The Oliva V gets mad love in the cigar community. Known as a great smoke with a lot value, the different sizes in the series range from $6-$7. These are a "go-to" or "every day" smoke for a lot of people, and while I cannot knock the quality of the line; I've never been as big a fan as others. The Belicoso and Robusto seem to get the most cred; and there are tons of opinions and reviews for these particular sizes online. Personally, I find the 'V' to be a little overpowering, but if you're low on money and want a lot of body in your smoke, the Oliva V is known as an old faithful.
That being said, the Lancero vitola caught my eye when I stepped into the humidor. The idea of the overpowered 'V' blend with a tiny ring gauge has my gears a-churning.
Length - 7 "
Ring Gauge - 38 (awww yeah)
Wrapper - Habano Sun Grown
Binder - Nicaraguan
Filler - Jalapa Valley(Nicaraguan) Filler
Origin - Basically a Nicaraguan Puro
All in all, the cigar looks awesome, the wrapper leaf is clean, smooth and spotless. Seems like a rugged leaf and the roll is clean, giving it that seamless look.
Smoking the Oliva V Lancero
I won't elaborate on this too much because I've only smoked one V Lancero and it wasn't very good. My smoke had a very dry feel to it, and the draw was a little too resistant. I usually expect a snugger draw on Lanceros, (such is the nature of a 7" cigar with a 38 ring gauge) - the draw was not tight enough to ruin the cigar, but tight enough to cause me some heartache.
The flavor profile was limited and lacked aroma. I said it before, but the term 'dry' keeps coming to mind as I smoke this cigar. I tasted a little spice and the resting smoke had a spicy-sweet scent to it. I was unimpressed with the flavors in general, as there wasn't anything that jumped out at me. I tasted some basic nut, spice and earth flavors, but the dry feel left me reaching for my cup of water.
The cigar seemed to burn too hot and I gave myself time between puffs to allow that heat to go away. But that offered little help in the way of adding flavor to the cigar. The smoke was a little harsh and stayed unremarkable throughout. There was no transition of flavor and complexity was a 2 out of 10.
I'm going to give this cigar another shot in the near future. I smoked one of these a day after the box was opened, so its possible the stogie was still in its 'sick period'. Maybe a month or two of rest in the humidor will give this beauty better flavors. Other than the resistant draw, the cigar burnt nicely. Please do not let this review deter you from trying the Lancero. If you're a V fan, or a Lancero fan, it is worth the $6 to give this cigar a try.
Overall: C-
I totally agree with your grade and assessment. For some reason I consistently run into problems with draw and tightness on the "V" cigars in general and the flavor I do get, like you, is not what it should be for the $$. I prefer their Connecticut special reserve and don't real seek out anything else of theirs specifically although I have smoked through the whole gambit of their products. O is good and so is G but there is way better on the shelf IMO in the same price range. Master Blends are good but just straight up over priced by about $10 at most B&M's and I have had some construction issues with them. Unacceptable for a $14 stick!....peace!
ReplyDeleteHey bud, I'm following up on my comments and trying to patrol for spam. I appreciate the input and any body that checks out my site. If you'd be interested in a guest review let me know
DeleteYeah, the V's are respectable in their price range. I know guys that swear by them. But cigar oompanies (or at least the smart ones) have taken notice of the tough economic times and there are a lot of fairly priced cigars out there
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