Oliva serie v melanio

Oliva Serie V Melanio Cigars

Named for Melanio Oliva, who began growing tobacco in Cuba's Pinar del Rio in 1886, Serie V Melanio is the crown of the Oliva portfolio. In 2014, Cigar Aficionado named the Melanio Figurado its Cigar of the Year — the moment Oliva went from respected value producer to a name spoken alongside the industry's very best.

The Blend

Melanio departs from the rest of the Serie V line by swapping in a silky Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, which softens and sweetens the powerful Nicaraguan core underneath. The filler is aged Nicaraguan ligero from the Jalapa Valley, and the cigars are rolled in Esteli by Oliva's most experienced torcedores. The result is a full-flavored cigar with a refinement that raw strength alone never produces.

Blend & Character

• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Aged Nicaraguan ligero, Jalapa Valley
• Origin: Handmade in Esteli, Nicaragua
• Body: Medium-full to full
• Flavor notes: Espresso, dark cocoa, oak, sweet cream, black pepper, and a long spiced finish

What to Expect

Melanio is layered in a way most cigars at any price aren't. The pepper arrives early and then recedes behind coffee and cocoa, with a creamy sweetness that carries through to the nub. Construction is excellent — razor-straight burns and firm ash are the norm.

Who It's For

Anyone building a humidor of benchmark cigars. Melanio is a special-occasion smoke that happens to be priced within reach of a weekly one. Browse the available vitolas below.