1. May 19th, 2021: This is an elegant figurado cigar coming in a box of 24.
Construction: Beautiful figurado shape. The construction is exquisite, with a nipple at the foot and a torpedo-shaped head. The cigar tapers from 60 ring gauge at the foot to around 50 at the head. The wrapper is sun grown colorado maduro and binder and filler are both Nicaraguan. According to this website:"The Oliva Serie V Liga is a complex blend of Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos blended with specially fermented Jalapa Valley ligero and finished with a high priming Habano sun-grown wrapper."
The cigar is solidly packed and has a good weight in the hand, as did the torpedo version that I smoked on January 4th.
Draw: Tight on the initial light, even past the nipple. Draw didn't open up until about half an hour.
Burn: After touching up the foot burn was perfect.
Flavour: Deep, rich, complex flavour from the outset. The cigar resembled the AJ Fernandez Enclave Figurado to some degree. Flavour intensified throughout, with occasional slight bitterness, but nothing detracting from the bold richness which the cigar provided.
Body: Started out medium, ended up very full bodied.
Strength: Strength increased throughout, from a medium intensity to quite strong. It caused no discomfort while smoking, but on finishing, I felt the earth move.
Finish: Good long finish.
Aroma: Excellent, rich and complex aroma, unfortunately whisked away by strong winds that accompanied a storm.
Ash: Solid.
Balance and Consistency: Full marks for balance. Flavour, strength, body and finish were all in the right place. The cigar was consistently good. No bitter or dead spots.
Time smoke: Two hours to the minute.
Overall: An excellent cigar. The only quibble would be the draw which was too tight during the first third to half. However, that minor defect was a small price to pay for an otherwise exquisite cigar.
Solid ash held on for about half an hour before I flicked it.
 |
| Beautiful colorado maduro wrapper - perfect burn |
2. July 19th, 2021: Another almost perfect cigar: rich, complex flavour and aroma, smooth medium body increasing in the second half but not to the full body level, easy draw and adequate self-correcting burn. Flavour was enjoyable throughout: not spicy or peppery, but leaving the aftertaste of weak black coffee.
Strength was only momentarily at the high level, otherwise mild to medium.
This is a Nicaraguan cigar, but could easily be confused for a premium Cuban, so rich and balanced is the flavour.
This cigar was a little lighter in the hand than the May 19th cigar. Smoke time was 95 minutes (120 minutes for the first). Excellent balance.
3. September 4, 2021: Another almost perfect cigar. This one was weighty in the hand. Dry aroma was spicy and leathery. The cigar had a slight resistance in the first third but opened up well after passing a slight plug. Burn was sharp. This was a slow burner: barely an inch after half an hour.
Flavour and aroma were both outstanding. Their complexity defy description. Suffice to say they were both rich and satisfying. Mild spice was evident in the second half of the cigar, and towards the end it was quite peppery.
Body was somewhere between medium and full. Finish was long and clean.
Strength was mild at the start. By the second half strength had picked up and by the nub, the cigar was quite strong but not head spinning.
Of the three vitolas that I have tried - Double Toro, Churchill Extra and Figurado - this is the most mellow and balanced. It is similar to the Enclave Figurado, but more body and strength. 95 minutes. Very satisfying.
 |
| Slow burner: after half an hour barely an inch consumed |
 |
| Beautiful construction - lives up to its appearance |
5 and 6. January 13th, 2022: I shared one with a friend. Both cigars were a bit squishy and moist. Flavour was good, but there was a slight bitterness which might have resulted from excessive moisture. I've moved the box to a lower place in the humidity cabinet. I'll keep an eye on them. 95 to 100 minutes.
7. April 4th, 2022: This was one of the highest quality cigars I have in my collection. It was full bodied throughout, with a very rich, complex flavour and aroma. It would have rivalled any full bodied Cuban. The final third was a little bitter, but that would be a quibble. This was a meaty, substantial cigar, smooth and balanced. Strength crept up in the final couple of inches, so I left it before the nub. But otherwise, this was a very satisfying cigar. 95 minutes.
8. November 21st, 2022: I savour these and repeat the comment from the previous cigar: one of the highest quality cigar I have in my collection. I just smoked a Rome y Julieta Wide Churchill a couple of days before and this Oliva Figurado beat it on balance and smoothness of flavour. Yes, there is a little bitterness here and there, especially at the end, but the cigar otherwise has the perfect blend of full body, spiciness and delicious flavour. 90 minutes. Very satisfying.
 |
| One of the finest in my collection: full body, smooth, rich flavour |
 |
| Delicious start, easy draw after the first inch, but a heavy, somewhat bitter final third. |
October 14th, 2023: This one was also a bit bitter. Body was full throughout. Strength was not a problem and despite the bitterness, flavour was still satisfying. I smoked the cigar to the nub in 100 minutes.
June 22nd, 2024: This one was plugged. I know it can take a bit of time to draw due to the construction of the nipple. But this one was plugged. I was thinking of throwing it away, but, in desperation, I took an oven thermometer and gave the cigar a good spiking down to around the middle. That worked. It drew well and burned consistently.
Flavour on this one was pretty good. Body was full throughout. There was no bitterness. It was quite rich and mellow. Delicious and very satisfying (if not a bit overwhelming) at 90 minutes.
