The cigar: Oliva Serie O Toro
Nutritional information
Vitola: 6x50 toro
Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan sungrown habano seed
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
I'm a big fan of Oliva cigars because they offer great flavor at an affordable price point. This was my first Oliva Serie O, a toro that had been in my humidor for about a year, with the cello beginning to yellow.
The Marketing
Here's what the Oliva folks have to say about it:
Serie O is a Nicaraguan Puro. Made in the original Cuban tradition of growing the same Habano seed in diverse regions of the country to produce a distinct blend. This blend was achieved by growing Habano in Esteli, Condega and Jalapa Valley.
CI says:
The original Oliva ’O’ renamed and repackaged....but tasty as ever!
This is a classic Oliva blend that helped put them on the map. The highly acclaimed ’O’ series offers a diverse range of robust flavors that are chewy and rich, yet smooth from start to finish. A Nicaraguan puro that boasts a dark Habano-seed wrapper. Serie ‘O’ is a triumph for Oliva.
Alert: Oliva Serie ’O’ has been named one of Cigar Aficionado’s Top 50 Cigars. Along with a ’92’ rating, the magazine noted, "The cigar has gorgeous color and a lush wrapper. It draws well, showing cedar, toast, leather and coffee notes. A complex and balanced full-bodied cigar."
Prelight: The sungrown habano wrapper just looks tasty. It's dark brown, still a bit oily even after a year in the humidor, with just a few veins. There are a couple of water spots visible, and one bigger one when I remove the band. It's well-rolled and full, but not hard, with a little give on the squeeze. Eyeing the foot, I can see good bunching, while my nose picks up some earth and leather. The cap takes a cut well, and I found the draw to be easy.
Construction and burn: Construction was top notch. The draw stayed free through the entire smoke. The burn is quite good, with the first ash growing to an inch and a half. I was smoking outdoors in a bit of a breeze (it's a beautiful 80 degree April day in Boston!), so I got a little wobble and the ash got a bit flaky, but I'm sure this was due to smoking conditions and not construction. The cigar lasted just a touch over an hour, producing generous amounts of smoke.
Flavor: This Nicaraguan puro has a bit more oomph than the Serie G. The opening flavors were coffee with some Nicaraguan sweetness. The second third brought quite a bit of cedar, some caramel, and a little spice. The last third was marked by leather and stronger, more peppery spice. When I started to get a sour note or two in the last two inches, I cashed out.
Overall, a very good straightforward smoke that offers full flavor. A great go-to cigar.
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