The Masterblend series from Oliva are supposed to be the cream of the crop of the Oliva cigars and the Masterblend 1 and Masterblend 3 that I smoked really impressed me. I never had the Masterblend 2, until I ran into a box of 5x50 robustos recently. The cigars are € 10,50 each here. The cigar is tattooed, like the Masterblend 1. The production of the Masterblend 2 was limited to 120.000 cigars in total.
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The oily wrapper is chocolate brown with the mentioned tattoo and quite some veins. The construction feels good and the cigar smells like chocolate with dried grass. The band is beautiful and accentuates the tattoo. The predraw is great, I get a lot of flavour, mostly hay but with some raisin.
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The first thing I taste is a bitter mixture of earthy flavours with leather, coffee and a hint of white pepper. The bitterness quickly disappears and after half an inch I taste that earthy flavour with leather and wood. After an inch I taste some white pepper and lots of herbs. After a third I taste wood with some leather and hay, the aftertaste consists of some white pepper and herbs.
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Halfway the hay flavour gains strength with herbs, some leather and a big splash of that earthy flavour. The flavours change to earth with some herbs and a hint of leather. The aftertaste is pepper. After two thirds there is some citrus with the earthy flavour. Near the end the citrus is replaced by wood.
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This cigar lasted me for an hour and three quarters. The draw is great, just like the bur. The silver-grey ash is firm. I got a lot of smoke. This cigar is full flavoured and full bodied.
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Would I buy this cigar again? I liked the cigar but the Masterblend 1 and Masterblend 3 are better in my opinion
Appearance: 9 / 10 because of the tattoo
Construction: 8 / 10
Draw: 8 / 10
Burn: 8 / 10
Smoke & ash: 8 / 10
Aroma first part: 7 / 10
Aroma second part: 8 / 10
Aroma third part: 8 / 10
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