Casa DNC · Brand
AVO cigars
AVO is the cigar brand built around jazz musician and composer Avo Uvezian, produced by Davidoff at Oettinger Kelner Cigars in the Dominican Republic since 1988.
- Founded
- 1988
- Origin
- Dominican Republic
- Founder
- Avo Uvezian
- Based in
- Basel, Switzerland
Avo Uvezian was born in Beirut in 1926, studied at the Juilliard School, and spent decades as a working jazz pianist and composer — his most famous song, "Strangers in the Night," was recorded by Frank Sinatra. Cigars were a parallel passion, and in 1987 Uvezian met Davidoff's master blender Hendrik "Henke" Kelner in the Dominican Republic. The two collaborated on a signature cigar for Uvezian, first released in Puerto Rico under the name Bolero before relaunching in 1988 as AVO at the Davidoff shop in New York City.
The brand grew steadily through the 1990s cigar boom. By 1995, Davidoff formalized the relationship, acquiring distribution rights to the AVO name in a deal reportedly valued at around $10 million. Production remained — and continues — at the Oettinger Kelner Cigars factory in the Dominican Republic, the same facility that produces Davidoff's own lines. Uvezian passed away in 2017 at the age of 91, but his personal involvement in tasting and approving blends had shaped the brand's character for nearly three decades.
The Lines
The AVO Classic is the original expression: smooth, medium-bodied, built on aged Dominican leaf with Connecticut Shade wrapper, calibrated for everyday pleasure rather than intensity. AVO Heritage draws on Kelner family-grown tobaccos from the Dominican Republic's Cibao valley and skews slightly fuller. AVO Syncro is the most exploratory line, using tobacco sourced from multiple countries to create blends that balance Dominican smoothness against Central American depth. Across all three, the house style prioritizes balance and accessibility — a reflection of Uvezian's own preference for cigars he could smoke through a long evening at the piano.
Flagship lines
AVO Classic · AVO Heritage · AVO Syncro
The AVO lineup
AVO
Mild-MediumAVO Classic Belicoso
AVO Classic Belicoso — a 6 x 48 torpedo-head Dominican that concentrates the line's signature creaminess at the tip, adding baking spice and a long, elegant finish.
AVO
Mild-MediumAVO Classic No. 2
AVO Classic No. 2 — a silky 6 x 50 Dominican puro wrapped in Ecuadorian Connecticut, delivering creamy, balanced elegance born from Avo Uvezian's musical sensibility.
AVO
Mild-MediumAVO Classic Robusto
AVO Classic Robusto — a compact 5 x 50 Dominican with silky Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf, offering 45–50 minutes of creamy, cedar-tinged elegance from Davidoff's Santiago factory.
AVO
MediumAVO Domaine No. 10
AVO Domaine No. 10 — a 5⅛ x 50 Dominican using tobacco grown on Avo Uvezian's own Domaine AVO farm, wrapped in double-fermented Ecuadorian sun-grown leaf for earthy, spiced medium complexity.
AVO
MediumAVO Domaine No. 50
AVO Domaine No. 50 — a 5¾ x 54 Perfecto using tobacco from Avo Uvezian's own Dominican farm, with a double-fermented Ecuadorian sun-grown wrapper and a tapered shape that transitions from spice to silky leather.
AVO
MediumAVO Heritage Robusto
AVO Heritage Robusto — a compact 4 7/8 x 50 Dominican that swaps the Classic's Connecticut for a richer Ecuadorian sun-grown leaf, delivering earthy, spicy medium-body complexity.
AVO
MediumAVO Heritage Special Toro
AVO Heritage Special Toro — a 6 x 60 ring-gauge Dominican powerhouse wrapped in Ecuadorian sun-grown leaf, delivering rich earth, cocoa, and sweet spice in a long, rewarding session.
AVO
Medium-FullAVO Syncro Caribe Robusto
AVO Syncro Caribe Robusto — a compact 5 x 50 Dominican-wrapped blend with Ecuadorian binder and Caribbean filler, delivering aromatic spice, smooth cocoa, and tropical fruit in a 45-minute medium-full smoke.
AVO
Medium-FullAVO Syncro Caribe Toro
AVO Syncro Caribe Toro — a 6 x 52 Dominican-wrapped blend celebrating Caribbean tobacco roots, with aromatic spice, cocoa, and subtle tropical fruit across a harmonious medium-full body.
AVO
Medium-FullAVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata Robusto
AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata Robusto — a 5 x 50 Nicaraguan-forward Dominican blend with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and Mexican San Andrés binder for extra pepper, dark chocolate, and espresso intensity.
AVO
Medium-FullAVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata Toro
AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata Toro — a 6 x 54 powerhouse with Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and Mexican San Andrés binder, layering dark chocolate, volcanic earth, and espresso across a full 90-minute session.
AVO
Medium-FullAVO Syncro Nicaragua Robusto
AVO Syncro Nicaragua Robusto — a 5 x 50 box-pressed Dominican blend fusing Nicaraguan Ometepe leaf with Dominican and Peruvian filler, delivering medium-full pepper, leather, and cocoa.
AVO
Medium-FullAVO Syncro Nicaragua Toro
AVO Syncro Nicaragua Toro — a box-pressed 6 x 54 blending Dominican, Nicaraguan Ometepe, and Peruvian filler for a bold medium-full profile of pepper, leather, and volcanic-earth cocoa.
AVO
Mild-MediumAVO XO Intermezzo
AVO XO Intermezzo — a 5½ x 50 Dominican aged minimum six years in every stick, expressing cream, wood, and dried fruit with uncommon depth for its mild-medium body.
AVO
Mild-MediumAVO XO Maestoso
AVO XO Maestoso — a stately 7 x 48 Churchill from the six-year-aged XO line, offering two hours of cream, cedar, dried fruit, and almond complexity for patient, discerning smokers.