Hello and welcome to another edition of what we like to call Puff Profiles. Today's Puff Profile sets its sights on Oliva Cigars. In case you have not heard of this brand, you may want to pay attention, since it has been successful in producing several highly-rated cigars. Keep reading to find out more about the brand itself, as well as what it has to offer enthusiasts in terms of its cigar lines.

Company History

The Oliva brand is backed by the Oliva family, a group that has its roots entrenched in the world of tobacco for many generations. The origins of the Oliva brand stretch back all the way to the 1880's in Pinar Del Rio, Cuba. It was then and there that Melanio Oliva began growing tobacco. Unfortunately, he was separated from the trade when he had to participate in Cuba's War of Independence. While it was the first time that Cuba's unrest as a nation would interfere with the Oliva's operations, it certainly would not be the last.

Flash forward approximately 30 years and the man in charge of the Oliva's growing operations is Hipolito Oliva, Melanio's son. Hipolito would hold the growing throne for many years, until he passed the reigns onto his son Gilberto. Once again, political problems within Cuba, this time in the 1960's, proved to have a negative effect on the family's tobacco operations. Rather than staying put, Gilberto focused abroad to countries such as the Philippines, Honduras, Mexico, and Panama with the hopes of finding a similar flavor to the one provided in his homeland of Cuba. Eventually, Gilberto found that Nicaragua and its fertile growing regions offered the closest match, and the family's operations shifted to the Central American nation. What began generations ago in Cuba has persisted until now, and the Oliva family holds the claim to fame of being the second largest grower of Cuban seed tobacco in Nicaragua.

Oliva is not all about quantity, though. In fact, the brand is known for its quality, and many of its cigar lines have received extensive praise from respected publications throughout the cigar industry. The Serie V line is the pride and joy of the brand, but as you will see, Oliva has many other offerings that are worthy of a spot in your humidor.