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Avant Garde Melange Cigar Construction

S&M Brands Inc. is well known for its cigarettes and machine-made cigars but recently they came out with premium cigars under their subsidiary brand Cornelius & Anthony. The Bailey family has been growing tobacco for 150 years and the current president, Stephen Bailey, is the fifth generation.

The company’s premium cigars, however, are not made using their Virginia-grown tobacco. The Avant Garde is made in the Dominican Republic using a Brazilian Habano wrapper and Dominican fillers. The wrapper leaf is a bit rugged with plenty of tooth. The length of the stick is mostly plump with a couple of palpable soft spots. The cap is mounted quite a bit off-center, but cuts cleanly.

Flavor & Aroma

The wrapper leaf gives off a gentle spicy-sweet aroma while the foot lends a vegetal spice. The cold draw is a bit tight and super peppery. Once lit, the first few puffs are extremely mellow with a bit of nutty and creamy notes. A distinctly grassy aftertaste develops after the first few puffs but disappears in the second third. The remainder of the stick is woodsy with a bit of pepper. The cigar doesn’t produce much in the way of strong flavors, they are all very muted.

Burn & Smoking Characteristics

The Avant Garde Melange has a slightly tight draw but still manages to produce plenty of smoke.The burn is slow and steady and produces a beautiful, tight ash. The ash remains firm throughout the hour-long smoke and only drops four times. The burn line is super straight in the first third, a bit less so after the second third.

Conclusion of the Avant Garde Melange Cigar

I definitely wouldn’t call this a medium to full strength stick. It hit me as incredibly mild, I smoked it on an empty stomach without feeling any effects. The flavor profile was incredibly muted. I wouldn’t recommend this stick for someone searching for a nicotine or pepper bomb. It is well constructed and consistent so I would use it as a golf stick.

Have you smoked the Avant Garde Melange? Give it your own rating below!