Around noon today a customer called up the shop to order some cigars and instead of ordering a box of his usually, he ordered a box plus one. However, he told me not to ship the cigar that he wanted me to smoke it instead. I told him I couldn’t do that, but he said if I shipped him the extra cigar he would just ship it back to me. As much as I want to help fund the post office, I couldn’t let him do the so today we offer our review of the Oliva V Melanio.
Cigar: Oliva V Melanio
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 5″
Ring: 52
Size: Robusto
The Look: Packaged in 10 count boxes, the Sumatra wrapper of the Oliva V Melanio has some caramel tones to it along with some brindle effects and is almost vein free. The cigar is seamlessly rolled and features the classic Oliva V band with a secondary one denoting Melanio. The box pressed cigar is firm to the touch and feels silky under the fingers.
The Notes: The cold draw of the Melanio reminds me of rhubarb and pastry dough while the aroma off the foot is earthy with some sweetness to it. Once the cigar is lit is some subtle black pepper especially through the nose. Moving into the first third the pepper subsides and some notes of leather develop that aren’t overpowering. The first third round out with an underlying sweetness of chocolate and hints of caramel.
The second third of the Oliva made cigar sees the caramel notes become the focal point of the experience as the leather takes the backseat. Around the half-way point of the stick, some elements of coffee develop that become dominant as the second third comes to a close on this very smooth and complex cigar.
As we close out the experience known as the V Melanio some of the leather notes of the first third begin to creep back with some continues caramel subtleties. The coffee note of the second third remains but mostly as an afterthought on the retrohale.
The Finish: The first two-thirds of the Oliva V Melanio were iconic in my opinion though the flavors dropped off considerably in the last third of the smoke. Overall, the cigar is extremely enjoyable however I don’t feel that it is cigar of the year. I would however buy it again without a doubt.
Score: 91
Price: $10.39 / $85.99
Oliva Serie V Melanio Foot
Oliva Serie V Melanio Burn
