Flor de Oliva Natural Robusto
Length: 5"
Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Sumatran
Filler: Nicaraguan
I've been trying to find an inexpensive long filler Nicaraguan cigar to have as my everyday smoke. The overwhelming response I got pointed to the Famous Nic 3000 or the Flor de Oliva. Well, I found these on the devil's site going for $9 for a fiver, which equates out to $1.80 per stick. I didn't think it was that bad at all, and have had this resting in my humi for the past two weeks.
On looks this isn't a bad cigar. It's got a smooth wrapper with some visible veins running on it that make it look a little rugged. I noticed that the cigar felt a little loosely rolled. It was soft to the touch, and I had a little bit of concern at first, but decided to hold off on judging until I finished. I cut the cap and take a pre-light draw. It's a loose and easy draw, a little more loose than I normally would like, but it's not a big deal. The real test would be coming up with how it tastes.
The wrapper itself tasted sweet; honeylike sweetness. I was a little surprised and thought maybe I was tasting the sugar from my coffee. Nope, it was the wrapper, and I kind of liked it. The smoke was mild, but still had good flavor to it. I was tasting nuts, sweet cream, and a hint of caramel. This flavor profile continued to grow in strength, but never left the mild end of the spectrum.
The second third got sweeter and the cream came out more over the nuts. The caramel came out after the other flavors to make a sweet finish that lasted a little on the tongue. The only downside I felt was that the smoke left a slightly ashy feeling in my mouth. It wasn't too bad, and not something that I'd say was a big deal. Just one of those minute things you notice after a while when smoking slowly.
The last third was just as sweet, but with more caramel than nuts or cream. The finish was very creamy and sweet and very pleasant. The only unpleasant thing as far as flavor goes is that I have a grassy taste in my mouth after I finished smoking. Something I wouldn't mind smoking again.
The burn was very even throughout the entire cigar. No touchups needed at all, and the smoke was full, smooth, and cool. The ash was grey and flaky, and only held 3/4" about. I could see that the cigar wasn't too tightly rolled since the ash fell off on its own easily and crumpled when it hit the ashtray. Though that didn't effect the flavor or burn in the slightest. The cigar lasted through 5 episodes of Metalocalypse, so roughly 55 minutes.
I'd give this a 7.5/10. Flavor, burn, and overall experience was good. The only negatives were that I thought there could be a little more tobacco packed in and the final aftertaste left when I finished smoking. But considering the price I don't think it's much to complain about at all. I'd say it's a good value cigar that's worth trying and getting again.
Even burn going through the first third. You can see the flaky ash.
Closer view going through the 2/3; much the same as the 1/3 burnwise.
Length: 5"
Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Sumatran
Filler: Nicaraguan
I've been trying to find an inexpensive long filler Nicaraguan cigar to have as my everyday smoke. The overwhelming response I got pointed to the Famous Nic 3000 or the Flor de Oliva. Well, I found these on the devil's site going for $9 for a fiver, which equates out to $1.80 per stick. I didn't think it was that bad at all, and have had this resting in my humi for the past two weeks.
On looks this isn't a bad cigar. It's got a smooth wrapper with some visible veins running on it that make it look a little rugged. I noticed that the cigar felt a little loosely rolled. It was soft to the touch, and I had a little bit of concern at first, but decided to hold off on judging until I finished. I cut the cap and take a pre-light draw. It's a loose and easy draw, a little more loose than I normally would like, but it's not a big deal. The real test would be coming up with how it tastes.
The wrapper itself tasted sweet; honeylike sweetness. I was a little surprised and thought maybe I was tasting the sugar from my coffee. Nope, it was the wrapper, and I kind of liked it. The smoke was mild, but still had good flavor to it. I was tasting nuts, sweet cream, and a hint of caramel. This flavor profile continued to grow in strength, but never left the mild end of the spectrum.
The second third got sweeter and the cream came out more over the nuts. The caramel came out after the other flavors to make a sweet finish that lasted a little on the tongue. The only downside I felt was that the smoke left a slightly ashy feeling in my mouth. It wasn't too bad, and not something that I'd say was a big deal. Just one of those minute things you notice after a while when smoking slowly.
The last third was just as sweet, but with more caramel than nuts or cream. The finish was very creamy and sweet and very pleasant. The only unpleasant thing as far as flavor goes is that I have a grassy taste in my mouth after I finished smoking. Something I wouldn't mind smoking again.
The burn was very even throughout the entire cigar. No touchups needed at all, and the smoke was full, smooth, and cool. The ash was grey and flaky, and only held 3/4" about. I could see that the cigar wasn't too tightly rolled since the ash fell off on its own easily and crumpled when it hit the ashtray. Though that didn't effect the flavor or burn in the slightest. The cigar lasted through 5 episodes of Metalocalypse, so roughly 55 minutes.
I'd give this a 7.5/10. Flavor, burn, and overall experience was good. The only negatives were that I thought there could be a little more tobacco packed in and the final aftertaste left when I finished smoking. But considering the price I don't think it's much to complain about at all. I'd say it's a good value cigar that's worth trying and getting again.
Even burn going through the first third. You can see the flaky ash.
Closer view going through the 2/3; much the same as the 1/3 burnwise.