Cigar Reviews · Profile & review in progress
Oliva Serie V Melanio
A Nicaraguan blend finished in an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.
The Oliva Serie V Melanio is one of the most decorated cigars of the 2010s, honoring the first member of the Oliva family to grow tobacco. Here's the background ahead of our review. Cigars are for adults 21+, and we don't sell tobacco.
The Oliva family
The Oliva family's tobacco history goes back to the 1800s in Cuba, where Melanio Oliva grew tobacco in the Pinar del Río region, including San Juan y Martínez, an area known for some of the world's finest tobacco. Later generations continued in the tobacco trade, and after the Cuban Revolution the family established operations in Central America. Gilberto Oliva Sr. founded Oliva Cigar Co., and its factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, opened in the 1990s.
The original Oliva Serie V was introduced in the mid-2000s, blended for strength with Nicaraguan ligero and quickly became one of the company's best-known lines. In 2016, the Belgian company J. Cortès acquired Oliva Cigar Co.
The Melanio
Oliva introduced the Serie V Melanio in 2012, debuting it at the IPCPR trade show and shipping to stores that autumn, as a follow-up to the original Serie V. The cigar is named for Melanio Oliva. It distinguishes itself from the original Serie V with an Ecuadorian Sumatra-seed wrapper.
- Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra.
- Binder and filler: Nicaraguan; Oliva describes the filler as including fermented ligero, with tobacco from Nicaragua's Jalapa region.
- Strength: commonly described as medium to full.
- Commonly cited flavor notes: leather, coffee, caramel, and wood. (These are published descriptions, not our tasting notes.)
Recognition
In 2014, the Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado (6½ x 52) was named Cigar Aficionado's Cigar of the Year, ranked No. 1 with a 96-point rating — the first time Oliva received the magazine's top honor. The magazine noted that Oliva had appeared on its Top 25 list nine years in a row. These are Cigar Aficionado's ratings, not ours.
Oliva has also released limited Melanio editions, including "Edición Limitada" versions.
Sizes
The Melanio line includes multiple vitolas, among them the Figurado, Robusto, Torpedo, Churchill, Petit Corona, and larger formats, according to Oliva.
What we'll evaluate
- Construction: roll, wrapper quality, burn.
- Draw: consistency across the smoke.
- Flavor: complexity, strength, and balance.
- Pairing notes.
Tips
- With ligero-heavy filler, many smokers recommend a full stomach and an unhurried pace.
- The figurado shape needs a modest cut; see cut and light.
- Pairs naturally with the steak-and-bourbon ideas in our pairing guide.
Status
No ratings have been assigned. Scores will be added after the hosts have smoked these cigars.
Understanding ligero
Ligero refers to leaves from the top of the tobacco plant, which receive the most sunlight. They're thicker, oilier, and stronger, and they burn more slowly. Blenders typically place ligero in the center of the filler bunch. A ligero-forward blend like the Serie V family is known for strength and depth, which is why pairing it with a hearty meal is common advice.
Ecuador Sumatra
Ecuador's cloud cover diffuses sunlight naturally, producing thin, elastic wrapper leaves, somewhat like shade-grown tobacco elsewhere. Sumatra-seed tobacco grown there is often described as offering a mix of sweetness and spice. See our wrapper guide.
Ratings
Ratings are editorial opinions and will be added once the hosts have spent time with this cigar. No scores have been assigned yet.
The verdict
Coming soon.
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