Oliva V Maduro 2009

What looks like to be a standard release each fall from the Oliva Cigar Co, the Oliva Series V Maduro has begun to make it’s way on to the shelves in various stores around the country. The Chicago Cigar Co. has these sticks for an amazing price of $77.00 for a box of 10 making it the lowest I have come across on the Internet. Plus if you use the shipping code ACS you can save on the shipping of these sticks. The 2008 was an amazing cigar, so lets see if the 2009 fares as well.

Cigar: Olive V Maduro
Size: 6.5 x 52 (Torpedo)
Wrapper: Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Full

Appearance and Construction (15/20): The Oliva V Maduro’s wrapper has a chocolate like appearance in color. There are a few prominent veins on it, and the seams of the roll are quite visible but sometimes looks can be deceiving. The cigar has a nice weight to it, and no soft spots. On the few samples I have smoked I had to cut a little more then I normally would on a torpedo cigar due to a tight draw. There are a few stems visible once the cigar is cut which was a tad disappointing. The cigar features the classic Oliva V band with the word Maduro to the left of the logo.

Flavor & Notes (29/30): Prior to sparking this stick up the cigar offers notes of mocha that are easily identifiable while the foot offers notes of figs. As we progress through the first third of the cigar there are notes of chocolate and wood. As we enter the second third of the stick the notes really begin to shine. The chocolate notes become very rich and creamy as they envelope you palate. Through the nose the cigar has some spices but nothing too overpowering. The final third of the stick the chocolate notes remain but toned down as leather and spice take hold of the stick.

Burn/Ash/Draw (22/25): Around the half way point the cigar burned a little funky but I was smoking the review cigar in less then ideal conditions. I had to give a quick touch up to get it back on track. The medium gray ash had a little bit of flake but held on well. The draw is an issue, but cutting it a little more then most torpedos seem to be the trick with these sticks.

Overall (24/25): Last year I failed to get my hand on more then one box, and I regretted that after I smoked a few. This year I jumped on board early and the 2009 edition does not disappoint. The cigar has a lot of nice flavors to it, and while strong it does not overpower.

Rating: 90
Price: $77.00 for a box

Rocky Patel Summer Collection 2009

It seems this year the Rocky Patel seasonal blends are coming out quicker then last year. It wasn’t to long ago that the spring collection was in my hands. The one problem with them coming out this fast is you move on to the next one without taking the time to appreciate the prior seasons blend.

Cigar: Rocky Patel Summer Collection 2009
Size: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium

Appearance and Construction (18/20): The 2009 Summer Blend has a different look then last year. The band change denotes the change. The band features a shade of red that reminds me of the sky during an Indian summer along with silver and black writing. The habano wrapper has some small veins on it and a decent sheen from the oils. The cigar itself is well packed and the cap held strong as I went with a hole punch.

Flavor & Notes (27/30): The cigar has a prelight draw of mocha with the same note on the foot. The first third of the cigar starts out with a bite that would of been bothersome on a hot summer day. But thankfully it faded. What remains is a cigar with some amazingly delicious notes of mocha and some fruitiness. As we enter the second third the cigar continues to please. The notes take you away to a tropical island. The citric/fruity notes remain but not in a pansy way. The final third of the cigar is a mix of mocha and leather that slowly bring you back to reality.

Burn/Ash/Draw (24/25): The burn of this stick is flawless from start to finish. The ash is a nice light grey and it holds strong. The ash has no flake and is solid. The draw of the cigar is a bit loose though and because of this it smokes a little fast.

Overall (24/25): Don’t let the fruit like notes fool you this medium bodied cigar is a grand slam. The cigar is the best of the seasonal blends to date for my tastes. I smoked this baby til my fingers burned.

Rating: 93
Price: $7.00

Rocky Patel Spring 2009

I never realized before that my writing cigar reviews could be so influential. In recent months Jerry Cruz of Stogie Review which is the go to site for cigar reviews chose to buy the Rocky Patel Winter Blend based on my review. Stew from The World According to Stew is going out to buy the mx3 based upon my review.  Se7ven from The Cigar Box based upon my review of the Rocky Patel Cameroon Especial  went out to purchase those. But the biggest thing for me is how my good friend David from Barrister Cigars was waiting to see what I thought of today’s cigar before ordering them. So with all that being said I would like to take the time to thank everyone who reads my blog and allows me to be an influence in what they smoke. I am sure at times we will disagree, but I hope I have not steered you wrong to often.

Cigar: Rocky Patel Spring Collection 2009
Size: 6 x 50 (Toro)
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Sumatra
Binder: Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium

Appearance and Construction (17/20): The Sumatra wrapper on the cigar features a significant amount of veins. The roll of the stick is crisp and clean with there being no soft spots at all. The foot of the cigar and the head of the cigar show some stems, but nothing that should create an issue in terms of the draw. The cigar is well packed with a nice weight and balance to it. The cigar feature two bands, with the top one in a nice color of green and silver denoting the spring collection. The year 2009 is in black and gets lost on the band. The secondary band of gold and silver denotes Rocky Patel.

Flavor & Notes (27/30): The prelight draw on the cigar offers some tasty notes of mocha with some slight mocha notes on the foot. As we light up the stick there are some pepper notes that give way to notes of some strong espresso. As we work down the first third the cigar mellows out to a nice medium bodied smoke with some  nice notes of coffee and a slight mocha. As we approach the second third of the the cigar continues to have some mocha notes in the background with some nutty notes as well. I also occasionally got a quick hit of licorice. The final third of the cigar becomes a little earthy but there are notes of licorice and coffee on the finish.

Burn/Ash/Draw (23/25): The burn of the cigar is fairly even, with a nice slow burn which worked well on this gorgeous spring day. The ash was a almost white, albeit a little flaky. But this could be from lack of humidor time. I was gifted 2 samples last night from the local Rocky Patel rep and she wanted to know my thoughts on the cigar which further added to my swelling ego. The draw had a slight resistance which is what i like in the cigar.

Overall (23/25): I was very nervous about this cigar as when I think of spring, I thing of floral. I was worried this would be a very mild cigar with floral notes. A best case scenario was a cigar that was rich in chocolate (think Easter). But the cigar turned out to be none of those. The cigar turned out to be a medium bodied smoke with some full bodied qualities. I was pleasantly surprised and while not as strong as the winter collection this cigar should satisfy those who liked that cigar.

Rating: 90
Price: $8.00