Avo sells over 3 million cigars annually, quite a big jump from its first year in 1988 when they rolled just 100,000 sticks. Created by Avo Uvezian who not only studied piano at Julliard, but also opened a fine dining restaurant in New York before co-founding the brand with the help of master cigar roller Hendrik Kelner. Avo and Hendrik, together with the help of the folks at Davidoff, have created one of the single most prestigious brands on the market today. It's one of the few smokes we'll feature at least once a year.

Panel Notes: We found Avo's corona medium-bodied and offering a fair amount of spiciness. As you'd expect from Davidoff, it is expertly rolled and smoked like a dream. No soft spots. Even burn. Nice long ash. We all agreed that it would smoke nicely any time of day. Note a silky soft Connecticut Shade wrapper. Overall, a quality smoke from start to finish. Consider smoking this one with a hoppy golden or malty amber ale.

The country of Nicaragua continues to generate top-quality cigars that increasingly compete with the traditionally dominate high-end Honduran and Dominican products. Nicaraguan tobacco production dates back to the Colonial times in the early 1500s. In 1522, conquering Spanish explorers plundered Nicaragua's natural resources and by the second 1/2 of the century, tobacco was added to the list of major exported products to Europe. The countries finest tobaccos hail from the Esteli area of Jalapa valley and that's were the tobacco used to produce the Hoja de Nicaragua line comes from!

Panel Notes: Immediately notice an oily, dark, and inviting Colorado maduro wrapper. Our panel found it to be medium bodied and well balanced. We found the draw even and it held a solid grayish-white ash, indicative of proper aging. Note an earthly, spicy body coupled with a touch of sweetness. Overall, a tasty little cigar that you should consider smoking on a slow weekend morning with strong cup of Kona coffee.

The Lempira Churchill is produced by Tropical Tobacco, Inc., a well respected importer, manufacturer, and distributor with over 22 years of experience in the industry. After years of producing several lines in varied facilities, the company established their own state-of-the-art cigar making facility in 1997 and dubbed it "Cigar Export, CXA." The 70,000 square feet factory is located in Santiago, Dominican Republic and has the capacity to roll 20,000 cigars per day and support 100 rollers! Tropical is fortunate to retain the services of one of the premier master blenders in the industry today, Don Pedro Martin who has been in the industry for over 60 yrs and is acknowledged as an expert in the areas of tobacco blending and cigar leaf selection.

Panel Notes: The torcedors at Tropical have clearly succeeded in developing a well constructed cigar in the Lempira Churchill. We found it to be a full flavored, masterfully rolled cigar that was clearly aged properly. Overall, a complex and flavorful blend that would pair nicely with a tawny port.

The lads at Drew Estate have recently caused quite a ruckus in the cigar industry. With the release of a number of brands, they're very quickly becoming known for making premium quality smokes that come along with Great names and unique shapes and sizes. We couldn't resist a cigar that runs by the handle of "Pimp Stick!" It is rolled with varied Dutch tobaccos, long fill from the black soils of Nicaragua and is encased with a handsome Cameroon wrapper. You're going to love it!

Panel Notes: This bad boy offers an exotic and complex blend of flavors and tobaccos. We found it to have an incredibly distinct flavor and equally unusual aroma. Look for a very rich, smooth smoking cigar that bursts with a huge bouquet of flavors. Try smoking it with peppermint schnapps on the rocks or a hoppy India Pale Ale!

Felipe Gregorio was both pleased and honored when he was asked to produce a cigar bearing the Sinatra name. He realized that it represented a challenge to make a cigar so outstanding that it would live up to Old Blues Eyes' name. We think he's done just that. The Sinatra brand is rolled with a combination of aged Dominican and Cuban seed tobaccos and enveloped in a pristine Connecticut shade wrapper.

Panel Notes: Look for very subtle flavors and rich aromas in this exceptional Dominican cigar. Aesthetically, it's a real winner…Just like Frank himself! Note perfect construction. There were no soft spots in the samples reviewed. Each was filled with just the right amount of tobacco, lending to an easy draw and even burn. You'll find it mild to medium bodied, offering a straightforward creamy and slightly spicy finish. It would be perfect with a light dessert. Consider pairing it with your favorite dessert wine or tawny port.