Oliva Serie O Maduro Robusto
Size: 5x50
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Music: MC Frontalot
Drink: Coca Cola
Smoked outside, there was a light breeze.
Construction was very nice, the wrapper dark and with veins that were not too prominent. I was disappointed to find a small hole marring the wrapper, but it didn't seem to effect things much.
I used my bullet punch and the draw was just right, not too tight or loose.
First third: Slightly sweet, with lots of spice and hints of cocoa. The burn was a little wavy, but didn't get out of hand. Further in, the spiciness became more pronounced, and the sweetness began to fade. Single puffs produced very acceptable amounts of smoke. The ash was light gray, and sort of scaly/flaky, and held on for a bit over an inch.
Second third: The spice has faded and I was starting to pick up hints of leather and cedar along with the cocoa. The burn is still wavy, but so far auto-correcting. After a while the sweetness was back, and the wood and leather tastes are growing stronger, with the cocoa predominating. About halfway through this portion, the wind picked up a bit and I had to do some touch-ups with the torch. Nose exhales give a mild, lingering burn.
Final third: Inexplicably, the cigar went out between one puff and the next. It was smoking just great, then, after no more than a minute's pause, nothing. Either that or my brain just kinda stroked off there for a while and it was a lot longer pause than I realized. On the plus side, the re-light didn't throw the flavor off as sometimes happens. Speaking of flavor, for the rest of the cigar, I most strongly tasted the leather, wood, and cocoa.
Overall impression: As usual, Oliva does not disappoint. The Serie O Robusto is a very well made, extremely flavorful, delightful cigar that I would not hesitate to smoke again.
