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Initial Smoke

The classic combination of pepper and Spanish cedar takes the majority of my attention the moment I set my Overland torch lighter down. There's some saltiness here, but it primarily hits post-exhale, making the almond-heavy finish taste even richer. Retrohales are not all that spicy or cedar-forward, though, and favor a heavy cream milkiness and aromatic notes for their base. Hay and soil can be detected once the burn establishes itself, and this opens up to a citrusy, medium funkiness that is best compared to that of lemon pepper with some dried peel in the mix. 

1st Half

Cedar soon starts to shift to oak, and the almonds suddenly decide that there is room for some roasted cashews alongside them within the cigar. A custard-like note has also evolved, and it creates a pleasant vanilla, milk, and egg white center profile. There's still some peppery bite to be found, with that citrus bitterness behind it, but by now they are complementing one another, and the rest of the tastes are being detected extremely well. Smoke body is right at medium already, and due to the milky smoothness of each retrohale, my belief that this blend was built to be a breakfast blend remains well-founded. 

A shift toward yellow cake batter and heavier whipping cream comes to pass right around that sweet spot in the middle of the second third, as I attempt to hide my glee. This, my friends, is precisely why "sleeper cigars" such as this deserve to be explored. There is nothing to dislike here, and only amazing flavors and aromas to be treasured behind that beautiful burn.

2nd Half

Those of you who have a hankering for a slightly stronger smoke session need but merely wait for the latter end of the second third to ignite. While all of those cake, custard, oak, cedar, and sweet cream tastes may stick around, they are willing to let some more intense tastes wiggle their way outward. 

Pepper flavors and spice levels expand their reach, those oak notes grow sappy, and both soil and nutty notes get stouter. There's also a bit of milk cocoa powder beginning to bloom, and as the oak slowly shifts from sappy to dry, the tannins within the blend begin to bloom. Citrus and pepper have subsided substantially, and in their place comes more cake batter, and this time it has some cream cheese icing on top. Retrohales have somehow grown even more sophisticated, and there is little to dislike anywhere along the way.

Parting Puffs

Seeking to give those medium-powered cigar smokers what they want, the last fifteen minutes of the cigar take on a notably darker, nuttier swagger. Still slightly sappy, the oak flavors inside sit somewhere between sticky and dry, and as peppery retrohales return, a slice of ginger spice gets served. Somehow, the cigar still preserves some form of lightness, if not in flavor, but body, and the general lack of bitterness or sharpness makes the blend's last leg a damn delicious one.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

To this day, I still believe that this cigar has what it takes to be a top option for anyone looking to compete in a "long ash competition." I may not have showcased this as much as I should have on camera, but the burn and ash build on this blend is jaw-dropping, with the smoke it creates from a splendid draw earning extra points.

Final Thoughts

Here we have another one of those mild-mannered-looking smokes that delivers a more medium profile than one might expect, and for the most part, this cigar delivers. Sure, some people may dislike how peppery or pithy the blend may become, or how it isn't as mellow as it looks, and that's perfectly fine. There are going to be far more smokers out there who dig this blend than dislike it, and that's why we put this smoke on the hot seat today.

But, being that the vast majority of consumers base their impulse purchases based on visual appeal, I feel that Oliva has shot itself in the foot by giving this smoke one of the blandest bands in its collection. The font is small and hard to read, the band itself is unoriginal and unimaginatively colored, and on a shelf next to dozens of other cigars, I can see how it would easily get overlooked.

This is precisely why we smoke and review mass-produced "sleeper smokes" on occasion here at Klaro. Not all blends have that visual appeal or boutique underdog backstory to make them interesting, and deserve a moment in the limelight to show what they truly can offer. Which, in this case, is a fantastic smoke session that rightfully deserves to be revisited time and time again.

Overall Balance & Repeatability