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.