Oliva V small diadema

[Don Fernando]

When I met Dave Wagner, national sales manager of the Oliva Cigar Company a few months ago, he told me he always has some Oliva V 6x46 diadema cigars in his pockets as they are his favorite Oliva V's and they are not a regular production cigar, you will only find them in the Oliva V samplers. We smoked one right on the spot and he gave me a second one for a review, a review you are reading now.



The cigar has the most beautiful shape, I think that the diadema is the best looking cigar shape out there. I smell the cigar and when I close my eyes I can even see the horses I smell, it's like I'm in a stable. The construction feels great and the cigar looks awesome with the dark, shiny and oily wrapper. I see a few thing long veins. Dave told me he never punches or cuts a cigar, he pinches the cap and because he gave me this cigar, I pinched the cap too, it worked well. The predraw is fine.



I taste some earth flavors with pepper and some mild sweet wood. After half an inch the cigar taste like herbs with wood, quite spicy. After an inch I taste wood as main flavor with herbs in the aftertaste, the cigar is mild peppery. The cigar lacks the Oliva V power and pepper but that makes it special and very enjoyable.



Halfway the pepper disappeared and I taste herbs with wood. The herbs took over as main flavor again. The wood slowly disappears completely and after two thirds all I taste are herbs with some cinnamon, which I love. I also taste some chocolate on the background. The chocolate slowly grows in strength and turns into dark chocolate. The cigar also gets a little bit spicy.



This cigar was good for an hour and thirty five minutes. The draw is great, the smoke is plenty but a bit thin. The ash is quite dark and quite firm. The burn is beautiful. This cigar is medium to full flavored and medium bodied.



Would I buy this cigar again? That would be impossible without buying a whole sampler

Appearance: 8 / 10
Construction: 8 / 10
Draw: 8 / 10
Burn: 8 / 10
Smoke & ash: 7 / 10
Aroma first part: 7 / 10
Aroma second part: 7 / 10
Aroma third part: 8 / 10