Avowed Cigars and the New Golden Era of Cigars

From Creekside Podcast Ep. 021: The New Golden Era Of Cigars (Feat. Dave West of Avowed Cigars), aired Jun 13, 2025. Recorded at Creekside Cigar Co. in Maineville, Ohio.

On this episode of the Creekside Podcast, we sat down with Dave West of Avowed Cigars on the PCA trade show floor. We talked about fatherhood, developing cigars, and what Dave calls a new golden era for the cigar industry. Along the way, we also shared an unbanded experimental cigar and compared notes on how tasting becomes more rewarding when we slow down and pay attention.

Why does Dave West call this a new golden era of cigars?

For Dave, today’s cigar scene is exciting because it brings established traditions together with new ideas. He pointed to more boutique brands and a wider range of blends, with tobacco and cigar-making developments across places including Nicaragua, Honduras, Peru, and El Salvador. The result, as we discussed, is a less predictable landscape: smokers can find cigars that feel genuinely distinct from one another, rather than variations on a single familiar experience.

That variety also means not every cigar will suit every smoker, which is part of the appeal. A blend that surprises one person may become another person’s favorite. The conversation was not about declaring one style best; it was about having more choices and more room for makers to experiment. Dave sees that combination of old-world knowledge and new-world innovation as the beginning of an especially promising period for cigars.

How can you get better at tasting cigars?

Dave described tasting as a skill that can be developed, not a talent reserved for people with a special palate. His starting point is to practice describing familiar things without using their names. How would you explain coffee, chocolate, or fruit to someone without saying “coffee,” “chocolate,” or “fruit”? That exercise builds associations and gives you more ways to describe what you notice in a cigar.

It can help to begin with basic categories such as sweet, sour, spicy, savory, and bitter. Then get more specific. Instead of stopping at “bitter,” ask whether the sensation brings dark chocolate or coffee to mind. For earthiness, consider whether it resembles a beet, wet soil, or dry soil. These comparisons are personal, and two people can smoke the same cigar and describe it differently without either account being a definitive verdict.

We talked, too, about writing down impressions before hearing what someone else tastes. Comparing notes can help you find new language or notice something on a later puff. The goal is not to prove that your description is correct. It is to pay attention, stay curious, and enjoy the conversation around the cigar.

What shapes Avowed Cigars’ approach to blending?

Dave explained that Avowed works with Class Kelner and values the combination of quality tobacco and experienced cigar-making hands. He described Kelner’s knowledge and tobacco connections as important resources for a young brand. The group also shares a focus on balance and on giving blends time to develop. For them, having several people taste and assess a cigar helps keep the decision from resting on one person’s opinion alone.

We tried a cigar Dave brought that was deliberately unbanded and, at the time of recording, did not exist as a released blend. Dave identified its wrapper as light Ecuadorian and Corojo and said there was Pennsylvania tobacco in the filler. The crew found different impressions as we smoked, including woodiness, saltiness, caramel, creaminess, and baking-spice qualities. Dave said the blend might change if it developed further, so we treated it as a shared tasting experience rather than a preview of a finished product.

We also discussed Higher Calling, which Avowed developed with Class Kelner and aged for about two years before release. Dave said the blend uses higher-priming leaves in the filler to help it hold up over time while preserving creaminess and baking spices. One of us described it as nuanced rather than forceful, and as a cigar that rewards a slower, more attentive smoke.

Why do time and service matter to Avowed?

Fatherhood gave the conversation a personal thread. Dave connected the time put into raising children with the patience involved in developing a cigar: an idea takes work, changes over time, and eventually has to meet the world. He also connected Higher Calling to Avowed’s first Father’s Day as a brand, and spoke about time as something valuable that cannot simply be bought back.

That patience is reflected in Avowed’s business approach, too. Dave said the brand wants to work with selected retail partners rather than open accounts everywhere. The team aims to support those partners with thoughtful presentation, reliable inventory, and a retailer portal for ordering. At Creekside, we value how that approach makes the relationship feel personal and straightforward. The conversation was a reminder that a cigar brand is more than a blend: the experience of discovering, ordering, and sharing it matters as well.

Key takeaways

• The current cigar landscape offers more variety and experimentation, with tradition and innovation working side by side.
• Tasting can be practiced: start with broad categories, make specific comparisons, and write down what you notice.
• Avowed emphasizes shared evaluation, experienced cigar-making, and giving blends time to develop.
• For Dave, patience, fatherhood, and thoughtful service all connect to how Avowed develops cigars and works with retailers.

Cigars from this episode

• Avowed Higher Calling: Dave said it aged about two years; the crew described it as nuanced, creamy, and suited to an attentive smoke.
• Avowed 6.29: Discussed as having creamy baking-spice qualities; the transcript also connects its blend to Cotuí tobacco, spelling uncertain.
• Avowed New Dawn: Dave said a new size was planned; the crew also discussed the cigar’s presentation.
• Avowed Awakening: Mentioned for its box year and presentation; the boxes said 2024, while the brand launched in 2025.
• Avowed Hallowed Hands: Dave described it as the portfolio’s boldest cigar to date, with a dark Ecuadorian and Corojo wrapper.
• Stolen Throne Crook of the Crown: Dave and the crew recalled it as a cigar that stood out amid the noise at PCA.
• Warped Corto Maduro: The crew praised its cocoa, cherry, and jasmine-green-tea impressions, and discussed its smooth, nuanced character.
• Matilde cigar honoring Enrique’s father: The crew described it as a traditional, old-school Dominican-style tribute; the cigar’s exact name is unclear in the transcript.

Shop, smoke and listen with Creekside

• Shop the cigars from this episode
• Join the Creekside Cigar Club for boutique cigars picked by our crew every month
• Visit our cigar lounge at 1381 US-22, Maineville, OH, open seven days a week
• Subscribe to the Creekside Podcast on YouTube and catch every episode