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THE POWER AND STYLE OF OLIVEROS

You’ve come a long way from being just a flavored cigar, baby

Los Angeles, July 13 – It isn’t enough today to make quality cigars. You have to have an angle, a reputation or a product which tells people what your brand is about.

For many years, Oliveros Cigars were about flavors. Although on the market in some form since 1927, the Oliveros Kelt Cognac line and the sweetened and flavored lines were well known all during the 1990s and the bar was raised even further with the elegant and sweet all-maduro Oliveros Platinum series that debuted in 2000.

Things started to change in 2001 with the introduction of the well-made and unflavored Gran Reserva series. In 2002, the Habana Cuba Premier Selection – made at the Tabacalera Perdomo – was introduced and impressed smokers and critics alike. Then came 2004.

With the debut of the powerhouse Oliveros XL for Men line, attitudes about Oliveros changed quickly. This was a no-holds-barred blend that dared smokers to get on the bandwagon of bolder tastes, and it succeeded. Last year’s introduction of the LTD line just dropped more fuel on an already burning fire.

So we decided to check out what Rafael and Alina Nodal and Hank Bischoff have been up to with tastes of six of their most popular blends:

Habana Cuba Premier Selection:
[Nicaragua: available in 3 sizes]
The Premier Selection comes in three cleverly-named sizes: X, XX and XXX! All are large cigars of at least 52 ring gauge and the blend matches the girth of each cigar with plenty of flavor.

Well made, the Premier Selection offered a medium-to-full body with a Criollo wrapper that provides a spicy aroma from the start. There’s a lively caramelized taste at the core of this blend with a medium finish.

Despite its dark, Nicaraguan-grown wrapper, this is a very smooth and gentle cigar that fills the mouth with pleasure. It’s almost airy in the way it carries the flavor through to the end, with an easy draw. At a suggested retail price of $6.00 to $6.80 (before local tobacco taxes), this is a reasonably priced cigar that you can enjoy with anyone at any time of the day.
Overall grade: A-: Excellent.

Oliveros Gran Reserva:
[Nicaragua: available in 3 sizes]
This line is offered in a choice of Cameroon (blue label) or Nicaraguan-grown maduro (red label) wrappers and was introduced in 2001.

We tried the Cameroon and found it medium to full in body, but with a remarkable smoothness and creamy taste. There’s a nice, toasty aroma and a medium finish, but the focus never left the relaxed, mellow taste.

Well made with an even burn, the Gran Reserva was consistent to the end and easy to enjoy from start to finish. At prices of $6.20 to $6.50 retail, it’s reasonably priced to boot!
Overall grade: A: Exceptional. Oliveros LTD:
[Dominican Republic: available in 2 sizes]
Like its name suggests, this is a limited-edition cigar. There are only two sizes: a Gran Robusto (5 1/2 inches by 52 ring) and a Belicoso Fino (5 1/2 by 50) and just 2,000 boxes of each size (50 per box) are made annually. They’re worth looking for.

The LTD was introduced last year and is premium priced at suggested retail of $10.00 each for the Gran Robusto and $10.80 for the Belicoso Fino. But you’ll get your money’s worth.

There’s a toasty and slightly peppery aroma to this cigar, which is underlined by the sweet flavor core surrounded by a peppery, medium finish.

You’ll feel the bite of the pepper on the back of your tongue, but in a marvelous feat of balance, the cigar never turns aggressive or harsh. It’s powerful, peppery and consistent and it’s not a cigar that you’ll want to smoke on an empty stomach or you’ll be feeling it later.

Harsh or mean? Not at all. The power recedes somewhat in the second half, leaving less of a tingle on the throat, but that’s quite welcome. This is an impressive cigar with lots of excitement that’s never out of control. Just terrific.
Overall grade: A: Exceptional.

Oliveros XL for Men – Corojo:
[Dominican Republic: available in 3 sizes]
The original XL for Men blend introduced in 2004 was so well received that a Corojo-wrapped edition, with a bronze-color band, debuted in 2005. It’s a winner, too.

It’s full-bodied and there’s a slightly spicy aroma to this blend, with a spirited, caramelized flavor at the core with a clear note of spice on the short finish. The ones we tried had wonderfully solid construction and an easy draw.

The XL for Men/Corojo has an endearing smoothness in the first half, but a peppery tone emerges in the second half. It gives an edgy finish to an interesting cigar and one that is quite reasonably priced at $5.55-$6.48 each in boxes of 20.
Overall grade: A-: Excellent.

Oliveros XL for Men – Maduro:
[Dominican Republic: available in 5 sizes]
Here is the cigar that changed a lot of minds about the Oliveros brand, beginning in 2004.

This is a full-bodied cigar for sure, with a slightly spicy aroma to start and a large presence in the mouth, even for a range which runs from 52 ring at the smallest all the way to 60!

There’s a nice caramelized flavor to this cigar with a tinge of spice on the medium finish as you begin. Like the LTD, the balance is quite impressive and continues throughout the cigar. There’s a little peppery note in the final third that tells you it’s time to think about your next Oliveros. We did see some uneven burning of the wrapper that was easily corrected with a blast from our torch.
Overall grade: A-: Excellent.

Vista de Cuba:
[Dominican Republic: available in 4 sizes]
The Vista de Cuba line was introduced in 2005 and is a unique brand in that it is co-owned by Oliveros and the independent sales representatives who sell it to smokeshops across the nation. We found it to be a surprising delight.

The taste features a light creamy tone with a medium finish that’s enviably smooth and is accented by a slightly spicy aroma. Despite being of medium body, this is a mild and composed cigar, easy to enjoy with an excellent draw and an even burn.

There’s a modest note of pepper that comes in during the second half, but the blend never moves toward spiciness or anything harsh. Even the price is smooth, with suggested retail pricing of $5.50 for the 42-ring Corona up to $6.50 for the 56-ring Belicoso.
Overall grade: A-: Excellent.

Creating a new persona for a cigar line is difficult, but the Nodals and Bischoff have achieved it. While the flavored lines have their place and continue to sell, the XL for Men, LTD and Gran Reserva have made Oliveros a cigar that serious smokers need to know and have opened the way for their lesser-known, but also well-made brands such as Habana Cuba and Vista de Cuba to satisfy those looking for a relaxing cigar at a reasonable price.
~ Rich Perelman

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