Oliva Master blend 3 robusto

[Don Fernando]

I haven't seen a lot of reviews about these Oliva Master blend 3 cigars yet and I got my hands on a robusto, which sells for € 10.00 a stick here in The Netherlands, and as all tobacco products, it has a fixed price. I guess these cigars are made from a 2006 crop, as that year is printed on the band. The filler is a Nicaraguan ligero wrapped with a Nicaraguan broadleaf sun grown wrapper. I smoked some of the older Master blends in the past and back in 2007 I even reviewed the Oliva Master blend 1 torpedo.



The wrapper is dark and oily with just a few minor veins. I notice that the lasered logo, that was on the previous Master blends is missing on the Master Blend 3, the bands are the same though, just in a different color. The construction feels a bit soft, not soft spots but soft overall. The predraw is a bit on the loose side with a mind spicy tobacco flavor. The cigar has a full hay smell. The cigar is box pressed to the max, it's not round and not even square, this is the most rectangular cigar I have ever seen besides the La Flor Dominicana Factory press.



I taste a full flavored coffee with some earth flavors. The earth is stronger than the coffee and soon a dry wood flavor replaces the coffee. After an inch I also taste some pepper and far away on the background I even notice some chocolate.



The chocolate disappears quickly and the pepper becomes stronger with the earth flavor on the background with a little bit of wood. After two thirds the wood gets a bit stronger, the earth flavor gets milder and the pepper moves to the aftertaste. Soon after that the red pepper becomes stronger and dominant.



The smoke time of this 5x50 robusto is an hour and twenty minutes. I got a huge amount of thick white smoke. The draw and the burn are good and the light colored ash is compact and firm. This cigar is full flavored and medium to full bodied. It burns clean, I didn't get a flame when I tried to purge it.




Would I buy this cigar again? Yes, definitely.

Appearance: 8 / 10
Construction: 7 / 10
Draw: 7 / 10
Burn: 7 / 10
Smoke & ash: 9 / 10
Aroma first part: 8 / 10
Aroma second part: 8 / 10
Aroma third part: 8 / 10