Saturday, December 1, 2012

Oliva-Serie O Maduro

Brand: Oliva
Blend: Serie O Maduro
Vitola: Toro (6x50)
Paired with: water
TV/Movie/Other: NFL, Falcons vs. Saints
Smoked at: Cigar Jacks

I purchased this cigar at one of my local cigar shops, Cigar Jacks. They also happen to have a smoking room, so I decided to smoke it there. This stick has a dark maduro wrapper that is pretty much free of veins and imperfections. I cut it with my V-cutter and lit it with a triple torch lighter, toasting the foot before taking a draw. The draw was just how I like it, not too loose and not too tight.

Right off the bat, I caught some fairly mild spice and touches of dark wood. On the aftertaste, there are notes of coffee, but they have more of a light coffee taste to them. The burn throughout the first inch to an inch was fairly wiggly. However, the burn always corrected itself with a little time. At the inch and half mark, very faint vanilla notes sneaked into the aftertaste, which really surprised me. Along with the vanilla came hints of light cedar, which juxtaposed perfectly with the darker wood tastes. The strength hovered around the medium mark.

Throughout the next inch or two, the burn suffered. There was a fair bit of canoeing, as well as what I'd like to call invasion. The burn kept going below the ash and curving up under some of the unlit wrapper. I never had to correct it, however.The flavours, though, were still very good. Dark cocoa appeared in the second inch and came back with a stronger spice and wood taste.

The spice on this cigar is beginning to intensify as I approach the final two and a half inches of the cigar. After retrohaling, there is a sweetness that lingers on the palate for a while. The burn decided to cooperate, and stayed fairly even. The cocoa is beginning to get a bit bitter, and in lieu of the above sentence, the burn went all wonky again. As I approached the nub, it never got hot. I set it down and let it die.

Final verdict: dark, woody, with hints of cocoa, vanilla, and spice. A few burn issues. Overall, a great smoke. 91/100

I would like to make a point about Cigar Jacks. It is a great little smoke place with good prices and great people. If you are ever in the area, go. You won't regret it.