ThatGuy3510
Alpha-nerd
I received this stick in a "I've never had those before" bomb from dpricenator, and I immediately heard how much I was going to enjoy this. I had planned on letting it sit for a couple weeks, but I couldn't resist.
Oliva Serie V Lancero
7" x 38
Libation: Water
Smoking time: 1hr 20min
Appearance:
This stick is gorgeous. Incredibly smooth and silky wrapper, no real noticeable veins. I loved the dark chocolate color on it, and the band is definitely one of the most classy I've seen.
Pre-light:
This cigar has an amazing scent, light and savory, like semi-sweet chocolate.
Trimmed the cap with my new Tatuaje cutter (which is great since I always seem to cut too much). It lit up easily with my Ronson, even with a bit of wind the burn still took off very evenly. Initial flavors are very creamy and sort of cocoa with a little tingle of spice on the tongue. Great draw, with just the right amount of resistance.
It had really beautiful ash the whole way through, and even with previously mentioned breeze I never had to touch it up it all. The aftertaste I'm getting is like having eaten about 70% dark chocolate, just the right hint of sweet and bitter. 1st ash dropped at 1.5 inches.
The stick put out a pretty serious amount of smoke all the way to the end, and it had a great aroma, very light and sweet.
The 2nd third started a pretty serious swing, as I started getting flavors of leather with a tingle of pepper that continued to build through to the end of the stick, and the cocoa faded to the background. The draw starting getting a bit tight, but I think that was due to the rapidly dropping temperature. Temp at the start was ~35*, and when I finished was ~25*. Not exactly balmy for Tennessee.
Burn wavered a bit in the 2nd third, but corrected itself in a couple more puffs. Ash was a beautiful light gray, that held on for about an inch at a time.
The final third started out peppery, but blended into a perfect synopsis of the whole stick. The pepper started to fade and meld with the leather flavor, and the chocolate came back to add the perfect touch of sweetness, almost like a molé sauce. I think savory is the right word I'm looking for. At this point I was starting to get a bit of a buzz. I knew right then I was taking this little honey to the nub.
The draw loosened back up after I removed the band, and I was very pleased with my decision to stick this out to the flaming end. The flavors continued to get into a better and better balance until the final inch....
...when I was hit with a massive bomb of pepper that I just did not see coming. It was like it had suddenly decided to become a Tat Verocu. The pepper never let up, and never became the least bit bitter. I held this little guy til my burning lips couldn't take anymore.
Final Analysis: I absolutely loved this stick. It lived up to every bit of talk I had heard, and I am already planning on at least one box in the near future. It had everything I like in a cigar: sweet chocolate, a peppery bite, a nice smooth body and plenty of flavor. The only issues that occured seemed to be because of the ridiculous cold and a slight breeze. Definitely one of the best cigars out there for the price.
Final Rating: 91
And here's a little artsy shot. Unfortunately, I don't have a wide-angle lens for my Nikon DSLR, so I had to make do with my Kodak point-and-shoot.
If any of you guys are in the Knoxville area, check out Barley's Taproom in the Old City. Something like 80+ beers on tap, and great food and a pretty decent price. Not smoke friendly though.
Oliva Serie V Lancero
7" x 38
Libation: Water
Smoking time: 1hr 20min
Appearance:
This stick is gorgeous. Incredibly smooth and silky wrapper, no real noticeable veins. I loved the dark chocolate color on it, and the band is definitely one of the most classy I've seen.
Pre-light:
This cigar has an amazing scent, light and savory, like semi-sweet chocolate.
Trimmed the cap with my new Tatuaje cutter (which is great since I always seem to cut too much). It lit up easily with my Ronson, even with a bit of wind the burn still took off very evenly. Initial flavors are very creamy and sort of cocoa with a little tingle of spice on the tongue. Great draw, with just the right amount of resistance.
It had really beautiful ash the whole way through, and even with previously mentioned breeze I never had to touch it up it all. The aftertaste I'm getting is like having eaten about 70% dark chocolate, just the right hint of sweet and bitter. 1st ash dropped at 1.5 inches.
The stick put out a pretty serious amount of smoke all the way to the end, and it had a great aroma, very light and sweet.
The 2nd third started a pretty serious swing, as I started getting flavors of leather with a tingle of pepper that continued to build through to the end of the stick, and the cocoa faded to the background. The draw starting getting a bit tight, but I think that was due to the rapidly dropping temperature. Temp at the start was ~35*, and when I finished was ~25*. Not exactly balmy for Tennessee.
Burn wavered a bit in the 2nd third, but corrected itself in a couple more puffs. Ash was a beautiful light gray, that held on for about an inch at a time.
The final third started out peppery, but blended into a perfect synopsis of the whole stick. The pepper started to fade and meld with the leather flavor, and the chocolate came back to add the perfect touch of sweetness, almost like a molé sauce. I think savory is the right word I'm looking for. At this point I was starting to get a bit of a buzz. I knew right then I was taking this little honey to the nub.
The draw loosened back up after I removed the band, and I was very pleased with my decision to stick this out to the flaming end. The flavors continued to get into a better and better balance until the final inch....
...when I was hit with a massive bomb of pepper that I just did not see coming. It was like it had suddenly decided to become a Tat Verocu. The pepper never let up, and never became the least bit bitter. I held this little guy til my burning lips couldn't take anymore.
Final Analysis: I absolutely loved this stick. It lived up to every bit of talk I had heard, and I am already planning on at least one box in the near future. It had everything I like in a cigar: sweet chocolate, a peppery bite, a nice smooth body and plenty of flavor. The only issues that occured seemed to be because of the ridiculous cold and a slight breeze. Definitely one of the best cigars out there for the price.
Final Rating: 91
And here's a little artsy shot. Unfortunately, I don't have a wide-angle lens for my Nikon DSLR, so I had to make do with my Kodak point-and-shoot.
If any of you guys are in the Knoxville area, check out Barley's Taproom in the Old City. Something like 80+ beers on tap, and great food and a pretty decent price. Not smoke friendly though.
