let the dogs out, and when I got up, I realized how pleasantly "buzzed" by nicotine I am!
Fans of the AVO profile, like myself, will find this to be an outstanding smoke, and I would recommend picking up as many as your budget allows, smoking one now, and if you have the patience, come back to it in 3 or 4 months, as these will, no doubt, improve and benefit from some down time.
For the occasional smoker, you may want to take on the LE 08 after a meal, as it is "sneaky" strong, but paired well for me with a cup of strong morning coffee. A "finger burner", IMHO!
and I appreciate that.