For me, the Ave Maria is my special occasion cigar...

First off, the presentation is nice. It comes in an individual, coffin-style cedar box. Because of this, the cigar is fragrant right off the bat. I enclosed a picture of a sealed box and the Ave Maria on top for comparison.

To me, the cigar has a bold and robust flavor. (I smoke medium-full to full cigars myself.) It is very smooth, so you don't get that "sand paper" tongue sensation at all. Well balanced: it has a hint of spice, it's not too oily and has a sweet finish. It has a nice draw and produces a good amount of smoke. It burns evenly and it is tightly packed, so it ashes very well.

Literally, every time I smoked this, I get that "wow" factor from other people who pass me by or from other smokers, both cigar and cigarettes. People are impressed with the size (7 inches) and especially the gold-foiled label. It's a nice ice breaker and a great conversation piece.

Hope this helps. I would recommend it!