Oliva Serie V Maduro No.4 (Preproduction)

Today we will be taking a look at the second installment in our Oliva test blend week, the Oliva Serie V Maduro No.4! As Brooks has stated, Ian Hummel was gracious enough to send us a few blends they have been playing around with for fun, among those being the Oliva Serie V Maduro No.4.

The full list was:

• Studio Tobac CC-001
• Oliva Serie V Maduro No.4
• Oliva Serie V Maduro Lancero
• Oliva Connecticut Reserva Lonsdale F
• Cain Daytona 646 Maduro

Not too long ago I reviewed the Oliva Serie V No.4 and I was most definitely impressed with it, I was especially pleased with the fact that it was the first small vitola for the Serie V line, so to speak, and it offered rich flavors and a full body in such a little smoke. You can imagine my excitement when I found out I would be reviewing the same cigar with a Maduro wrapper! I have Bryan Scholle of Studio Tobac to thank as well as he is the man crafting these wonderful Oliva test blends.

Here is a photo of a Oliva Serie V Maduro No.4 and regular Oliva Serie V No.4 for comparison, as you can see the Maduro is not that much darker.

• Cigar Reviewed: Oliva Serie V Maduro No.4
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Tabacalera Oliva de Nicaragua S.A.
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Maduro
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Size: 4 4/5 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 43
• Vitola: Corona
• Est. Price: N/A
• Number of Cigars Released: N/A
• Date Released: Unreleased
• Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 1

Looking at the cigar the first thing I notice compared to the original Serie V No.4 is the fact that it’s a little bit shorter, just a touch, but certainly enough that you notice. The second thing you notice is the wrapper, it’s not that much darker than the regular Serie V wrapper. However, where the Serie V wrapper has sort of a rosado tint to it, this has a dark chocolate, splotchy, toothy wrapper, honestly it looks more like Broadleaf than it does San Andrés. It has a wonderful rustic look to it with veins here and there and a gritty feel to it. The pre-light aroma is very similar to the regular Serie V No.4 but with a strong wood aroma, specifically oak and it has a nice base of milk chocolate, coffee and leather. The pre-light draw is full of wood as well with a slight hint of hay and sweet tobacco.

Here is a photo of the Serie V Maduro No.4 and the Serie V No.4 as they burn:

Starting off in the first third the cigar waste no time getting started, immediately the flavors are washing over my palate, it’s very smooth right away but with a nice bite of spice and pepper on the finish. The profile is woody and creamy with a ton of black pepper and leather. You can really taste the dense sweetness coming from the wrapper and it’s the first thing your palate senses, followed by the creaminess and spice from the blend itself. Great start…

Coming into the second third the cigar switches up to and even deeper and darker profile with dark chocolate coming out in adundance, with it comes a nice roasted coffee bean flavor which mixes well with the cream and leather. There is a nice rush of spice through the nose and the black pepper lingers on my tounge throughout the entire finish. Construction is spot on with an almost razor sharp burn and a near perfect draw…

Finishing up in the final third cigar changes up slightly, the cream has completely disappeared and what’s left is a spicy, peppery profile with plenty of sweetness in the form of dark chocolate and sugar cane, the wood flavor that has been consistent all along has turned nice and toasty and the coffee has turned darker into a more espresso flavor. Definitely a very rich ending to a rich cigar!

Final Notes

• This cigar was incredibly full flavored, ultra rich and it not only hits you on the palate but you can feel everything the cigar offers deep in your chest after every puff. I hit a nice nicotine rush towards the end which surprised me given how small the cigar is but it wasn’t anything unbearable.
• This wrapper does wonderful things to this blend, on each puff you can really taste the wrapper, it has a wonderful full bodied sweetness and the creaminess of the blend mixed with the spice and pepper makes for an excellent combination.
• These are being rolled sporadically and on an extremely limited basis, you might be able to get one if you attend a Studio Tobac event and request it. If you do get the chance I would highly recommend it! It’s a wonderful cigar.
• Final Smoking time was 47 minutes

Steve Valle

Steve Valle wrote for Smoking Stogie, a precursor to halfwheel, from 2010-2011.