Yesterday was both happy and sad for me. 'Twas happy because I live in the south and it was 75 with clear blue skies. 'Twas sad because I chose this day as a perfect time to smoke the last premium BOTL stick I had in my humi, the Oliva Masterblends III robusto.
This stick was gifted to me by a kind brother, I'm almost positive it was BrooksW, way back in January right when I had joined this wonderful forum. It was part of my first bomb and I knew i wanted to wait for the right time to enjoy this stick. So Brooks, thanks a bunch for this stick man!
It's been a while since I wrote a review, so be kind!
Appearance & Construction:
Of all the Oliva cigars that I've seen, this one stands out as the most attractive. The particular stick that I'm reviewing had only one prominent vein and a certain silkiness to the wrapper that reminded me a bit of a Padron '64 or '26. Also like a Padron, this MB III was very firm to the touch with a slight oily sheen. I couldn't quite figure out what this stick smelled like but the closest I could get was sweet tobacco and maybe a little brown sugar. So yeah, it smelled pretty damn good, haha.
The draw on the MB III was impeccable and the burn was straight as a razor for about 90% of the time I spent smoking it. Also, of note, this cigar produces tons of thick white smoke that really coats the palate (and makes for great smoke rings!).
Mmmmmmm....SMOKEY!
Flavors:
1st Third Right off the bat this cigar was PEPPERY and harsh but only for about the first five puffs. After this, it calmed down significantly. The pepper disappeared and the taste smoothed out signifcantly, bringing forth sweet notes of earthy dark chocolate.
2nd Third Right on cue for the this portion of the smoke, I got more intense chocolate notes and gradually some espresso began to sneak its way in. Also worth mentioning is that the MB III is sneaky strong, I had to go inside and fetch a snack because I got a little lightheaded. It didn't feel sick at all, but I definitely wasn't expecting the little kick.
Final Third By this point, the cigar had softened considerably (in flavor, not body). And developed what I would consider a Cameroon-like sweet spice profile. The chocolate was still there, but the sweet spice dominated the final portion of this smoke.
An ode to Brooks...
The Verdict:
I am so glad I waited to smoke this wonderful cigar. Everything about it was just right in my opinion. From the constantly evolving flavors, to the fantastic draw, burn and smoke this, my friends, is what a cigar should aspire to be. At just under $10 this could never be an "any time" cigar for me, but it is definitely a worthy alternative to a Padron '64 or '26. I'm quite sad this is the only one of these I had to enjoy, but at the same time very grateful that a brother afforded me the opportunity to smoke such a high quality stick. I do not hesitate to give the Oliva Master Blends III robusto a 9.5 out of 10 If you have not tried this stick, I highly recommend that you do! Thanks for reading!
This stick was gifted to me by a kind brother, I'm almost positive it was BrooksW, way back in January right when I had joined this wonderful forum. It was part of my first bomb and I knew i wanted to wait for the right time to enjoy this stick. So Brooks, thanks a bunch for this stick man!
It's been a while since I wrote a review, so be kind!
Appearance & Construction:
Of all the Oliva cigars that I've seen, this one stands out as the most attractive. The particular stick that I'm reviewing had only one prominent vein and a certain silkiness to the wrapper that reminded me a bit of a Padron '64 or '26. Also like a Padron, this MB III was very firm to the touch with a slight oily sheen. I couldn't quite figure out what this stick smelled like but the closest I could get was sweet tobacco and maybe a little brown sugar. So yeah, it smelled pretty damn good, haha.
The draw on the MB III was impeccable and the burn was straight as a razor for about 90% of the time I spent smoking it. Also, of note, this cigar produces tons of thick white smoke that really coats the palate (and makes for great smoke rings!).
Flavors:
1st Third Right off the bat this cigar was PEPPERY and harsh but only for about the first five puffs. After this, it calmed down significantly. The pepper disappeared and the taste smoothed out signifcantly, bringing forth sweet notes of earthy dark chocolate.
2nd Third Right on cue for the this portion of the smoke, I got more intense chocolate notes and gradually some espresso began to sneak its way in. Also worth mentioning is that the MB III is sneaky strong, I had to go inside and fetch a snack because I got a little lightheaded. It didn't feel sick at all, but I definitely wasn't expecting the little kick.
Final Third By this point, the cigar had softened considerably (in flavor, not body). And developed what I would consider a Cameroon-like sweet spice profile. The chocolate was still there, but the sweet spice dominated the final portion of this smoke.
The Verdict:
I am so glad I waited to smoke this wonderful cigar. Everything about it was just right in my opinion. From the constantly evolving flavors, to the fantastic draw, burn and smoke this, my friends, is what a cigar should aspire to be. At just under $10 this could never be an "any time" cigar for me, but it is definitely a worthy alternative to a Padron '64 or '26. I'm quite sad this is the only one of these I had to enjoy, but at the same time very grateful that a brother afforded me the opportunity to smoke such a high quality stick. I do not hesitate to give the Oliva Master Blends III robusto a 9.5 out of 10 If you have not tried this stick, I highly recommend that you do! Thanks for reading!
