Oliva 'Serie G' Special

Oliva 'Serie G' Special. 3.75x48. Excellent build with a perfecto foot. Dark roasted brown wrap. Cut and lit very well. Draw was hard pre-light, easier along the burn, partially due to the narrow foot at the start. First half tastes of sweated leaf, charred hard wood, bitter herbal. Second half is roasted tobacco, black coffee, rich botanical, pepper notes. Aroma is toasted spice, pepper, dark coffee grounds. Burn was mostly even throughout. Ash was shades of medium-dark gray at initial burn, lighter shades down toward the band. Ash held an inch before the drop.

This is a good brief smoke. The taste is dark and peppery for what I anticipated would be a milder Cameroon stick, and the ash was not as clean as I'd like. I've reviewed cigars from this line before and based on those prior sessions today's nitpicks may be due to storage issues. I'm familiar with Oliva cigars, going back decades, so I'm eager to try yet another 'G' as a follow-up. Still, it was a nice half-hour smoke, aggressive but rich and flavorful. Recommended.

From the company:

“Serie G is a medium body blend made with an African-Cameroon wrapper. The unique flavor notes of this wrapper are complemented by the natural richness of Nicaraguan Habano fillers. Blending Notes: Medium body with notes of cedar and coffee. Aging: Cameroon is a thin wrapper with little oils, its flavor will change little from aging.”

[source: olivacigar.com]

“​Flavorful, well-made Nicaraguans. Oliva Serie ’G’ is a good-looking Nicaraguan premium cigar made with an authentic African Cameroon wrapper. This leaf imparts a pleasant, nutty flavor, adding to the rich bouquet presented by the Nicaraguan Habano long-fillers inside. Overall, a rich, medium-bodied cigar with hints of coffee, nuts and wo​od on the aftertaste. Serie ’G’ cigars received a stellar ’91’ rating.”

[source: cigarsinternational.com]