Oliva V Melanio

Initial Thoughts

This year was a big year for the Oliva V Melanio it seems like everywhere you turned people were reviewing it and talking about. It took me a while to finally get on the bandwagon and get out there and find one of these sticks. Personally, I’m a big fan of the regular V series. I haven’t reviewed one on here yet, but I do love them. It’s definitely my favorite out of the Oliva line. I love the spice that it offers up. A nice big powerful stick is always easy to smoke. So needless to say I was excited to try out this new Melanio once I heard about it.

This latest addition to the Oliva Serie V line is named after the company’s patriarch Melanio Oliva. According to the little insert that I snagged from the box at my local B&M it says that Melanio began growing tobacco in Pinar Del Rio in 1886. Later his grandson Gilberto re-established the business in Nicaragua. The long filler tobacco used in this cigar is primarily ligero which is “known for their robust and rich flavors”. So that’s the back story on the Oliva V Melanio,  a nice homage to an important man to the Oliva brand name! Let’s get into the review and see what has so many people drawn into this stick.

Looks

This Oliva V Melanio comes in 5 different vitolas. The one I picked up is the torpedo. I tried to find the Figurado, but no one seemed to have it. It comes in a beautiful 10 count box. That is custom cut for each of these cigars. The top part of the box has sections cut to form V’s so that the head of the of the torpedo can lay there without being smashed. They look similar to teeth cut out of a saw blade. I love the packaging on this cigar. It’s gorgeous you can tell the people at Oliva put a lot of time and effort into this release.

The actual cigar is lovely as well. A nice milk chocolate wrapper that is box pressed with slightly rounded edges so that it lays down nice and even on the ash tray while you smoke. The head comes to a perfectly tapered point, and the wrapper is absolutely flawless. You can really notice the box press of the cigar while looking at the foot. It’s a almost an oval looking shape similar to the San Lotano.

This Oliva V Melanio also had dual bands which is fairly common for a special edition or limited release product. It has to have something to set it apart from the original blend so that people know which one they are picking up. It has the traditional Oliva Serie V band, but right below it there is a smaller band that says “Melanio”. Even though the band is smaller, word really pops out at you and it’s easy to see. This was one the reasons that drew me in to pick it up. Well that and the fact that everyone raved about the cigar.

Function

Let’s talk about how this cigar feels! It has some very interesting feelings, somedays it’s a manic depressive the other days it’s like walking on sunshine… I crack myself up sometimes! I’ve always been a fan of the box press cigar. I just love it feels when you hold it in your hand and it sits better in your mouth if you ask me. This Oliva V Melanio has a nice amount of firmness to it. It’s not overly stiff, and there is a good amount of sponginess to it. Unlike a cigar I had the other day that was so packed full of tobacco I couldn’t even draw on it! The construction on this stick is absolutely flawless, and I’ve come to expect nothing but that from the Oliva brand. They are on of the most consistent brands out there in regards to construction of all of their cigars.

Smoking

So it looks good and it feels good, well it smokes pretty damn good too! As I said above the construction this Oliva V Melanio  is absolutely flawless which leads to an incredible smoking experience. I had a little trouble getting it lit, but it was more of my fault because my lighter ran out of fuel and I was trying to light it on fumes. So when that didn’t work I reached for the matches and then this thing took off.

The burn line was just perfect. The first ash held on for easily an inch and a half. I love the tight burn curls on the ash on this stick. The ash was very solid and stayed in tact once I knocked it off. Not flaky what so ever. To me that’s always a sign of a great stick. I hate to see a cigar a flaky ash that just crumbles when it falls off.

The second third burned just as well as the first. There was a ton of smoke that rolled off this cigar. It was a nice creamy smoke that filled the room. The ash on the second third didn’t look as tight as the first third, but it still held of for over an inch. Never had an issue with the draw whatsoever and the entire smoking experience was easy and beyond enjoyable, if that’s even possible!