Cigar: Oliva Series O Maduro
Vitola: Robusto 5x50
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Maduro
Price: about $6 at the local B&M. CI has them for $98 a box of 20.
Setting: Sitting in sun room, 6:00pm, about 50 degrees out with occasional showers. Having an IBC root beer with the smoke.
Pre-light: Cut was nice and easy. Cigar is firmly packed with just a bit of give. Has nice dark maduro wrapper with an oily sheen with medium size veins. Cigar has a strong barnyard/tobacco smell to it. Pre-light draw seems perfect with just a tad bit of resistance and a slightly sweet taste to it.
First third: The cigar lit nicely, producing a pretty good amount of smoke on the initial draws. As time goes by burn is coming along nicely and the cigar has a nice medium gray ash to it. Initial flavors are just rich tobacco with a little bit of spice tickling the back of the throat. About an inch in the ash dumped on my lap, but it did leave a nice glowing cherry.
Second third: Burn is still coming along great. The slight spice has gone away and the taste is pretty much earthy tobacco with a slight sweetness to it. In the first one I had there seemed to be more of the coffee/cocoa flavors but I'm not really picking that up as much in this one. But it's still really pleasant. Body is on the medium side.
Final third: Man, the cigar is burning great. Nice and straight with not a single touch up or relight. Flavor is remaining earthy with a touch of leather to it now. Or at least what I assume leather tastes like based on the smell. Just starting to get some of the bitter coffee flavor too, and the spice is kicking up a tad as I hit the one inch mark. After the first drop the ash had been holding pretty firm, requiring a deliberate tap to knock it off when it gets a little over an inch.
Final thoughts: I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one I had, but I may still be having lingering effects from my cold, or maybe it was the pizza I had right before the smoke. But this has still been a pleasurable experience. Can't fault the construction, perfect draw and burn from beginning to end. A solid medium bodied smoke that has enough flavor and complexity, but still and easy smoking cigar that new smokers might want to give a try. And you can't fault the price. Any good cigar for around $5 in California is a screamin deal. Oh, total smoke time, about 1:10 which is pretty fast for me, though I didn't feel like I was smoking it quickly.
Like it: Certainly
Smoke it again: Yep
Reccomend it: Undoubtedly
Vitola: Robusto 5x50
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Maduro
Price: about $6 at the local B&M. CI has them for $98 a box of 20.
Setting: Sitting in sun room, 6:00pm, about 50 degrees out with occasional showers. Having an IBC root beer with the smoke.
Pre-light: Cut was nice and easy. Cigar is firmly packed with just a bit of give. Has nice dark maduro wrapper with an oily sheen with medium size veins. Cigar has a strong barnyard/tobacco smell to it. Pre-light draw seems perfect with just a tad bit of resistance and a slightly sweet taste to it.
First third: The cigar lit nicely, producing a pretty good amount of smoke on the initial draws. As time goes by burn is coming along nicely and the cigar has a nice medium gray ash to it. Initial flavors are just rich tobacco with a little bit of spice tickling the back of the throat. About an inch in the ash dumped on my lap, but it did leave a nice glowing cherry.
Second third: Burn is still coming along great. The slight spice has gone away and the taste is pretty much earthy tobacco with a slight sweetness to it. In the first one I had there seemed to be more of the coffee/cocoa flavors but I'm not really picking that up as much in this one. But it's still really pleasant. Body is on the medium side.
Final third: Man, the cigar is burning great. Nice and straight with not a single touch up or relight. Flavor is remaining earthy with a touch of leather to it now. Or at least what I assume leather tastes like based on the smell. Just starting to get some of the bitter coffee flavor too, and the spice is kicking up a tad as I hit the one inch mark. After the first drop the ash had been holding pretty firm, requiring a deliberate tap to knock it off when it gets a little over an inch.
Final thoughts: I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one I had, but I may still be having lingering effects from my cold, or maybe it was the pizza I had right before the smoke. But this has still been a pleasurable experience. Can't fault the construction, perfect draw and burn from beginning to end. A solid medium bodied smoke that has enough flavor and complexity, but still and easy smoking cigar that new smokers might want to give a try. And you can't fault the price. Any good cigar for around $5 in California is a screamin deal. Oh, total smoke time, about 1:10 which is pretty fast for me, though I didn't feel like I was smoking it quickly.
Like it: Certainly
Smoke it again: Yep
Reccomend it: Undoubtedly