The word Ritmo translates from Spanish to English as Rhythm, and what better way to get back into the rhythm of things on a Monday morning then with a new cigar. Today’s stick comes from Davidoff under the Avo umbrella, and it the 3rd extension of the popular Syncro series. The Avo South American Ritmo uses tobacco from 7 different countries and saw a full release back in May. It comes in four box press sizes; Robusto (5 x 50) — $10.90, Toro (6 x 54) — $11.90, Special Toro (6 x 60) — $12.90 and Torpedo Largo (7 x 54) — $13.90.
Cigar Review: Avo Syncro South America Ritmo
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Mexico
Filler: Brazil, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru
Length: 7″
Ring Gauge: 54
Size: Torpedo Largo
The Look: The Avo Synco South America Ritmo comes packed in wooden cabinet style boxes with colors of teal and a tropical yellow. Those colors are matched on the band of the cigar which features at the Avo logo, with the word South America underneath and a secondary band that states, Ritmo. The Ecuador wrapper has a milk chocolate color with a thin network of veins. In the hand the cigar feels silky under the fingers and there are no soft spots although the foot seems a little porous.
The Notes: The foot of the cigar and the cold draw are pretty much carbon copies of each other with the primary note being fresh cedar shavings with a touch of grains and a subtle sweetness that is reminiscent of mocha. Once the cigar is lit the first note is citrus, more specifically a well-defined lemon note.
As we smoke the first third of the Ritmo the lemon notes slowly scale back some as the cigar began to pick up a subtle earthy component that became the dominant flavor by the time we reached the end of the first third. The retrohale of the cigar enhanced the citrus note and introduced a nutty aspect as well that continued on the moderate finish.
In the second third of the cigar the citrus notes continue to linger with a mix of earth and a hint of dark chocolate. At the half way point, the cigar loses its citrus notes while the cigar develops cedar and a continued earthiness. The retrohale introduces some red pepper components and nuttiness that continues to carry over to the finish of the Avo Synco Ritmo.
In the last third, the citric notes of lemon are back with a vengeance taking over the palate and lingering well into the finish. The retrohale of red pepper singes the nostrils. The finish of the cigar is earthy with a subtle chocolate component that appears a little to late, just as we put down the cigar.
The Finish: I had high hopes for the South America Ritmo, and while the cigar didn’t reach the bar I set, I did enjoy it but not at the levels I hoped. The citrus notes were a little too dominant, and I found the lemon taste to be a little too much for my personal preference especially in the last third of the Torpedo Largo which is the only size I’ve smoked to date. I might revisit this one in the future, but it’ll definitely be in another size.
Score: 89
Price: $13.90
Avo Syncro South America Ritmo
Avo Syncro South America Ritmo Foot
Avo Syncro South America Ritmo Burn
