Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro No.4

Oliva Cigar Co.

• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Tabacalera Oliva de Nicaragua S.A.
• Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 4 1/4 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 46
• Vitola: Petite Corona
• MSRP: $9 (Box of 10, $90)
• Release Date: July 2021
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Original Score: 91

There’s something interesting about a company deciding to add some new vitolas to a line that has been on the market for just under a decade, yet that is what Oliva did with its Serie V Melanio Maduro line. The Melanio Maduro was introduced in 2013, just a year after the popular Melanio line. The blend of the Melanio Maduro sees the Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper of the original swapped out for the maduro version’s Mexican San Andrés wrapper, while keeping the Jalapa-grown Nicaraguan binder and fillers. And while there have been some new sizes here and there, this brand has mostly been a blend used as a vehicle for limited edition releases, at least until 2021 when Oliva added a trio of vitolas to the Melanio Maduro.

One of those new sizes, both the shortest and skinniest in the line, would prove be no slouch on flavor. Measuring a compact 4 1/2 inches long with a slender 46 ring gauge, the Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro No.4 gets the most from the tobacco it uses to offer a complex mix of sweet and savory flavors that build off a rich core profile rooted in meats, pepper, nuts and earth. In talking about the cigar, Charlie Minato, who did the review, noted that while this might not be the complex flavor profile, it is both very alive and vibrant, capturing and engaging the senses with all that it has to offer. As the Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro No. 4 shows, good things can come in small packages. — Patrick Lagreid.