V For Vigoroso: The Oliva Serie V Ligero Especial Review
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Well hello there! Stinkie is currently in the middle of a move (we all know how much fun that is), and has asked me to step in an write a few reviews for him. This post is the first, and possibly most exciting, of series of reviews I’ll be putting up in the coming weeks. It’s a sneak peak at a cigar that most of us can’t yet get our hands on: the Oliva Serie V Ligero Especial!
For this review, I smoked two different sizes of the Serie V: The churchill and the figurado. I’ve combined my notes from each to create this review.
Cigar Stats:
Sizes: 7 x 52 (Churchill Extra); 6 x 60 (Figurado)
Wrapper: Habano Sun Grown (Nicaragua)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Jalapa Valley Ligero (Nicaragua)
Price: $5 – $8 (Expected retail price)
Smoking Time: 2 to 2 hours 20 minutes
The Pre-Smoke
The first thing that hits you with these cigars is both their size and extremely attractive appearance. These are very elegant looking cigars! (And as a bonus, the cigar band color-scheme fits in nicely with the Cigar Beat color scheme.) Both cigars were very smooth, with fine, but noticeable veins that add positively to their aesthetic appeal. It goes without saying that only the most pristine leaves are selected to be wrapper of a cigar, and these remind you of that fact.
In my inspection of both cigars, I noted that they were both firm. The figurado being the most firm of the two, particularly toward the head of the cigar. In the foot of the figurado and the churchill, there was some initial give, but you quickly hit a brick wall of tobacco underneath. Very nicely packed.
While both cigars did have a nice oily sheen, they didn’t visually appear to be any more oily than most cigars. It wasn’t until I clipped them and went for the cold taste that I detected how oily these cigars are. In a word, very. The last cigar I had that was this oily on the lips was the Gurkha Black Puro.
The Burn
Lighting this cigar is a pleasure. The room immediately takes on a rich, delicious toasty coffee smell. I’ve heard it said that it’s difficult to detect the room aroma of a cigar while you’re smoking it. While that’s generally true, it’s less so with this cigar. If I could pick a single favorite part of smoking this cigar, it’s lighting it and taking the first few puffs.
The interesting thing about smoking two very differently shaped cigars is that you get to see two very different burns. Such was the case in my experience. While the figurado started off oddly (apparently while the figurado seems idiot proof in terms of lighting, it is not Brian-proof) in the first 3rd but evened out by the beginning of the second third. On the other hand, the churchill burned perfectly for the first third and then get a bit crazy by the end of the second.
In both cases, there seems to be a spot in this cigar, just beyond the halfway point, where it decides to no longer tolerate my slower smoking pace. Both cigars went out on me at that point, and required much more frequent puffing to stay lit going forward, as well as the occasional corrective touch up. That was a little disappointing, as I find the flavor begins to suffer with the faster smoke. This was a bit more pronounced in the figurado, whose shape seems to be more inclined to plug up a it’s smoked. (No draw poking required though, applying gentle pressure to the head while rolling it between my thumb and finger corrected the reoccurring draw issue.)
The Flavor
Beginning with the cold taste, right away I could tell I was in for a full bodied, potent cigar. (OK, I did read other reviews of this cigar, so that might have biased me a bit.) In the initial taste, I detected a rich flavor that was very reminiscent of prunes and licorice.
These cigars started very differently for me in the flavor department. The churchill started right off with a dense but smooth chocolatey flavor, but in the figurado I was greeted with a great deal of pepperiness as the capped foot burned. In my notes I described this flavor as resembling the some of the heavy smells of campfires of my youth. (Bonus points for nostalgia.)
Of the two cigars, the figurado had a more pronounced spiciness present throughout the smoke (possibly brought out by the wine I had earlier in the evening) A similar spiciness was present in the churchill though more subdued until the end. Even with that spiciness, both cigars were impressively smooth, dense and complex. My notes on flavors for both are much longer than normal; as each cigar made frequent transitions between chocolate tones, earthiness and coffee or cappuccino flavors and occasionally a pocket of faint sweetness. If a cigar is meant to be a journey, the Oliva Serie V is an epic road trip full of hedonistic pleasure.
The Price
I wasn’t able to find an official price for this cigar anywhere, but rumor has it you’ll be able to pick up the Serie V for $5 to $8 a cigar. I find that price range to be very reasonable.
The Verdict
As you can probably tell by now, I like this cigar. It’s a definite must-smoke for all full-bodied cigar lovers. In fact, due to its smoothness, even a seasoned fan of milder cigars might want to try it out. The thing to keep in mind is that it packs a surprising kick, even when you know it’s coming, it still sneaks up on you. So it’s a cigar that’s best reserved for the evening after the day’s chores have been completed (or put off, either way). People new to cigars smoke at your own risk!
There are two things I would do differently the next time I smoke this cigar. First of all, I would probably go for a size down. For slow smokers like me, these big fellows demand a lot of time, and can be hard to fit into a busy schedule. (Though the investment of time is well worth it.) The other thing I would do is eat a thick juicy steak before having this cigar. And that’s because the whole time I was smoking it, I was seriously jonesin’ for a steak. This is not a post-pasta cigar! 
Quick Summary
Liked It: YES
Buy It Again: YES
Recommend It: YES (To experienced smokers, this’ll knock the socks off a newbie.)
What Other People Are Saying
Even though this cigar is not widely available, there are quite few reviews already out there for the Oliva Serie V. Here’s a quick sampling.
- The Official Serie V Website – It isn’t a review, but it’s a good thing to have a look at.
- Walt’s Early Release Review on The Stogie Review – This review was so early, the cigar didn’t even have a band! Great review, with plenty of pictures and a video!
- Cigar Jack’s Verdict On The Serie V – 9 out of 10. (He also smoked the figurado.)
- A Favorable Review on Stogie Fresh
Smoking The Figurado
Here’s a quick collection of the pictures I took while smoking the figurado.
Doncha just love a long ash?
My Other Reviews
If you like my review style, you may be interested in reading some of my other reviews on my home blog, Brian’s Random Thoughts. To see a full list of my cigar reviews, visit the cigar review index.
[eminimall products="Oliva Serie V"]
There are 18 Comments to "V For Vigoroso: The Oliva Serie V Ligero Especial Review"
[...] I’m happy to announce that my finest review to date is now available for your viewing pleasure. I’d like to thank Stinkie for both the cigars (there was no way I was gonna get these guys [...]
I just found you guys…Great review with great pictures! This is one of my favorite smokes and I agree, it’s not for the newbies! I’ll stop by often.
Thanks for stopping by, I can not wait to smoke the one I have. Maybe tomorrow night after we close on our house.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the review.
Sounds like a perfect occasion for Oliva Stinkie! I hope your hand isn’t hurting too much from signing all those papers to enjoy the cigar!
[...] Cigar Jack tries a “JFR” Coronoa Gorda. Velvet Cigar smokes a Toraño Reserva Selecta. Cigar Beat reviews an Oliva Serie V. Cigar Monkey goes with the Ashton [...]
NEVER! but I didn’t have a chance. I got called up to Chicago. I’m taking it with me to MN so I hope to have the time.
[...] Jose Oliva. I’m tempted to lie and say he flew in to Atlanta specifically to thank me for my favorable review on CigarBeat, but even I don’t have delusions of grandeur that large. The truth is that was in town for [...]
I liked your review. I have smoked 4 of these now, and the burn was always even and the ash firm, white and will stay on till the band. The cigar lets you know it is a full tilt cigar from the light. It smooths out in a few puffs, but you do get a buzz from it. It is a flawless cigar that looks like it costs 20-30 bucks but the large robusto is only 7.00 with the regular at 6.00 You will get about an hour of pleasure from this cigar and will be looking forward to the next time out with Mr. Oliva Series V.
[...] The review of the Oliva Serie V. digg_url=’http://www.cigarbeat.net/blog/guess-how-many-win-a-free-cigar/2007/08/17/’; digg_skin = ‘compact’; digg_bgcolor = ‘#FFFFFF’; digg_title = ‘Guess How Many, Win A Free Cigar!’; digg_bodytext = ”; digg_topic = ”; Powered by Gregarious (42) Share This Hotels caving in to anti smokers, Win A FREE Subscription To Cigar Aficionado, Upgrade, If you like this blog please vote for us at « Joya De Nicaragua Celebracion Consul | [...]
[...] the cigars have been counted and the Oliva Serie V has been boxed up and is ready to ship. Before I tell you who will be puffing away on this fine [...]
[...] produced by the burning of cheap, chemically-processed tobacco, and I had to go outside to enjoy my Oliva Serie V. But I’m stopping just short of adding them to the list of officially banned establishments, [...]
I am somewhat of a newbie. I’ve only been smoking on a regular basis for about 2 months. While the body of the Cigar is quite full, the flavor is by no means overpowering. I enjoyed this cigar thoroughly. The appearance, and pre-light experience is fantastic. I was apprehensive to smoke this one, fearing it’s reputation for “knock your socks off” power, but I am pleased to say I will be be purchasing one again. However, I will be keeping the next one in my humidor for quite a while as this cigar exceeds my typical strength preference. Happy Smoking, y’all!
Best
Chris
Thanks Robert and Chris!
I smoked another Serie V this weekend, and I think this is a cigar I will definitely keep on hand in the future! I just can’t get over how tasty and smooth it is!
[...] Brian, who seems to write reviews everywhere, wrote a review of a couple different sizes over at Cigar Beat. [...]
[...] 100 is a cigar made by Oliva Tobacco Co. not to be confused with Oliva Cigar Company the maker of Serie V, O and G. This cigar was produced and named to celebrate the founder Angel Oliva’s birth. [...]
I was lucky enough to get a box of torpedos recently and smoked a couple – very smooth and full bodied cigar – it truly does sneak up on you (nicotine) so be prepared.
This is a cool post about Socks and there prices.
Thanks for such an informative post.
[...] it. While the guy was ringing up my cigars and seen I had a couple Camacho Triple Maduro, and 2 Oliva Serie V’s he asked me if I have tried the Cain yet. After saying no he pulled one off the side counter and [...]