Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial

Brand: Oliva
Cigar: Serie V Maduro Especial
Shape: Torpedo
Size: 6.5" x 52
Wrapper: Connecticut
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Price: $11.99

Appearance: 8
Construction: 8
Taste: 8
Value: 7
Overall: 8

While most of my smoking these days has focused on pipes I still have a hankering for a cigar from time to time and with a fridgador full of singles there's always something new to try. I'm a big fan of Oliva cigars and decided to fire up a limited production Serie V maduro torpedo this afternoon.

The torpedo is 6.5 inches long with a ring gauge of 52 and features a dark brown maduro wrapper. Construction was perfect with a nice tight wrapper and well-rolled tobacco evident from examining the foot of the cigar.

I snipped the tip off with my Palio cutter, toasted the foot, and started smoking.

The flavor of this cigar was very complex while still remaining mild to medium on the palate. The predominant flavor was cedar-like and it took me a few minutes to realize that what I was tasting was more akin to smoldering mesquite chips on a BBQ grill. There was a bit of spice as well but the maduro wrapper tempered it with creamy unsweetened cocoa and coffee flavors. As the smoke progressed these savory elements really took hold and made for an enjoyable cigar experience.

The Serie V torpedo burned well and required only a few touch ups to keep the burn line even. Smoke output was fairly subdued and non-obtrusive for such a large cigar and the nicotine hit was fairly strong. The cigar lasted for well over an hour until all that was left was a pile of rough gray ash.

The Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial is a great cigar featuring the Oliva family's standard fine attention to detail. As a limited edition it is pricier than their typical offerings but is well worth the added investment.

McClelland -- Beacon

Brand: McClelland
Blend: Beacon
Style: Virginia/Perique
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: Free Sample

Appearance: 8
Taste: 9
Room Note: 8
Value: 8
Overall: 8

McClelland's Beacon is a blend that was originally part of the Pipe Collectors Club of America (PCCA) line of tobaccos. Since it has always been blended and tinned by McClelland it's likely that the newer batches follow the same formula as the older incarnation. Since I've only ever smoked the newer stuff that's what this review will cover.

Beacon is a Virginia/Perique blend made up of lemon yellow and orange Virginia leaf combined with a touch of Louisiana Perique. The tobacco arrives in a broken flake and is medium brown in color with obvious flecks of those bright Virginias peeking through. The tin aroma is slightly sweet and full of that classic McClelland tang.

The sample I was given dates from 2007 but was obviously well cared for as the flakes were still pliable and a bit moist. To get started I grabbed a pinch of the broken flakes and stuffed them into my Missouri Pride natural cob. It took a few charring lights to really get things going but after that the blend burned nicely even with a heavy dose of ambient humidity.

Beacon started off with a light, sugary taste that had none of the heavier molasses overtones often found in darker VA flakes. The lemon and orange Virginias lived up to their names and delivered a delightfully astringent citrus zing that reminded me a bit of kaffir lime leaves. And rounding out the flavor profile was just enough Perique to add some much-needed depth and a jolt of pepper to the mix. To my taste buds this was essentially Thai lemongrass soup in a pipe and provided a perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and spicy.

The room aroma was fairly light as well but there was a bit of mustiness evident from the Perique and the tobacco gave off a constant wisp of smoke as it smoldered in the pipe.

I'm a bit of a fast smoker but had no problems with tongue bite as the blend burned down to the bottom of the bowl leaving nothing but dry ash. I did have to relight the pipe regularly but that's the norm for me and flakes.

As a big fan of VA/Pers I had been looking forward to giving this well-regarded McClelland creation a try for quite some time and all I can say is that I was not disappointed. Beacon's bright Virginias added a lighter dimension than is typical for this genre and it proved to be the perfect smoke for a hot summer night. This is a truly remarkable blend and I fully intend to add some more tins to my tobacco cellar post haste.