Tasting Note

Oliva Cigar Co. has considerable tobacco stocks, and its Serie O brand is made with Cuban-seed leaves from the three major growing regions of Nicaragua: Jalapa, Condega and Estelí, where the cigars are rolled. The smoke is delicious, with a salty, earthy flavor punctuated by tasty dried cherries and hints of cocoa and cedar. And it's hard to beat the value—this is a cigar of considerable size (7 inches long with a 50 ring gauge) and it retails for a mere $6.20 a cigar, or $124 for a box of 20. Oliva has had a cigar in our Top 25 every year since 2005, which is a considerable and commendable feat.