Review: Oliva Serie G, Special G

[OHRD]

Size: 3.7×48, Special G

Wrapper: African Cameroon

Binder: Cuban-seed Habano

Filler: Nicaraguan Habano

Strength: Medium

Price: $4.20, Local

Grade: 9.0

A unique size that is sold in boxes of 48, the Special G is fun to hold and more fun to smoke. I picked this stick up a month or so ago from our local B&M and I’ve been waiting for a night when I only had 30 minutes or so to smoke. The Serie G comes in 11 sizes, including a couple of other unique sizes, such as the Belicoso and Figurado. The Oliva G was listed as #11 on Cigar Aficionado’s best cigars of 2006.

Obviously there is a lot to enjoy about this cigar so let’s get to the review!

Appearance, 1.7:
The Special G had a great pre-light aroma, with a sweet smell that reminded me of an old cellar. The draw was excellent, if not a bit loose, and the unique shape was a lot of fun to hold. The head and foot looked nice but could have been a little cleaner with some very slight wrapper pulls. The overall exterior was good but the wrapper had a bit of a rustic feel with noticeable veins and a leathery appearance.

Burn, 1.8:
The G had a very open draw with plenty of thick smoke pouring from each exhale. Though this may be due in part to the thin size of the Special G, it burnt fairly hot throughout. The ash was excellent and moved very cleanly through the Figurado type foot. The ash layered and stacked very well and was a nice, clean gray. The perfect draw kept the score high despite the hot burn.

Flavor, 2.7:
The G started off with a bit of harshness and heat, but it quickly cooled off. The smoke was dominated by black pepper in the first half and never really transitioned into the sweetness that was detected in the pre-light draw and aroma. I enjoyed the peppery notes but was hoping for some movement–the only movement was a decreased amount of pepper in the second half. The deduction here is for lacking a bit of flavor profile, though it scored perfectly for consistency.

Overall, 2.8:
Overall, this is an excellent smoke and one that I would consider buying a box of, especially as the winter months are upon us. When I smoke this stick in the future I will pace myself a bit and hopefully this will help with the hot burn of the tiny stick. The flavor was great on this stick and it had a very fun burn to it and drew very well throughout. This is a winner to be sure!

(Total: 9.0)