This is the latest Oliva release and it looks great. A reverse torpedo with very light aromas from the foot but hearty cocoa and coffee notes from the perfect cold draw. Today’s beverage is a Founders KBS Espresso Stout.

Initial flavors are robust with cocoa, coffee and spices. The smoke is thick and smooth. The ash looks good but the burn is a bit off. It will probably self correct. The body of the ale is a perfect pairing.

In the first third a pleasant earthy base develops under the cocoa and coffee notes for a very good medium to full bodied profile. The spicy notes have faded although they are still present in the otherwise smooth retohale. The burn, as predicted, evens out past the taper and the ash is still quite solid, although it dropped off.

During the second third a sweetness joins the flavor profile. The cigar remains medium to full bodied. The burn is now very even and the ash remains mostly solid with some cracks. The retohale remains smooth with less spices. There is a small split in the wrapper, but not enough to affect the quality of the cigar.

Approaching the final inch I burned off the part of the wrapper that separated from the split, but the binder did an excellent job of not expanding; a very well constructed cigar. The split stopped when it hit a small vein in the wrapper. The complexity of the flavor profile remains excellent. The cigar did not get hot until well after I removed the band. The ash and burn remain great. The retohale remains smooth with a light hint of spices.

Overall a very good experience with a steady but complex flavor profile and very good construction. A must try for fans of the Oliva V series as well as anyone who enjoys a robust medium to full bodied cigars. 9.6/10.