AVO Continues Burn Brighter Celebration with New EXPRESIVO Line
Legendary cigar maker Avo Uvezian came into this world 100 years ago, and the brand he built and guided for years continues to commemorate the centenary throughout 2026 with its Burn Brighter Campaign – a variety of celebrations and special product debuts to evolve the brand.
The latest salute to Uvezian arrived recently with the announcement of the AVO EXPRESIVO line at the Premier Cigar Association Trade Show in New Orleans. Providing a fuller flavor drawn from premium honed tobacco blend, the EXPRESIVO line honors the AVO cigars of the past, while pointing toward the company’s future.
Uvezian’s life embraced a wealth of experience from cigar maker, trained pianist and jazz musician; to an accomplished composer, bon vivant and global citizen. According to Javier González, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Marketing and Innovation for AVO parent company Oettinger Davidoff, Uvezian’s lifelong philosophy held that the most meaningful creations in any field emerge where craft meets emotion with authenticity and a welcoming connection with others.
“Avo Uvezian was a man of the world who began his career as a musician and then developed from a cigar lover to a cigar composer,” González says. “He honed these talents to perfection. Even after his passing, we continue to carry the flame of his legacy within us.”
EXPRESIVO looks to embrace Avo’s commitment to innovation and inspired composition. Believing that todays’s cigar enthusiasts embrace unique terroir, craftsmanship and fermentation expertise, the current minds behind Uvezian’s AVO created the EXPRESIVO offerings from a new mix of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos finished with an Ecuadorian wrapper. Each tobacco undergoes a fermentation process tailored to each type of leaf aimed at bringing out their natural strengths.
According to AVO’s description of the fermentation processes, their experts devoted attention to balance and structure for the more intense Honduran tobaccos.
Traditionally, the Nicaraguan Jalapa tobacco produces a sweeter, floral taste profile. The AVO preparation works to bring forward that very sweetness while maintaining the leaves’ natural components.
Lit up for the first time publicly at the New Orleans event, the EXPRESIVO tasting experience has immediate earthy depth with subtle notes described in AVO testing as “dark chocolate and roasted nuts.” As the cigar smolders, that taste shifts to a leather ambiance with a refined creaminess and a subtle wooden note. Toward the smoke’s final stages, a spiciness marks the finish with dried fruit and floral accents supplied by the Jalapa inclusion.
All totaled, the AVO EXPRESIVO family sells in Robusto, Churchill and Toro lengths. Each is now available at fine cigar retailers across the U.S.
“With this line, we introduce a cigar that brings a fuller, more expressive profile to the brand while remaining accessible within the sub-premium segment,” González explains. “It reflects how AVO continues to evolve while staying true to the craftsmanship and balance that define our cigars.”
The AVO Burn Brighter campaign will continue throughout the year, with plans in place to highlight the creativity, authenticity and shared experiences that define the spirts of both Uvezian and the company he founded.
According to González, the narrative and cinematic elements of Burn Brighter will go on celebrating the company’s commitment to moments of connection and enjoyment.
