Vitola: Robusto- 5” x 50 ring gauge
- MSRP $10.90
- Purchased from Burns Tobacconist
Background
Avo has turned the Syncro sub-brand into quite an interesting series. It began in 2015 with the Syncro Nicaragua, the first regular-release Avo to use Nicaraguan leaf. The next year, they upped the ante with Syncro Nicaragua Fogata, which was one of the strongest, most full-bodied Avo releases ever. Syncro Ritmo came out in 2017 bringing “the rhythm of 7 different countries’ tobaccos” together. After 3 years in a row of releases, though, the sub-brand went quiet until 2021 with the release of the Syncro Caribe.
They describe this release as “a journey comprised of Caribbean tobaccos with a touch from Central America” featuring a “synchronization of tobaccos” using Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, an Ecuadorian binder, and a Dominican wrapper leaf. “The Dominican tobaccos are blended with other vibrant Caribbean tobaccos to showcase a process we are calling “Natural Distribution” in which the proportions of the tobaccos on any given plant are perfectly matched in the blending process. The ratios of tobaccos from each priming are matched in the blend in all vitolas.”
I have smoked about 5 of these since they came out, buying them from Burns Tobacconist. If your local B&M doesn’t carry Avo Cigars, you can check out our sponsoring webstore, Small Batch Cigar.
Prelight
The Syncro lines have always had a colorful presentation, but I particularly like the aqua, turquoise, and red-orange (or is it orange-red?) colors used for the box and band of the Caribe. It is attractive and still holds with the basic design of the rest of the Syncro releases, while being very distinct.
The wrapper leaf was medium-dark brown, with a nice amount of oils to the touch and an aroma that mixed earth and freshly-cut wood. The foot of the cigar had hay and cedar notes, with a touch of coffee.
I clipped the head and got a very good cold draw that had flavors of sweet and zippy citrus, hay, and cedar.
Flavor
The Avo Syncro Caribe started with cedar and earth, accented by a slight sweetness, backed up by notes of tea and hay. There was a touch of white pepper on the finish, while the retrohale had roasted nuts and a stronger pepper spice. As the first third got going, I picked up some citrus zing that blended nicely with the sweeter notes coming through. Overall, I was happier with the first third of this cigar than any of the other Syncro releases since the first one.
The second third of the Syncro Caribe had more citrus sweet and sour notes along with the emergence of leathery notes that drove the earth and cedar into the background. There was a slight increase in pepper on the palate while it stayed steady on the nose.
In the last third I got more leather and more citrus, while the earthy notes provided a solid base for it all. Pepper diminished on the palate and nose.
Construction
I had a great draw, very even burn line, and solid ash the whole way.
Value
A very good smoking experience at a price tag that is right in line with the rest of the Avo regular releases, so excellent value.
Conclusions
The Avo Syncro Caribe was a really nice medium-bodied cigar with plenty of complexity from beginning to end and at this time occupies my top spot in the series. I loved the way it progressed, building flavor upon flavor while not losing anything completely. The whole time, I still had the sense that it was truly an Avo cigar, which is something I lost in the Fogata, while the Ritmo was kind of a muddle of flavors because so many competing tobaccos were trying to gain a flavor foothold at any one time. I felt like this blend really brought the line back to the original purpose of trying to “synchronize” Dominican tobaccos with Nicaraguan and other leaves to create a harmonious experience.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
