Cigar Review - Oliva Serie G Perfecto
Oliva - Serie G
Vitola: Perfecto/Special G
Length: 3.75″
Ring Gauge: 48
Wrapper: African Cameroon
Binder: Cuban-Seed Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan Habano
Pairing: Rain
So I took my wife and kids to Key West for a little downtime this past weekend. I figured, it's Key West, they HAVE to allow cigars at any and all resorts. I could not have been more wrong. I may have chosen the one and only resort that is totally smoke-free. As an aside, what is the point of a balcony and awesome deck chairs with a view of the ocean if you can't enjoy a cigar? I don't think there is one, really. I might have taken a cue from the lady a few balconies down and snuck one, but at $500 fine per incident...I could buy a lot of cigars for that. Instead I decided to pick one up for a stroll down Duval St. and went to one of the local B&Ms. There I picked up the Oliva Serie G Perfecto due to its short length and my love of Oliva cigars. I figured it would be just about right for the stroll. I was right...sort of...
Fit and Finish: Nice looking wrapper, though I am not sure about the shape. That bit of a bulge toward the foot, then tapering back down, was new to me. I unwrapped it after dinner as we prepared to walk back down the length of Duval to our car. Nice tobacco smell, slightly sweet.
Draw: I used a v-cut on it even with the small ring guage and it was awesome. Perfect draw. Cocoa and spice on the cold draw.
Toast/Light: Toasting was easy with the smaller tip. I was curious as to how it would go as it reached the bulge it turned out to be great. Nice even light. It begins to sprinkle.
First third: Pepper right out of the gate. The first 3 puffs were a nice little spice bomb. Then it settled into cocoa and nuts and a nice underlying tobacco flavor. It is a very tasty cigar. As we walk the rain begins to come down harder. I am certain I'm going to have burn issues with this cigar with a smaller RG and 100% humidity falling from the sky.
Second Third: I am not about to let this opportunity go to waste since I can't smoke at the resort. So we duck under an awning and I tuck the cigar under my palm and pray for the best. The flavor profile really doesn't change all that much here. Lots of cocoa and nuts and a great creamy finish. As I'm standing there with the rain starting to leak through the awning, I protect the cigar as much as possible and the burn is perfect. No uneven lines, perfect draw, absolutely no issues. Also, the ash is still hanging in there all the way through the second third. While my wife and daughter are inside the store, a woman at the next building/awning motions for me to come over. I look past myself the other way because I KNOW she's not talking to me. No one there. I look back and she does it again. A wave with a very slurred "c'mere." Now I'm no idiot. I love my wife and there is no way I'm getting involved in even a conversation. So I go on smoking my cigar. a few minutes later the woman detaches herself from the wall and begins staggering down the street my way. As she passes me she stumbles into me and plants her hand in the center of my chest and then lets her hand drop down the front of me. She then slurs "Nope. Itsh not him." And then she proceeds on down the road. My wife and daughter come out of the store and my daughter asks "Why do you have a handprint on your chest?" Awesome. The things I put up with for a cigar.
Final Third: Now the rain is letting up a little (though I am pretty soaked) and the family is ready to get back to the car. We start walking and I continue to protect the cigar by cupping it up under my palm as we walk. The ash is still hanging in there and the burn line is razor sharp. The pepper comes back at the end to finish off a very enjoyable smoke.
Final Thoughts: Seldom do I smoke a cigar and say "I need a box of these" right away. But that's exactly how I felt after this one. The taste was great and it was freaking bomb-proof. It never went out and didn't even drop the ash despite crazy rain. I won't pull the trigger just yet but I will definitely be getting a 5 pack in this viotola for those times when I want a "quick" smoke (still took me 40 minutes). If those are even remotely near this experience I'll be getting a box post-haste.
