Origin : Nicaragua
Format : Torpedo
Size : 6 x 54
Wrapper : Mexican San Andreas maduro
Filler : Nicaragua
Binder : Nicaragua
Hand-Made
Price : ~$10 each
You must have heard of the maduro version of the famous Oliva Serie V. Introduced in 2008, the blend has been since then changed yearly, which is a good way of creating regular buzz about a cigar. As for the vitolas, the first three years we’ve seen torpedos and the toro replaced it in 2011. Up for review today is the 2010 edition, a 6 x 54 filled with Nicaraguan tobacco (ligero from Jalapa valley to be exact) and wrapped in a Mexican San Andreas maduro leaf. I’ve received this cigar in a r/cigars trade with a cigar aficionado from Finland – thanks Timo!
Appearance : Rating: 
The wrapper is rather rough to the touch and its chocolate brown surface shows a couple of imperfections. However, the overall impression is pleasant for some reason, perhaps because of the cigar’s comfortable weight (or the oily aspect of the wrapper?). The band is pretty similar to the one that can be observed on regular Serie V’s, with the exception of “maduro” and “especial” printed in small letters.
Construction : Rating: 
I was satisfied with the construction of the specimen I smoked for this review. It burned regularly and the ash held strong. As I cut the cigar, the draw was too tight at first, but thankfully it was a torpedo so I just made a second cut and things came in order.
Flavor : Rating:
Unlit, the cigar smelled of plain tobacco and the pre-draw had an additional earthy flavor. After I torched the foot, it was impossible not to detect a prominent nutty flavor which, as I knew later, would be present throughout the smoke. Besides this main flavor, there were loads of creamy latte notes in the first third, then the cigar picked up some strength and developed an array of leathery amd bitter chocolate flavors. Good balance overall. Near the finish, the Serie V Maduro is just short of full-bodied. Surprisingly, I noticed almost no spice in this cigar. I’d expect more pepper from a Nicaraguan filler.
Value : Rating:
The MSRP is $10.70 I believe, which sounds like a fair value to me. Considering the excellent presentation (a 10-box, each cigar having its own compartment), it’s a decent gift idea.
Overall Rating : Rating:
I like all the aspects of this cigar, but I can’t stop comparing it to the natural Serie V – and, without surprise, as I usually prefer natural wrappers (a typical example is Padron – I’m in love with their natural versions), the regular one gets my favor. As you can notice, my opinion is highly biased – so I’d suggest trying out this excellent maduro and seeing how it fares for you. Cheers!
This post was written by Denis aka Inspector, who founded CigarInspector.com back in 2007. Click here for his latest articles and more information.
