Archive for the ‘O’ Category

Man O’ War Ruination

Sunday, December 6th, 2009

Cigars Direct strikes again… I opened my humidor and was quickly reminded by the large Cigars Direct bag that it was time to do a review. I don’t have all the details, but I did find out that the Man O’ War was blended by Abdel Fernandez, and the cigar is touted as being full bodied and a “Must Try.” Other then that, I can only offer you my thoughts. Once again, I paired up with a glass of water and put together this review.

 

Wrapper:Ecuadorian Habano

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Size: Torpedo 6.1 x 54

Price: Around $10.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The dark oily wrapper had minimal veins, and overall looked attractive. I detected a somewhat sweet spice and earthiness when sniffing the wrapper and foot. The cigar had a couple tight spots in it, which probably accounts for a slightly snug draw. The pre-light draw reminded me of a dry powdery chocolate.

The burn required a couple minor touch-ups, and the ash was very firm, holding for well over an inch.

1ManOWar

Flavor:

The first third began with just a simple natural tobacco taste. It didn’t take too long for a smooth pepper to enter the picture. Next up was a spicy sweetness, and finally subtle earth.

2ManOWar

Mocha was the dominant flavor for the second third. The pepper transformed into a sweet spice, and earthy notes were far in the background. Sometimes the smoke feel was creamy, and other draws were dry and powdery. I know “Powdery” doesn’t sound good, but overall I really enjoyed this third.

3ManOWar

The last third kept the same flavors as the previous third. The main difference was the mocha really took over, and the other flavors became faint in the background. The smoke feel continued with the creamy and then dry sensations.

4ManOWar

Conclusion:

Just as advertised, this was a full bodied cigar, but not a powerhouse of nicotine. The flavors were pretty much one dimensional, but refined and tasted good. My only complaint is the price of $10.00 a stick. Price aside, this was a good cigar. I say give it a try.

Oliva Serie O Natural

Sunday, August 9th, 2009

It was time for me to reach into the grab bag Cigars Direct sent me. Thanks to them, this review was possible. The Oliva Serie O was reviewed by Jeremiah in a guest review awhile back. He had a good experience with it, so I was more then happy to grab a glass of water and get started on my review of the Oliva Serie O.

 

Wrapper: Sun Grown Nicaraguan Habano

Binder: Nicaraguan Habano

Filler: Nicaraguan Habano

Size: 5×50

Price: Around $5.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The oily wrapper had a few bumps in it, with small to medium sized veins. The cigar was evenly packed with tobacco with no soft or hard spots. I had trouble pinning down what the wrapper and foot smelled like. It was basically a natural tobacco smell with an interesting spice at the foot that made my nose tingle a little. The pre-light draw was perfect, and had a simple tobacco/earthy taste.

The burn was great. I only corrected it once, and I probably didn’t need to. As expected, the ash was firm, required a firm tap on the ashtray at around an inch.

1OlivaSerieONatural

Flavor:

The first third went well. The first flavor I noticed was wood, cedar to be exact. A smooth pepper was noticed when passing through the sinus. I also felt the spicy sensation on my tongue and sides of the mouth. The peppery spice remained, but also took on a sweet tone, much like cinnamon.

2OlivaSerieONatural

The second third kicked things off with the addition of black coffee. Other then that, there were not any significant flavor changes. Something that should be noted is… The addition of coffee really went nicely with the pepper, sweet spice and wood. They melded together into a very interesting overall flavor with an added punch, or “Zing.”

3OlivaSerieONatural

The last third kept black coffee notes. The pepper took a back seat, but the sweet spice remained. I’ll have to call it cinnamon or a spice similar to it. The smoke feel became thicker with a caramelish feeling but not necessarily the flavor of caramel. The woody flavor was there and quite noticeable as it was in the first two thirds. At times I had problems picking the flavors apart. Everything melded together into a soup of great flavor.

4OlivaSerieONatural

Conclusion:

Yea, I used the word “soup” to help me describe this cigar. It’s a first, but probably not the last. I’d have to say this is a very good medium to full bodied cigar. If you are an Oliva fan like I am, you definitely need to try the Serie O. Even when the body went into the full spectrum, it was still an easy smoke, yet had a nice punch. If this sounds like a cigar you’d like, you can find a variety or Oliva cigars over at Cigars Direct.

Looking for something?

Use the form below to search the site:

Still not finding what you're looking for? Drop a comment on a post or contact us so we can take care of it!