Aged: Oliva Serie V Maduro

I guess at some point there was somewhat of a foolish debate on whether or not the regular Oliva V was strong enough, so Oliva decided to blend a maduro expression of the cigar and released it in autumn 2008. It was released only in one size, a torpedo measuring 6.5" by 52 ring gauge, and I heard it was to be an annual special release, possibly in a different size each year; I have not heard anything about it this year, so I do not know if that annual release rumor will bear out. While very flavorful, I found the V Maduro to be harsh and quite overwhelming. Over the course of several cigars smoked, I frequently had tar build-up on the head while smoking, leaving an awful taste in my mouth. I bought a box of 10, though, so I was stuck with about 5 or so left to smoke. I decided to let them sit a while and see if they would mellow out.

The wrapper of this cigar was still very oily and also had some bloom on it. There was plenty of toothiness and some visible veins althought they were fairly smooth to the touch. The aroma from the body was earthy and leathery; from the foot there was some chocolate and some rich earth or compost. The last time I smoked one of these the draw was horrible, so I decided to take off more than I normally would for a torpedo. The resulting pre-light draw was effortless and featured coffee and cocoa flavors.

Minutes after lighting up, the flavor of black pepper and other spice dominated, with hints of coffee weaving in and out as well. There was a certain harsh element to the smoke right from the start, but I would have to wait to see if it would become too harsh to enjoy. The body was very full and I could not help but be reminded of the Cain Maduro I had smoked just a couple days before--except that this is like the Cain on steroids.

Into the second third, I had not had the construction problems of last time or the extreme harshness I have had in practically every experience with these sticks. The flavor was mostly of very strong, black coffee with the bitterness that is implied in that. A little sweetness from the maduro wrapper would be nice to counterbalance the bitter, but there just was not any at this point.

But, by the time the final third came up, the bitter aspect had mellowed significantly, and some dark chocolate sweetness came through. This was a relief really, as this Serie V Maduro was starting to be less a pleasure than a chore. The cigar finished strong, dry, and well-balanced. I had no major construction issues and no tarry building on the head, possibly as a result of the deeper cut I took at the beginning. These cigars are aging quite nicely and are already much more enjoyable than when first purchased, leading me to wonder if Oliva should have sat on them longer before releasing them in the first place. I also wonder how much better they might be next year at this time.

Body: 9/10
Strength: 9/10
Complexity: 8/10

AFP Scale:
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10