Aged & Rare: Avo LE 2009 Compañero

• Vitola: Toro
• 6” x 54 ring gauge 
• $16.99
• Purchased from Burns Tobacconist

Background

I’ve reviewed quite a few Avo LEs over the years, but one got lost in the cracks: the 2009 Compañero. When it came out, I was told by a friend that it really wasn’t worth the price of entry—and at that time the price was “full price”—so I didn’t pick it up. In 2010 when I was smoking as many of the LE2010 as I could get my hands on, someone said the 2009 was by then smoking really well, but I still didn’t want to spend the cash…and I pretty much forgot about it. In the last couple years, I’ve thought about it from time to time when I saw it in the Avo Greatest Hits collection at the shop, but certainly didn’t want to drop coin on a large set of one-offs. But someone stole a stick or two from an open set, necessitating that we break up the rest and sell the singles…so I finally had a chance to try the one I missed…and I didn’t turn it down this time.

The Avo LE 2009 is nicknamed “Compañero” which means “companion” in Spanish and it apparently was the basis for the Heritage blend that came out a year later. Both cigars use the same Ecuadorian Sun-grown Cuban seed wrapper, although the Limited Edition cigar uses somewhat different innards: a Dominican binder along with Criollo Ligero (Dominican), Piloto Cubano Ligero (Dominican), San Vicente Ligero (Dominican), and Peruvian Seco fillers. (The Heritage uses a Dominican San Vicente binder, along with Dominican Ligero and Seco, and Peruvian Seco fillers.) The expectation, therefore, is that this should smoke like a Heritage…with a little more kick…and a lot of age on it…7 years to be exact (assuming, of course, that the Greatest Hits line was made from cigars left over from the original rolling and not freshly rolled versions using later years’ crops).

Since this is an older cigar, very rare at this point, and really an “aged and rare” type of review, I am opting for the “Cigar Extra” format and am pairing it with Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon. Here’s where I give my usual shout-out to Will Cooper for publishing copious amounts of background info on this cigar…after you get done with my review, read his HERE.

Notes

Upon inspecting the Campañero, I found a crack near the head. I knew it would probably affect the way the cigar smoked and held together, especially toward the end, but I didn’t hesitate with going forward…where else am I going to find them at this point? The wrapper itself was velvety feeling with little in the way of oils. It had an earthiness to it and definitely some of that “Davidoff funk” coming through, probably the result of aging and marrying of tobaccos. The foot had a huge amount of that musty funky aroma that Davidoff and Avo fans come to love.

The cold draw had more of the same, along with a nice amount of sweetness and a grassy note. Lighting it up was quick and easy. The resulting smoke had a good amount of cedar, along with the Dominican earth and grass notes and a good helping of the funky goodness. I was a little surprised that it was medium-plus in body from the first. Being a Heritage precursor, that makes sense, but it wasn’t what I had been told about the cigar when it first came out.

As I burned through the first third and into the second, I didn’t really feel like the Compañero was stronger than the Heritage. It was definitely similar in flavor, though this stick might have a little more earthiness to it. It could be that the extra time has taken the edge off the strength the cigar once had. Whatever…it was really just a great, relaxing smoking experience and the Elijah Craig made a great companion to it.