Oliva
90 points, My Score
Serie V Melanio Maduro
Cocoa , Coffee , Espresso , Toast
A refined and well-balanced Maduro that delivered a much stronger experience than I remembered.
Brand
Oliva cigars
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About Oliva
The Oliva story begins in 1886, when Melanio Oliva started growing tobacco in Pinar del Río, Cuba. His grandson Gilberto Oliva Sr. left Cuba in 1964, first for Spain and then for Nicaragua, where he grew tobacco from 1969. He left in 1979 and spent years farming in Honduras, Mexico, Panama and the Philippines, until he returned to Nicaragua in 1995.
That same year he launched the Gilberto Oliva brand, shortened to simply Oliva in 1996. In 2003 the family opened its factory in Estelí, and production grew fast: about 13 million cigars a year by 2009. Oliva grows its own tobacco in Estelí, Condega, Jalapa and Somoto.
The flagship Serie V arrived in 2006 and was named to Cigar Aficionado's list of the best cigars of 2008. The Serie V Melanio carries the name of the man who started it all. In 2016 J. Cortès Cigars bought the business. Oliva Tobacco Co. of Tampa, a grower that supplies other brands, is a separate company.
I have four Oliva notes, from the Connecticut Reserve to the Serie V Melanio Maduro, which scored 90.
My notes
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Oliva
81 points, My Score
Connecticut Reserve Churchill
Cream , Cedar , Toast , Coffee
The opening draws were the highlight of the experience, delivering a creamy texture, natural sweetness, soft cedar, and light toasted nuts—exactly the qualities I enjoy in a Connecticut.
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Oliva
Serie V Melanio Maduro Robusto
Cocoa , Coffee , Wood
This experience reminded me how much cigar storage matters.
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