Review - Oliva Grand Maduro - Bellicoso

[Texan_To_The_End]

DATE: 2006/06/16
REVIEWER: Timothy "Texan_To_The_End" Piper
CIGAR: Oliva Grand Maduro - Bellicoso
SIZE: 5.0 X 52
ORIGIN: Nicaraguan
WRAPPER: Costa Rican
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
SHAPE: Bellicoso
AGE: In my humidor since 2006/05/05
VENDOR: Local B&M
PRICE: Current retail is $2.91 each.
AMBIENCE: 8PM Friday evening; hot humid and very still air.
BEVERAGE: None.
APPEARANCE: A box-pressed little torpedo shape. Black oily smooth
wrapper enclosing a pretty heavy little cigar.
PRE_LIGHT: Tasted like a stick of cedar.
DRAW: A bit too tight, but loosened up after a half inch.
FIRST_THIRD: Pretty good chocolate-buttery taste, but might be a bit
too young, as I got the smallest hint of amonia. Developed
a bit of woody flavor after an inch or so.
SECOND_THIRD: Had to use a toothpick on the end to loosen the draw up
a bit. The chocolate & wood tastes were good, but pretty
much one-dimensional.
FINAL_THIRD: Oil beaded out of the wrapper at the burn-line, but it didn't
burn and I had to re-light the cigar. Tasted a bit bitter
afterwards.
BURN: Even burn, but did require a re-light.
ASH: White fluffy ash that wasn't all that solid.
SMOKE: Lots of white smoke that tasted pretty good.
STRENGTH: Medium.
FLAVOUR: Wood, chocolate & butter. Not as strong of a profile as
it might have been.
FINISH: Completely left my palate after about 10 minutes.
SMOKE_TIME: 45 minutes, and I left about 1.5 inches in the ashtray.
IMPRESSION: This cigar has loads of potential but (at least in the case
of this one stick) it was probably too young by six months
or even longer to bring that potential out
RATING: 6 out of a possible TEN wooden matchsticks.
COMMENTS: I have a few more of these and I'm going to bury them at the
bottom of the humidor for at least six months. I'll be willing
to bet that I rate them higher than a 6 when I re-visit them
sometime this upcoming winter.
PICTURES: http://tinyurl.com/fs9gt

[Mister Moo]

Review: 10 (yep)
Cigar: 6 (sort of)

If Oliva has a landmark cigar I have not had it but I think they produce consistent, phenomenal mid- to low priced quality. I have no mixed feelings about the Oliva line; it's one of the best, adjusted for price. I agree the Grand Maduro is a one dimensional smoke - totally that - but luckily I like that dimension.

Out of the box these cigars offer exactly what you reported (you really nailed them). However, when they show crystallization on the wrapper they graduate. I finished smoking a box that was over a year old and they are not what they were a year ago. Come back to those guys you stashed when they sparkle in the sunlight.

[Texan_To_The_End]

Originally Posted by Mister MaDuroo

Review: 10 (yep)
Cigar: 6 (sort of)

If Oliva has a landmark cigar I have not had it but I think they produce consistent, phenomenal mid- to low priced quality. I have no mixed feelings about the Oliva line; it's one of the best, adjusted for price. I agree the Grand Maduro is a one dimensional smoke - totally that - but luckily I like that dimension.

Out of the box these cigars offer exactly what you reported (you really nailed them). However, when they show crystallization on the wrapper they graduate. I finished smoking a box that was over a year old and they are not what they were a year ago. Come back to those guys you stashed when they sparkle in the sunlight.

I'm *very* glad to hear that. I'll probably end up getting a box to stash away for a while also. It does rather annoy me that cigars are distributed to the retail level before they are actually ideal to smoke, but I can understand the logistical nightmare of storing thousands of cigars for an extra year or two without showing any profits. I'm also glad to get a confirmation on my assumptions concerning "young" tasting cigars. Like the LGC Wavell, which just screams out with potential but doesn't taste all that great out of the box.

Thanks.

[Miami]

Nice review bud. I have to get some and store them away for awhile.