AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata Short Torpedo

One year after releasing the box-pressed Syncro Nicaragua, AVO expanded the line in a new round blend named AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata. Packaged in boxes of 20, the new version incorporates an Ecuadorian habano 2000 clara wrapper covering a Mexican San Andrés negro binder and filler tobaccos including Dominicana Yamasa viso, piloto and San Vicente lager, ligero from Estelí, Nicaragua and visos from Condega, Nicaragua.

“Fogata, meaning Bonfire or Campfire in Spanish, was a great inspiration for this new cigar, it is one of my favorite settings to share unforgettable and intimate moments with my closest of friends,” said Avo Uvezian in a press release. “With Syncro Nicaragua Fogata, we went off the beaten path in search of more intense taste experiences and are proud to now share with you this vibrant new blend in our portfolio.”

The AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata is available in four different vitolas, all packaged in 20-count boxes:

• AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata Robusto (5 x 50) —$9.90 (Boxes of 20, $198)
• AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata Short Torpedo (4 1/2 x 52) — $8.90 (Boxes of 20, $178)
• AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata Special Toro (6 x 60) —$11.90 (Boxes of 20, $238)
• AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata Toro (6 x 54) —$10.90 (Boxes of 20, $218)

• Cigar Reviewed: AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata Short Torpedo
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: O.K. Cigars
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano 2000
• Binder: Mexican San Andrés
• Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
• Length: 4 1/2 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Vitola: Petit Belicoso
• MSRP: $8.90 (Boxes of 20, $178)
• Release Date: June 27, 2016
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

There is no way around it, the combination of a size and torpedo cap makes this particular vitola of the AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata look smaller than it is, to the point where the two bands combine to look almost comical on it. Covered in a mocha brown wrapper that features an obvious reddish tint to it, the cigar seems perfectly rolled, and has a touch of oil present. Aroma from the wrapper is a combination of strong barnyard, hay, sweet oak, espresso beans and manure, while the cold draw brings flavors of creamy leather, earth, sawdust, yeast, almonds, dark chocolate and white pepper.

The Syncro Nicaragua Fogata Short Torpedo starts off with a great combination of creamy oak and cinnamon as the dominant flavors, followed closely by notes of hay, creamy almonds, roasted coffee beans, leather and a touch of floral. There is a very nice maple sweetness on the retrohale, along with both some black pepper and slight spice on my tongue. Construction-wise, the cigar has an excellent draw after a simple straight cut, and while the burn is far from razor sharp, it is also far from needing to be corrected, and the smoke production is about average so far. The overall strength shows signs of increasing significantly early, but eventually ends up well short of the medium mark by the time the first third comes to an end.

The spice on my tongue from the first third is long gone by the time the second third of the AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata Short Torpedo begins, but the dominant combination of creamy oak and cinnamon remains at the forefront. Other flavors of cooked steak, bitter espresso, cocoa nibs, and almonds flit in and out, and a touch of salt on my lips. Both the maple sweetness and black pepper remain noticeable on the retrohale, although the sweetness is a bit reduced. The draw continues to impress, while the burn has evened up nicely, although it is still not what I would consider razor sharp. The strength of the AVO Fogata does increase, but still fails to reach the medium point by the end of the second third.

While the main flavors of cinnamon and creamy oak are still easily the dominant flavors in the final third of the Fogata Short Torpedo, the other notes in the profile seem to become a bit less distinct, with espresso, leather, earth, generic nuts and dark chocolate leading the way. The maple sweetness has increased a bit on the retrohale, while the black pepper has decreased, and the salt that was present in the second third has disappeared completely. While both the draw remains quite good, the burn has started to waver again, and the smoke production has decreased noticeably as well. The nub gets quite hot at the end, leading to an overwhelming bitterness in the profile that forces me to put the nub down with a little more than an inch left to go.

Final Notes

• Although there is more Nicaraguan tobacco in this blend than the original Synchro Nicaragua—which only had one variety of tobacco from the county—I find it odd that a blend with the moniker Nicaragua is not a Nicaraguan puro.
• Of course, this is not the first time that Davidoff has done this, as the Davidoff Nicaragua proves.
• The secondary bands tore off bits of the wrapper on two samples, but when I let the burn line get close to the band on the final wrapper, it just slid off with no damage. Having said that, I had no issues taking off the main band on any of the cigars.
• I absolutely love the orange, yellow and red color scheme of this release and really think it looks great next to the shade color of the wrapper on the cigar.
• You can see our coverage of the Davidoff of Geneva USA booth at the 2016 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show here.
• I really did not cut very much off of the tip of the cap at all—about 1/4 of an inch—and still had an excellent draw on each sample.
• The AVO brand is distributed by Davidoff of Geneva USA, which advertisers on halfwheel. Cigars for this review were sent to halfwheel by Davidoff of Geneva USA.
• The final smoking time for all three samples averaged just under one hour.
• Site sponsors Atlantic Cigar, Cigar.com, Corona Cigar Co., Habana House Cigars (512-447-9449) and JR Cigar have the AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata in stock.