The Particulars

The Review

This review for the Avowed New Dawn - Corona Gorda (6 x 46) is based on the journal entry dated 2026-03-02

Appearance & Construction (0-3):  Good (3)

The New Dawn’s ASP-sourced Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper is a gauntlet thrown down to people like me who usually hate Ecuadorian Connecticut wrappers. They’re commonly used on cheap cigars—a sickly tannish-yellow, fragile, and prone to bitter notes. This wrapper is a warm, light brown that has a soft, velvety feel. It’s not an oily wrapper, just a light hint of sheen, but it’s not dry and does have some color variation in spots. There are a number of veins, but they’re all super thin. While the wrapper does have some stretch marks and wrinkles, all the seams are tight and blend in nicely, while the single cap (I think it’s a flag style) is beautifully applied. The bands are the same gorgeous blue and gold as the rest of the lineup.

Draw (0-3) & Burn (0-4):  Good (3) / Great (4)

The draw is spot-on and the burn starts without issue. The burn starts a little uneven, then quickly settles into a nice, crisp burn line that’s flat with just a hint of a wave. The ash is a medium, darker gray. People will tell you that lighter ash equals better nutrients and better tobacco, but that’s only a half-truth. Different tobacco burns different colors. The fact that it’s a darker ash in no way means the tobacco was improperly treated or is of low quality. The ash itself is holding strong with tight banding and striations.

Flavor Profile (0-5):  Excellent (5)

FUUUUCK, this starts off super buttery and creamy. It’s so rich and decadent! Then I start getting light toasted nuttiness, bready graham cracker notes, light cinnamon, and baking spice. Sweetness is a light honey to caramel. I’ve smoked to almost the midway point and I’m just completely zoned out on how beautiful this blend is.

So, as I’m hitting that midpoint, let’s revisit the flavors. It’s a lightly floral and vanilla-like custard with a buttery, rich graham cracker pie crust that has light notes of sourdough and white bread. There’s a toasted almond topping, cinnamon, and a honey drizzle on this pie. There are really just the lightest coffee and earth notes; the only other traditional flavor coming in strong is cedar, but this is light, bright, and sweet. This is just a fucking delight with a mix of robust flavors that are beautifully and harmoniously blended together. Straight 🔥

This all carries into the final third where red pepper increases to a nice medium, tingling my tongue.

Overall Experience (0-5):  Excellent (5)

Klaas and the Avowed team really knocked this one out of the park. If you’re not a Connecticut smoker, or even a thinner ring smoker, you have to challenge yourself and try this. This is absolutely a cigar that other non-Connecticut smokers have been loving, and this vitola really brings out the best of the New Dawn blend. Go fucking get it. Now, right now.

Review Base Rating (0-5):

5.00

Would I Buy It Again?

Without a doubt (box worthy)

Review Final Score (0-10):

10.00

Overall Score and Individual Journal Entries

While the review is based off one instance of journaling this cigar; there’s a number of reasons you can have different experiences smoking the same cigar multiple times. A blend can evolve with age (for better or worse), palates evolves, preferences change, and sometimes you just get a bad example!  This section captures the ratings from each journal entry and the related journal photo.  Below you’ll find an aggregate score based on every time the cigar has been journaled. Unless it was a gift or on-off smoke, this section will be updated every time I journal this cigar!

The Flavor Wheel

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.