Oliva V Serie - Melanio Blend - Petit Corona

Tale of the Tape:
Brand: Oliva
Series: Melnio - Series V
Vitola:  Petit Corona
Size: 4 1/2"
Ring Gauge: 46
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian grown Sumatran
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Cigars Smoked for Review: 2

The Melanio
This is no regular Serie V.  Oliva is known for quality and consistency at a fair price.  The Serie V is one of the most solid go-to cigars on the market.  A true full bodied, full flavored smoke.  Personally, I don't care for the Serie V, but I respect the cigar.  I realize the quality and value in the Serie V, but the cigar is just a bit much for my taste and always leaves me with a dizzying nicotine buzz.

The Melanio, is a cigar that stands on its own; no Serie V connection needed to prop up its credentials.  Named after Gilberto Oliva's grandfather, the cigar is a tribute to the man that the Oliva family can trace their tobacco heritage back to.

As I mentioned, the normal Serie V cigars are not my cup of tea.  They are great cigars, and its hard to beat them at the price they are offered at; but I don't smoke many because they are just too much.  Don't get me wrong, I am a full cigar smoker, but I reach for other stogies more often than not.  But with all the fanfare surrounding the Melanio, I had no choice but to give it a try.

I picked up the Petit Corona. 4 1/2" X 46 ring; a size I enjoy..  The wrapper is smooth and a medium dark brown hue.  A few visible veins, but otherwise smooth to the touch.  The construction is flawless, from appearance to last puff.  A razor's edge burn that requires no touch ups.

The first half of the cigar is surprisingly milder than the normal Series V.  Leaning toward medium on a medium-full scale; the cigar is smooth and creamy.  Slightly sweet with a little pepper on the lips, the smoke is aromatic and I taste hints of coffee and burnt cedar.  From what I understand, Oliva chose its most aged tobaccos for the blend, and the subtle sweetness of the Ecuadorian Sumatran shines through.  The filler and binder are Nicaraguan and it is obvious that the Melanio blend is more than just a Serie V with a Sumatran wrapper.

The draw is a tad tight; but the smoke production is adequate.  Usually a tight draw will ruin a cigar for me, but the ample amount of smoke keeps me from having to strain to smoke it.  It is truly a non-issue.  In fact it resulted in a slow burn; keeping the cigar cool and releasing a lot of flavor and nuances in the blend.

The second half of the Melanio keeps that smooth and creaminess to it.  There is a peanut taste that is really enjoyable and seems to be the predominant flavor of the cigar.  The cigar takes about an hour and fifteen minutes to smoke; a considerable amount of time for such a small stick.

As the cigar moves to its last 1 1/2" it never gets harsh like a lot stogies.  The  sweetness slowly morphs into a peppery spice , but it is not a main feature of the smoke.  I know I mentioned it before, but this cigar is smooth.  This cigar is easy to smoke and stays cool throughout.  Not super-complex, but a lot of little nuances that make it an interesting smoke.  Hands down a good cigar.  I really want to try the figurado size and see how it stacks up.

Final Thoughts and Grade

• Smooth tasty cigar with a slightly restricted draw that keeps the cigar cool and slow
• Different from the normal Serie V line in many ways - still a lot nicotine in Oliva's tobacco
• Aromatic and tasty - a lot of depth to the flavors
• Leans towards medium body in a medium full profile
• Great value at $7.50 - my new favorite Oliva - will buy and smoke many more

A - 91.5 points