Oliva Serie O Maduro

Brand: Oliva
Size: Robusto 5x50
Wrapper: Maduro Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $105 for a box of 20 on Cigar International's site

The Oliva Serie O Maduro was a bit of a surprise to me. I actually got these cigars by purchasing two "mystery" 5 packs from Cigar International on their daily Joe Cigar deals. I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened up the package, but I had a smile on my face once I got through the packaging. I've smoked the Serie V and G before but never had the opportunity to try the Serie O. I'm glad I took a chance with these because I was very pleased with the smokes.

The Serie O maduro is a Nicaraguan Puro from all habano seed. The wrapper is VERY dark and the aroma is very strong to boot. I've already smoked through all 10 of these sticks and may have to purchase some again, but I'll wait to find out what the Cain tastes like when I go to the local cigar tastings next week.

First Impressions and First Puffs:

The construction is very well done. The wrapper is very dark and oily and the smell from the foot of the cigar gives off hints of chocolate and spice. From the first few puffs I am getting a nice white tight ash, and the smoke is pretty smooth. I can tell it will be a very dark cigar as I go throughout but it's also very smooth. The first tastes my palate is picking up on are spices and gingerbread.

First Third:

The draw is a bit airy, and I'm not getting a full mouth of smoke from it but I think that will change. The construction is holding up nicely and the spiciness flavors are still there. I'm also getting a hint of coffee bean.

Halfway mark:

The draw is still a bit airy but has gotten a lot better. The full flavored smoke is kicking in and the spiciness and coffee notes remain. I am really digging this cigar so far.

Final Third and Thoughts:

The full flavored smoke is definitely apparent now and the draw is treating me nicely. The construction has held up with no problems throughout the smoke and I'm smoking it down to the nub. It's getting a little hot but manageable. :) The finish of this cigar is very nice with the spiciness and coffee notes staying evident the entire time and the ash is holding strong.

Overall, this is a very good smoke. I've always been happy with the other "Serie" cigars from Oliva and I'll add this one to my list as well. The draw was a bit airy in the beginnings but picked up toward the end. The spicy notes, and oily wrapper help make this a strong smoke but smooth sailing. I got these on a deal for about 3 bucks a stick but you can pick them up for about 5-6 bucks a stick at your local B&M. I'm waiting to reserve my judgment on whether I need to repurchase these or go with a box of the new Cain sticks that just came out. Be sure to check out my review on those next week sometime.

Lazy Man's Review - Victor Sinclair Rare Connecticut

Brand: Victor Sinclair
Size: Torpedo
Wrapper: Connecticut Domincan
Binder: ??
Filler: Cuban seed long filler Dominican Republic
Price: box of 20 mixed for $35.00 http://www.thompsoncigar.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=73617

I'm going the lazy man's route this time around and thought I would just post my audio notes up instead of typing out the entire review. It's also a chance for everyone to hear my heavenly voice. :) Actually, it was really just a chance to mess around with some audio editing tools as I prep for the new Long Ashes podcast we will be releasing soon.

The Victor Sinclair Rare Connecticut is part of Thompson Cigars "exclusive" line. This is similar to CI's purple label cigars. Several well known cigar manufacturers will make a new/special blend for the store that you can't buy anywhere else. Although I thought this was a decent cigar all around, I wasn't really wowed with any complex flavors and I wasn't impressed enough to consider buying these again. I did, however, enjoy trying out the punch on top of the torpedo cut for the first time. Listed below are the complete audio notes for the review. Enjoy!

Victor Sinclair MP3

Super Premium Seconds

Brand: Punch Rothschild seconds
Size: 4.5 x 50 Rothschild
Wrapper: ??
Binder: ??
Filler: ?? CI says a Honduran blend with long fillers
Price: bundle of 25 for $29.95 http://tinyurl.com/ml7c3s

I'm always on the hunt for the perfect everyday cigar. Ever since I got my smoking room I usually smoke about 1 cigar a day and on the weekends about two every day. Being married with 4 kids, I can't afford to smoke the premiums every day like some cigar superstars on twitter @jcruz :) . So instead, I settle for good but not great. With the super premium seconds though, this is hands down the best everyday cigar I have smoked. You can't even really tell you paid less than 2 bucks for these smokes. The construction of them do have some problems about every third or fourth one you smoke because the cap likes to come off, but it usually doesn't happen until the end of the smoke so it's an acceptable issue (for a cheap cigar; if I paid 4 dollars or more for these then I would have issues with that.)

First Third:

The body of the cigar looks very decent. The construction in general looks well done but you can tell the cap is a little loose and might have issues later on in the smoke. The smell is very strong and prominent of chocolate and creme and the feel of the stick is very decent (held together good and well humidified thanks to my expert skill in humidification :P ). The first couple of puffs are really good, I tasted a sweetness and can tell the overall smoke will probably be a medium to full bodied smoke. The ash was a gray color and pretty tight overall.

Middle of smoke:

The smoke got a but stronger now and the sweetness went away. The taste can be more defined by a grassy, earthy taste. The construction is still holding up and usually does at this point of the smoke. The draw of the smoke is a bit tight and that seems to be the case on these on every other smoke, but nothing preventing the air flow completely.

Final puffs:

It's starting to get a little stronger and a bit hot. The full flavor is kicking in now. The construction is still holding up though this is usually when every third stick will lose it's cap and start to unravel. it's not a huge problem since the price of these sticks are so cheap.

Overall it's a very good everyday smoke and I would recommend it to anyone. The other cheap cigars I've smoked usually suffer from short fillers that are loose that leave for a soggy cigar that have a horrible airy draw and I was pleased that these are more closer to a standard premium that don't have those problems.