This cigar is one of my favorites, which is why I decided to review it first on this website. It has a pretty simple set of flavors and aromas that agree very well with me (leather, dry oak, and baking spices). However, it tastes like a much more expensive cigar than this description might suggest.

Named after Melanio Oliva, the patriarch to whom the brand traces its roots, the cigar features a fermented blend of ligero fillers. It’s pretty clear from the name and the price that Oliva intends for this cigar to be special. The different vitolas vary in price from $8.80 for the petit corona, all the way up to $15.60 for the double toro and figurado vitolas.

• Prelight Aroma: I’m picking up some simples notes of dry wood and hay
• Prelight Draw: The draw is medium-loose, with notes of sweet dry wood and grass
• Inital light: I’m just getting some dry oak

First Third

This stick starts off with some leather, dry oak, a bit of clove and anise, and some sweetness rounds it off. The flavor stays very consistent through the first third with a medium body, a pretty open draw, and lots of smoke production. I’d be perfectly happy if the entire cigar is like this.

Second Third

Coming into the second third the flavors are basically the same, just with a bit more of that leather flavor, and the smell coming off the cigar reminds me of turbinado sugar. The burn is a little wonky, and the stick is starting to get a bit spongy. It’s also picking up a little more body and strength, but nothing too noticable.

Final Third

I detected some sweetness coming back early in the last third. The dry oak flavor turns into more of a freshly cut oak, the cigar picks up a bit more strength, still about medium. Also picking up a bit of a mocha flavor toward the middle of the last third, and I’m getting more sweet dry grass, must, and a touch of cinnamon on the palate.

Getting closer to the nub I picked up mostly leather, some sweet, musty, semi-dry grass, and more spices (clove and anise, with a touch of cinnamon).

At the nub the flavors devolve into leather, carmelized oak, and generic baking spices.

Verdict

This has been one of my favorite cigars ever since I first smoked it roughly five years ago. I recommend buying it by the box, as I do. I really enjoy exploring different cigars, but I keep a box of these stocked at all times.

I rarely have an issue with the construction, but when I do it’s been when I buy a stick and smoke it at a lounge. The only reason I can think of that this happens is maybe these cigars are a bit finicky when it comes to humidity. Since I keep my own stash in their own tupperware with a boveda I haven’t had a problem.

Now we come to the rating. I gave this cigar an 88, not because it isn’t a great cigar (other sites have rated other vitolas at 90+), but because it really isn’t that complex or very interesting if leather, oak, and spice aren’t your favorite flavors. I think there are better cigars than this at the upper 80’s, but it really is a slim margin.

Even though I love it, it really isn’t worthy of a 90+ rating, it’s just not in that league. But it is about as good as it gets in the 80s, and the petit corona specifically isn’t that expensive considering there are many online retailers that sell it way below MSRP.