In March, we saw the release of the 38th unique cigar in the Oliva Serie V line-up. This time however, the packaging is something you haven’t seen a Serie V in before. Instead of your normal cigar-box treatment, the Oliva Serie V Toro Special Limited Edition will be packaged exclusively in a CertiFresh Cigar tube and humidified by a 69 percent Boveda pack.

CertiFresh Cigar specializes in selling prepackaged cigars to golf courses and casinos, with the idea that its packaging doesn’t require a humidor to keep the cigars fresh. Of course this means that unless you’re near a location that stocks CertiFresh products, you’re going to have a hard time finding these.

Oliva Serie V Toro Special Limited Edition 2015 Tube 1

Oliva Serie V Toro Special Limited Edition 2015 Tube 2

Each tube has been individually numbered and feature a sell by date on the bottom, which is one year after they were packaged. The locations that do sell these shouldn’t have a hard time getting rid of them all before the year is up though, because each location is limited to only 40 cigars per account.

The long list of Serie V releases goes as follows.

Oliva Serie V Vitolas

  1. Oliva Serie V Belicoso (5 x 54) — 2007 — Regular Production
  2. Oliva Serie V Churchill Extra (7 x 52) — 2007 — Regular Production
  3. Oliva Serie V Double Robusto (5 x 54) — 2007 — Regular Production
  4. Oliva Serie V Double Toro (6 x 60) — 2007 — Regular Production
  5. Oliva Serie V Special V Figurado (6 x 60) — 2007 — Regular Production
  6. Oliva Serie V Lancero (7 x 38) — 2007 — Regular Production
  7. Oliva Serie V Torpedo (6 x 56) — 2007 — Regular Production
  8. Oliva Serie V Culebra (7 x 38) — 2007 — 200 Coffins of 1 Culebra[ref]The Serie V Culebra was given out at select launch events in 2007 and again at the 2011 Puro Sabor festival.[/ref]
  9. Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial 2008 (6 1/2 x 52) — October 2008 — 5,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (50,000 Total Cigars)
  10. Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial 2009 (6 1/2 x 52) — October 2009 — 5,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (50,000 Total Cigars)
  11. Oliva Serie V Diadema (7 x 49)  — October 2009 — Limited Edition[ref]Part of the 2009 Serie V Sampler.[/ref]
  12. Oliva Serie V Diadema (6 x 46)  — October 2009 — Limited Edition[ref]Part of the 2009 Serie V Sampler.[/ref]
  13. Oliva Serie V Edición Europa 2010 (4 1/2 x 50) — September 2010 — 1,500 Boxes of 10 (15,000 Total Cigars)
  14. Oliva Serie V Maduro Den Bosch (7 x 48) — September 2010 — 50 Boxes of 10 Cigars (500 Total Cigars)
  15. Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial 2010 (6 x 54) — October 2010 — 5,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (50,000 Total Cigars)
  16. Oliva Serie V No. 4 (5 x 43) — February 2011 — Limited Production[ref]The Serie V No. 4 was first released at event, then sold to retailers of the Tobacconist Association America and others.[/ref]
  17. Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial 2011 (6 x 50) — November 2011 — 5,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (50,000 Total Cigars)
  18. Oliva Serie V Melanio Petit Corona (4 1/2 x 46) — August 2012 — Regular Production
  19. Oliva Serie V Melanio Robusto (5 x 52) — August 2012 — Regular Production
  20. Oliva Serie V Melanio Torpedo (6 1/2 x 52) — August 2012 — Regular Production
  21. Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado (6 x 52) — August 2012 — Regular Production
  22. Oliva Serie V Melanio Churchill (7 x 50) — August 2012 — Regular Production
  23. Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial 2012 (6 x 50) — December 2012 — 5,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (50,000 Total Cigars)
  24. Oliva Serie V Diadema (9 x 52) — November 2012 — 400 Boxes of 10 Cigars (4,000 Total Cigars)
  25. Oliva Serie V NUb 460 (4 x 60) — December 2012 — 1,000 Samplers of 1 Cigar
  26. Oliva Serie V Maduro Diadema (6 x 49) — December 2012 — 1,000 Samplers of 1 Cigar
  27. Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro Torpedo (6 1/2 x 52) — July 2013 — 10,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (100,000 Total Cigars)
  28. Oliva Serie V Corona Gorda (6 x 44) — October 2013 — n/a
  29. Oliva Serie V Tampa Humidor 10th Anniversary (6 x 54) — October 2013 — 200 Boxes of 12 (2,400 Total Cigars)
  30. Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial 2013 (5 x 54) — November 2013 — 8,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (80,000 Total Cigars)
  31. Oliva Serie V Melanio Double Toro (6 x 60) — November 2013 — Regular Production[ref]The Melanio Double Toro debuted in Europe as a limited edition in November 2013 before becoming a regular production item in the U.S. in early 2014.[/ref]
  32. Oliva Serie V Melanio DeSocio Toro Extra (6 1/2 x 54) — December 2013 — 500 Boxes of 10 (5,000 Total Cigars)
  33. Oliva Serie V Melanio Robusto Extra (5 1/2 x 50) — January 2014 — 200 Cigars (Nicaraguan Cigar Festival 2014)
  34. Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro Churchill (7 x 50) — April 2014 — Regular Production
  35. Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro Robusto (5 x 52) — April 2014 — Regular Production
  36. Oliva Serie V 560 (5 x 60) — September 2014 — 500 Boxes of 24 Cigars (12,000 Total Cigars)
  37. Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial 2014 (6 x 60) — October 2014 — n/a
  38. Oliva Serie V Toro Special Limited Edition (6 x 50) — March 2015 — 25,000 Tubes of 1 Cigars (25,000 Total Cigars)

Oliva Serie V Toro Special Limited Edition 2015 1

  • Cigar Reviewed: Oliva Serie V Toro Special Limited Edition
  • Country of Origin: Nicaragua
  • Factory: Tabacalera Oliva de Nicaragua S.A. (TABOLISA)
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Sun Grown
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaraguan Jalapa Valley Ligero
  • Size: 6 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 50
  • Vitola: Toro
  • MSRP: $14.95 (Tubes of 1, $14.95)
  • Date Released: March 25, 2015
  • Number of Cigars Released: 25,000 Tubes of 1 Cigar (25,000 Total Cigars)
  • Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 2

As always, the Serie V wrapper looks beautiful, with absolutely seamless application. Its medium brown wrapper has a luxurious feel to it—soft, supple and just the slightly oily. There is a slight bit of give when squeezed, but it’s very even and across the entire cigar. The aroma off the wrapper is a sweet, earthy leather along with just the slightest hint of barnyard. A rich fruitiness strikes me on the cold draw, mostly fig and some ripe banana, alongside a general sweetness, cocoa and a very light black pepper note.

Lighting up perfectly even, the first third starts out with a sweet profile, featuring cedar, cinnamon, leather and a touch of light pepper and baking spices in the background. The draw is good, perhaps on the tighter side of ideal, but still good. While it lit up perfectly, the burn has become a touch wavy only a half an inch in. Plenty of flavorful, aromatic smoke is produced with each draw and continues to pour off the foot long after. The burn has evened itself back up around the inch mark, and the pepper has faded while leather, cedar and baking spice have grown to make a sweet, rich profile.

Oliva Serie V Toro Special Limited Edition 2015 2

The second third continues with the leather, cedar and baking spice, though perhaps a touch less sweet than earlier. The burn has faded back into a slightly uneven wavy pattern, though again it’s not anything that needs touched up. At about the halfway mark the draw opens up just slightly to put it a little closer towards the middle of ideal. The profile hasn’t developed much, which is ok with me as I’m enjoying the flavors as they are.

Oliva Serie V Toro Special Limited Edition 2015 3

As the final third starts, nuttiness, leather and cedar dominate the profile while the baking spice has retreated slightly. The sweetness from the beginning still hasn’t returned, which is a slight disappointment. The burn hasn’t been perfect, but mostly self regulated until now and requires a quick touch up. With around an inch left, there is a light vanilla note that has developed, complementing the profile well.

Oliva Serie V Toro Special Limited Edition 2015 4

Final Notes

  • In my experience, Oliva cigars almost always have impeccable construction, and I was again impressed for the most part on this one. Save a few minor burn issues that corrected themselves, the only thing that was weird was the flaky ash. It held well to around the inch mark but was sprinkling a dusting of ash all over me and my laptop almost constantly.
  • CertiFresh Cigar claims to sell their products to 2,400 golf courses and casinos.
  • I like my cigars closer to 65 percent RH, so I was a little hesitant when I saw they were sealed up right next to a 69 percent pack. In the end though the few percentage points of difference didn’t seem to matter.
  • If you were curious, I smoked cigars number 37 and 38 out of 25,000.
Oliva Serie V Toro Special Limited Edition 2015 Tube Numbering
  • The Oliva Serie V collection is by far the largest collection halfwheel currently owns and has photographed.
  • The cigars for this review were provided to halfwheel by CertiFresh Cigar.
  • Final smoking time averaged right around two hours.
88 Overall Score

I enjoyed the Toro Especial, and while it might not be my favorite of the Serie V line, it’s enjoyable and I can easily say that it’s on par with the majority of the other Serie V sizes I’ve tried. The profile was flavorful and worked well together, and though there were a few minor burn issues, they weren’t anything that would make me not want to smoke another. I know the likelihood of you going to a golf course or a casino without bringing your own preferred cigar to smoke is low, so unless you’re specifically seeking these out or happen to forget your sticks, then you probably won’t even notice these. They’re good though, so if you do find yourself in the situation of needing a cigar out on the course and you see these available, rest assured that it’s not just a gimmick and you’ll get to enjoy a pretty solid cigar.

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Brian Burt

I have been smoking cigars since 2005 and reviewing them as a hobby since 2010. Initially, I started out small with a 50-count humidor and only smoking one or two cigars a month. Not knowing anybody else that smoked cigars, it was only an occasional hobby that I took part in. In March of 2010, I joined Nublive and Cigar Asylum, connecting me with many people who also shared an interest in cigars. Reading what they had to say about brands I had never heard of, I quickly immersed myself in the boutique brands of the industry and it was then that cigars transformed from a hobby into a passion.