Avowed Cigars launched earlier this year. The brand was started by Andrew Considine and Dave West, the gentlemen behind Small Batch Cigar, They are blended and rolled at the Kelner Cigars SAS in the Dominican Republic. The New Dawn was one of three lines launched with the company, the Vow and the Awakening being the other two. The New Dawn features a Dark Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, over an Ecuadorian Habano binder, and fillers from the Dominican Republic.Â
I’ve always said that I judge a cigar company by how well they do a Connecticut cigar. If they can produce an outstanding mild to medium blend, then getting the more full blends should be easy. Right? So, when Avowed launched with a Connecticut in their core line, I was intrigued. Now for the hard part. Both Small Batch Cigar and Avowed Cigars are sponsors of the podcast, and Small Batch Cigar is also a website sponsor. Be not afraid, dear reader, we purchased the cigars for this review. Furthermore, Simply Stogies would be doing everyone at Small Batch Cigar and Avowed Cigars a disservice if we were not honest and open with you or with our critique of their product.Â
OVERVIEW
VITOLA:Â Â Robusto Grande
SIZE:Â Â 5″ x 54
ORIGIN:Â Â Dominican Republic
FACTORY:Â Â Kelner Cigars SAS
WRAPPER:Â Â Dark Ecuadorian Connecticut
BINDER:Â Â Ecuadorian Habano
FILLER:Â Â Dominican: Piloto Cubano, Criollo 98, San Vicente
STRENGTH:Â Â Mild – Medium
SOURCE:Â Â Â
Small Batch Cigar
ENVIRONMENT
WHERE:Â Â
Studio/Lounge
WHEN:Â Â
May 12 @ 1pm
DRINKS:Â Â
Bottled Water
WEATHER:Â Â
Indoors
HOW MANY CIGARS SMOKED:Â Â
4
PRODUCTION
RELEASE TYPE Â Regular Release
ORIGINALLY RELEASE DATE Â February ’25
TOTAL PRODUCTION
Typical Box Size:Â Â Â Boxes of 15
Production Totals:Â Unknown
VITOLA BREAKDOWN
o  Robusto Grande (5″ x 54)
o Toro (6″ x 52)
BAND DESIGN
The interesting thing about the band on the New Dawn is that it’s double banded. Why is that interesting? Well, the only other line of Avowed Cigars that is NOT double banded is the Vow. The Vow and the New Dawn are both regular production/core lines of Avowed, but only the New Dawn gets the secondary band. The New Dawn is also the less expensive of the two coming in with an MSRP of $16 and $17 vs the Vow’s $17 and $19. Also, it’s interesting to note that the New Dawn also comes in boxes of 15 cigars, where the Vow and the Awakening come in boxes of 10. All of that said, it makes me wonder why their least expensive cigar is double banded like their LE…but I digress.
The bands of the New Dawn are stunning. Gold with dark blue and light blue accents. The Avowed logo and “New Dawn” are both in white. It’s a striking double band design that sets the tone. The bands make you feel like you’re picking up something special.
PRE-LIGHT OBSERVATIONS
CONSTRUCTION
The New Dawn has the look of sophistication and luxury. The shade of caramel, the Dark Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper has a few visible veins, and the seam is visible. It has some tooth to it, as well. Though, the feel of the wrapper is silky smooth. The New Dawn’s cap appears to be expertly applied. The New Dawn is firm but yields to the squeezing of the cigar between my fingers. There are no hard or soft spots.
AROMA
The Dark Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper gives off big notes of barnyard and dried grass. I always get excited when I pick up barnyard from the wrapper because it usually means I’m in for a treat. The foot has notes of chocolate candy, barnyard, bread, sweet tobacco.
COLD DRAW
The draw itself was fairly open on one sample smoked. The cold draw reveals notes of powdered chocolate, nougat, a hint of citris, and a floral note.
SMOKING EXPERIENCE
LIGHT & DRAW
Cut: Le Petit by Les Fines Lames
Fire: Vector’s ICON IIIÂ
The initial light hits you with red pepper, nuts, a bit of earth, and a sweetness that lingers on my palate. Black pepper on the retrohale. It pops! It’s more medium than mild…but it’s delicious!!
SMOKE
The smoke is thick with a creamy mouthfeel. There is more than enough a satisfying amount. It coats my palate with each draw.Â
FIRST THIRD
>> Caramel, Citrus, Bread, Black Pepper
The first third really mellows out after the initial light. It begins with notes of caramel, buttercream icing, baking spices, and a note of citrus. Black pepper on the retrohale. The ash is perfect. Gray with streaks if black. Not a flake in sight. The burn line razor sharp. It might be the sharpest burn line I’ve ever seen. A bit of red pepper claws at the back of my throat, but quickly subsides. There’s a nuttiness that starts to come through. Baking spices and bread add their voices to the chorus. There is a sweetness that lingers on my palate.
SECOND THIRD
>> Herbaceous, Floral, Salted Nuts, Baking Spices
The sweetness starts to ramp up at the beginning of the middle third. Wood and a herbaceousness really come through, too. Baking spices really come through on the retrohale. There is still an underlying sweetness to the New Dawn. A bit of a floral note accompanies the others. The burn is still perfect. The ash does not have an errant ash. It is like a stack of nickels. Beautiful. Salted nuts chime in. The smoke is still creamy and satisfying. Sweet cream, nuts, wood, and floral all come together in balanced proportions. The sweetness and baking spices begin to ramp up, heralding the end of the middle third.
FINAL THIRD
>> Coffee, Toasted Bread, Buttercream Icing, Black Pepper
New Dawn’s final third begins with notes of caramel, coffee, leather, toasted bread, baking spices, and citrus. Black pepper rules the retrohale. There’s still a herbaceousness to the New Dawn that melds together with the sweetness very well. Citris and floral notes dance and weave in and out. The smoke is almost chewy and unctous. The burn line is stll razor sharp. Everything about the New Dawn, up to this point has been an event. A glorious event. A bit of cayanne pepper plays against the sweetness. Buttercream icing returns and compliments the coffee notes. Toasted bread, charred wood, baking spices, caramel, and charred wood end the final third.
RATING & FINAL THOUGHTS
FLAVOR PROGRESSION
The initial light primes your palate for what’s to come. It awakens your senses and tells you that what you’re about to smoke demands your attention. From subtle floral and citrus notes, to the bold notes of caramel, wood, nuts, and black pepper, the New Dawn delivers a flavor experience like few others do. Not only is the New Dawn complex and nuanced, it’s also balanced. There was never one flavor dominating another. They all ebbed and flowed, coming together for an elevated experience.
BURN EXPERIENCE
There was one cigar that started to burn slightly uneven in the final third. It quickly corrected itself. The draw on another sample was a bit too open for my preference, but it caused no issue. The New Dawn was one of the best constructed cigars I’ve had in recent memory. Perhaps, last year’s construction issues are finally behind the industry?
RATING BREAKDOWN
0.80Â / 0.80 … Craft & Aesthetic
0.50Â / 0.50 …Â Pre-Light Characteristics
0.50Â / 0.50 …Â Lighting Process
7.28Â / 7.70 …Â Smoking Experience
0.50Â / 0.50 …Â Personal Enjoyment
COMPLIMENTS & CRITIQUES
- Complex and nuanced flavors that keep the smoker interested.
- Zero burn issues. Fantastic construction.
- I have no critiques.
IT’S A NEW DAWN, YES IT IS.
The problem with a lot of Connecticut cigars…or a lot of cigars in general…is that they’re boring. There just isn’t enough going on to keep the smoker interested. The New Dawn does not suffer from that problem. The initial light grabs you by the collar and screams at you to pay attention. The big notes of red pepper, earth, and nuts compliment the sweetness from the initial light. The black pepper rounds it all out. Nothing out of balance. The first third calms down from the initial light and gives off bread-y notes along with caramel, citrus, black pepper, baking spices, and nuts. Again, all in balance. The middle third highlights the floral and herbaceousness of the New Dawn, while still delivering on the sweetness and overall balance of the smoke. The final third plays the greatest hits of the New Dawn over and over and over, with new flavor combinations and nuances to pick up on. The New Dawn should be experienced only when you can dedicate the time to pay attention to it.
