Oliva Connecticut Reserve Toro
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Overall Appearance and Presentation - 17/20 points
The smooth golden wrapper has a slight oil and light veins running throughout. The well shaped and nearly seamless cap cut very smoothly leaving a razor straight end on the head. This Oliva exhibits a pleasant aroma of dried grass reminiscent of camping in the open plains of the Midwest.
Lighting and Burning Properties - 14/15 points
The cigar lit very well and had a surprisingly even burn throughout with a nearly perfect burn rate. Powdery gray and white ash that extended slightly over one inch before falling off. This cigar creates a large volume of smoke. No re-lighting was necessary.
Construction - 25/30
The easy and full draw required only light puffing and remained steady throughout. Throughout the smoke the wrapper remained intact, but the cigar had one slightly soft spot near the cap.
Taste - 31/35
The smoke was dense with a great soft texture on the palate. Overall taste was very smooth, but the cigar exhibited a bit more punch than the typical Connecticut shade cigar. Flavors were initially quite mild and toasty with a creamy finish. After the first ten minutes the flavors progressed slightly, and a slight woody spice was noted. Oliva's Connecticut Reserve gave an excellent balance of creamy toast with some spice but was a little short on nuance. Overall, this would be a light-medium bodied cigar.
Total Score - 87/100 || A very good cigar
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Haven't had the Toro - had the robusto and lonsdale though. Very nice smokes. Proof that a Connie wrapped stick doesn't have to have no flavor and be mild.
Peace of the Lord be with you.
[Reply]
I've had three of these now out of a fiver. It's a mild-med smoke without being boring and has a mildly woody or maybe grassy flavor. I find it to be smooth and creamy like other connecticuts but there's a nice tingle on the tongue that just misses being "spicy" and so qualifies as a milder than medium smoke. It may be my imagination but it also seems to carry a little more nicotine kick than other mild connies I've tried. I compare this to the RyJ 1876, the pinar del rio classico, and the casa torano natural. Of the four this is the most interesting and only the casa which is creamier and smoother would compete with it IMO.
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