Oliva V lancero

[Don Fernando]

This Oliva V lancero has been aging in my humidor for little over 2 years and I finally decided to light this 7 x 38. The V series is a Nicaraguan puro with some specially fermented Jalapa valley ligero and a nice dark, oily and almost vein less smooth Habano sun grown wrapper. The construction feels good, like you can expect with any Oliva. The predraw is just fine and tells me what I can expect from this cigar: pepper, lots of pepper. The aroma is a mild acidy barnyard smell.

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff347/cs_donfernando/reviews/Oliva%20V%20lancero/DSC02429.jpg

The first flavor is a full, strong peppery leather flavor. The white pepper flavor is strong and pungent but fortunately it becomes tolerable after a bit and the leather flavor is better noticeable. The pepper still is the dominant flavor though.

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff347/cs_donfernando/reviews/Oliva%20V%20lancero/DSC02432.jpg

After 2 inch, when the leather has gone, I can taste some chocolate but again, covered in a lot of white pepper. Halfway the chocolate is replaced by some wood, wood that grows a bit in strength at the 2/3rd mark but still loses the battle with the pepper.

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff347/cs_donfernando/reviews/Oliva%20V%20lancero/DSC02436.jpg

I get a lot of beautiful thick white smoke from this cigar. The ash is light gray but not very firm. The draw is fine and so is the burn

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff347/cs_donfernando/reviews/Oliva%20V%20lancero/DSC02437.jpg

Would I buy this cigar again? No, I will stick to the other vitolas of the Oliva V series; the lancero is too much of a pepper bomb for me

Appearance: 8 / 10
Construction: 8 / 10
Draw: 7 / 10
Smoke & ash: 8 / 10
Burn: 7 / 10
Aroma (first part) 6 / 10
Aroma (middle part) 7 / 10
Aroma (last part) 8 / 10

[elderboy02]

Thanks for the review Ferdinand. At first I didn't like the V lancero b/c it seemed more muted than the other sizes. Now I like it. It is funny how different people have different tastes, b/c I think the lancero has less spice than the other sizes.

[MedicCook]

Thanks for the review Ferdie. I have only had 1 of these so far and really enjoyed it.

[njstone]

nice review! I'm suprised it was so peppery, I've found them to be usually less so than the other vitolas. I really like these!

[Veritas]

Nice review. I've only had one of these so far and was a little let down. Like Dan, I also found it to be muted compared to the larger ring gauge offerings in this line.

Based on your review, I need to hold on to the remaining ones for a couple of years. I'll put some away for aging, but not before sampling a few more.:)

[kelmac07]

Another fine review Ferdie. :tu

[bvilchez]

Thanks for the review Ferdie. I've got 3 in my humi aging and keep on wondering what they taste like........now I know. Think I'll burn one today

[tuxpuff]

Another great review! Thanks. I've enjoyed the few I've tried.

[RevSmoke]

Hmm, interesting review. I must say that the construction on these is incredible. I have never had draw issues with this particular lancero, although I have had a couple where the burn needed to be touched up - but it didn't detract.

I was interested in the peppery flavors you encountered. Maybe I am immune to them, or enjoy it immensely. I did find the pepper, but it didn't seem to predominate. Cocoa, sweetness, cedar were present as well. And the flavor kept on evolving and developing in complexity.

Love these.

[roughrider]

The lancero is one of my favorites.