NC review, Oliva V robusto, my first review.

[Disburden]

I had one of these this afternoon and I thought I should talk about it. It seemed like an appropriate time to start trying out this review thing myself and this is supposed to be a good smoke, right? At least it's good in Torpedo form, from what I have had before anyway, and how could this be much different? Was it different? Well, let's see.

*On a side note I want to say that I do know what crushed ants actually taste like, I was a weird kid, I know the flavor first hand. If a cigar has crushed ants in the flavor thoughout then you really shouldn't give that cigar higher than a 78, just saying...

I wish I had a camera handy for when I smoked this but I didn't, sorry! I smoked this with water on the side.

Here we go:

- The wrapper was a nice oily dark even one and it felt great in the hand, nice weight, nice sheen, no cracks, veins, etc. So far so good. I gave it a cut and took a dry draw and it was perfect for what I like in a smoke, not tight at all, but not too loose. The pre-light taste is pretty much a leather taste with maybe some coffee, but not that much, mostly leather.

-Initial light was a really treat, it kicked through my nose and there was a good amount of pepper there, which I like in cigars, and I even had pepper on my lips for a few minutes.

First Third!

Most of the pepper that I had in the light and beginning puffs went away and I actually was surprised to get a creamy texture in my mouth, almost like a half and half cream and coffee flavor, first puffs were straight into medium-full. I drink coffee black only but I did enjoy the creamy coffee in the smoke. Imo, this may have been the best part of the cigar. Medium. Burn was spot on even all the way around.

Second third!

The creamy coffee tastes we there in the first steps of this phase and started becoming complimented by a strong leathery note. Pepper came back to the nose and the cigar became a more Mid-full smoke where as in the first third in was straight medium. I saw a glimmer of hope that this cigar would deliver some complex changes in the future...I think I even had a fruit taste there for a slight second but it was gone fast, like seeing a ghost in the corner of your eye, but when you turn nothing is there. Burn did go a little wobbly for a second but it was straight soon after.

Final Third!

The cream from before was dead, I don't know where it went but it certainly ended up somewhere else than in the cigar. A real shame, the cigar was great at first and offered me some hope that it was hit the 89-90 mark. The leather was still going strong and the pepper was there but somehow it changed in flavor.....it was a bitter pepper in the mouth....the nose was good though...what was that flavor of the mouth? It had a bitterness to it.........CRUSHED ANTS!

Now we all know that Smithy mentioned crushed ants in a youtube review and everyone thought he was mad. He may be mad because I don't even know if he's had ants in his mouth before...

I actually ATE ants when I was a kid and it tasted like crap! I am not joking..I am not trying to be weird, I am serious. Now if this cigar had the ants taste from start to finish I would've thrown it into the woods near my house. The cigar did get hot also which is odd because for being a robusto I smoked it slow and it lasted an hour and a half.

Somehow there was bitterness that started near the nob and wouldn't go away, the cigar seemed sour at that point but all the while still leather as a main component. The final third killed this cigar for me as I was really hoping something with balls and complexity would come out and punch me in the mouth, but all I got was a hot cigar that I was puffing on every 2 minutes.

The Pyramid/ torpedo was much better from what I remember...Or maybe my tastes have changed?

Overall Rating?!

83.

[craigos]

i was gifted some of these and tried them. Total dog rocket. Every time I want to give an NC a try I get disappointed. Tasted like eating cardboard.

[Aficionado]

... Total dog rocket. Every time I want to give an NC a try I get disappointed. Tasted like eating cardboard.

Oliva cigars tasted like eating cardboard ,sad and pathetic.

[Disburden]

Oliva cigars tasted like eating cardboard ,sad and pathetic.

This cigar may benefit from a smaller ring gauge, I don't know. The last third definitely had a very bitter taste and the burn was starting to tunnel, cigar got hot, etc. I wasn't puffing often just enough to keep it lit. At least it opened up well and had some cream to it in the first third.

I will be getting my first from the Czar soon, can't wait to taste the difference!

[nonameno]

Hello Disburden,

Wonderful first review! I have not tried one of these yet, but will in the near future. It will be fun to see how your first Czar Cubans turn out.

Thank you,

Curtiss

[jawofboston]

I'm partial to the lancero and belicoso sizes of this line, which are among the few NCs I regularly smoke anymore.

[thechenman]

I'm partial to the lancero and belicoso sizes of this line, which are among the few NCs I regularly smoke anymore.

I prefer the belicoso and lancero in the Oliva V as well. The others...meh.

[Disburden]

Good to know, I will check those out sometime in the future. I am usually a big fan of lanceros to begin with, I like how they smoke with they're not having draw issues.

[Danashan]

Another vote for the lancero. Much more refined. It has a different blend from the rest of the line - no ligero, IFAIK.

[Charltonc]

This cigar may benefit from a smaller ring gauge, I don't know. The last third definitely had a very bitter taste and the burn was starting to tunnel, cigar got hot, etc. I wasn't puffing often just enough to keep it lit. At least it opened up well and had some cream to it in the first third.

I will be getting my first from the Czar soon, can't wait to taste the difference!

THe oliva V lancero is good and so is the Oliva V maduro. The V maduro from 09 is delicious, comes in boxes of 10 limited production. Their are better cigars at that price range.

[Disburden]

THe oliva V lancero is good and so is the Oliva V maduro. The V maduro from 09 is delicious, comes in boxes of 10 limited production. Their are better cigars at that price range.

Good to know, I usually gear towards a Maduro wrapper in a NC smoke anyway.