Oliva Serie V Melanio Torpedo

Oliva Serie V Melanio Torpedo

The Oliva V Melanio was one the most anticipated new blends introduced at this year’s IPCPR tradeshow. The original Oliva V is a flavorful, attractive cigar with a mahogany wrapper, sweet spiciness and enough body to maintain the interest of many cigar enthusiasts. The new Melanio is box pressed with a wrapper more like milk chocolate in color, sporting a secondary band emblazoned with MELANIO.

This torpedo is firm and well constructed, the wrapper is smooth with no prominent veins, with a slight sheen yet dry to the touch, the color a bit mottled and uneven. Tobacco flower and leather notes were present on the wrapper while the foot exhibited weak tea and dry hay. The cold draw gave off a slight, musty basement note and little else. The draw was perfection!

When we sampled the Melanio at IPCPR, we all commented on the aroma. In an enormous hall with literally hundreds of smoldering cigars, the Melanio stood out. Tobacco flower and leather with sweet spice filled the room once again as my torpedo produced thick blue clouds of smoke.

The first burst is pepper, a mix of black and white were obvious with subtle sweetness at the first light, with old leather and dry earth as back-notes, the burn , was slow and even with crisp lines and a light grey ash. After the first third the pepper had subsided and the honey sweetness and leather came forward. The body started out a solid medium and built to a medium-plus with the strength keeping pace.

The middle third marked the return of the pepper along with a bold mix of spices and a build in power to a solid full. A note of orange peel joined the other flavors, adding to the complexity and richness. From puff to puff the plethora of flavors vied for my attention, making for an interesting and varied experience.

This cigar begs to be smoked slowly and will remain cool throughout it’s length, and should hold the interest of even the most discerning aficionado for a solid hour and forty-five minutes. I’ll be cellaring some boxes myself in the various sizes! While not the thriftiest smokes out there, they are certainly not priced above their grade and at only ten to a box, well worth your consideration.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Price: $13.00