Staff Reviews

There’s two things I love in this world: real nice cigars, and scoring them on the cheap. So naturally, a product line like Oliva 2nds immediately gets my heart pumping. For those that aren’t familiar – Oliva 2nds are the cigars from the same award-winning cigars from the Oliva factory that fail to meet their aesthetic perfection standard. Typically this is just from a slight cosmetic mark, occasionally, you’ll find some veins in the wrapper. But beyond that the cigars match up perfectly with Oliva’s high-quality offerings, and taste just as good as the “real thing.”

For today’s review, I’ve scored myself 5 of each of the different “ligas,” and instead of my normal rambling I’m going to provide some quick tasting notes and ratings for every one of the Oliva 2nds sitting on our docks. Let’s get started!

Liga C: A pleasant, nutty flavor with notes of coffee, wood, and nuts. Good finish and aftertaste, burns well and draws easily. 4 out of 5 stars. 

Liga OM: Really full-bodied, with a rather nice looking wrapper. If I had to guess, I’d call it a Connecticut Broadleaf. Tons of black pepper on the first few draws, which mellow out into a smooth, subtle finish. 4.25 out of 5 stars. 

Liga G: A medium-bodied flavor bomb, with a pretty toothy and dark wrapper leaf. Long finish, ripe with notes of coffee, and a toasty tobacco core. 4 out of 5 stars. 

Liga F: The mellowest of the batch, with a silky smooth Connecticut wrapper on top. Flavor profile is tame, with a pleasant sweetness and nuttiness throughout. For a first cigar of the day: 4.25 out of 5. If you’ve already had a cigar or two, the subtle flavors on this one may miss the mark: 3.5 out of 5. 

Liga M: My absolute favorite of the lot. Really full-bodied, with an oily and smooth wrapper leaf. A distinguished flavor of earth, cream, and loads of sugary chocolate. A perfect choice if you love Nicaraguan cigars, and don’t want to empty your wallet. 5 out of 5 stars. 

Liga O: A contender for the throne when it comes to my favorite 2nd. Nice color to the wrapper, this cigar had the least “flaws” out of the samples I procured. Only noticeable blemish was a few small sun spots. A salty, spicy flavor is balanced by a rich sweetness halfway through the cigar. 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

Liga W: Compared to Liga F, the other Connecticut offering from the Oliva 2nds, W is a bit heartier, weighing in right under a medium-body. Layers of flavor leave behind notes of wood, cream, and coffee on your palate. 4 out of 5 stars. 

In short, I can easily recommend absolutely any of these cigars to add to your humidor. Compare them to top-shelf blends that cost 10x more, and you’ll come away a little disappointed. But when you stack these up next to any $5-7 cigars on the market, the Oliva 2nds are just as tasty, and half the price. The only other knock on the score? Since these are seconds, quantities are limited and there’s a chance we’ll be completely out of a liga for months, if the factory doesn’t have anything to offer up. But when they’re in stock, Oliva 2nds might just be the best bargain cigar we have to offer. 

Let me be frank — I haven’t been excited about an H. Upmann cigar in… well, ever, honestly. I don’t have anything against the brand, but when I go through my humidor or browsing through the shelfs, it’s not something I seek out. All that being said, I’m a sucker for AJ. Light up an AJ stick in the office, and I’ll immediately float over to your desk like a cartoon character seeking out a hot pie on a windowsill. 

So the other day, when my nose started sniffing out that fine Nicaraguan leaf burning somewhere in my vicinity, I immediately went investigating. And by investigating, I mostly mean begging for free cigars. And my work was rewarded! After harassing my co-workers for the umpteenth time, I was begrudgingly “gifted” two H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez Toros, and rushed back to my desk to find a cutter and a lighter. 

Which brings us to our review today. The 2017 release, H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez. 

This paragraph is for the cigar history buffs out there that like a bit of story behind their blend. If you just want to know how this thing tasted (spoiler alert: it’s pretty friggin’ good) feel free to skip to the next section. The H. Upmann brand has over 170 years of quality cigar production under their belts, originally as a Cuban-only brand, and then extending into an American-friendly Dominican made version as well. They’ve always been a “Cuban cigar brand” at heart, keeping the blends simple, the names traditional, and the packaging classic. Add AJ to the mix though, and we get the first Nicaraguan H. Upmann (that I can think of, at least), with a ton of updates — a stronger body, a more intense flavor profile, and a touch of contemporary color to the bands for those design nerds out there. 

Clipping the foot, the first few draws on this cigar were a little tight, but after about a half inch things evened out, and the H. Upmann by AJ delivered a razor-sharp burn and effortless draw the rest of the way through. While the body leans towards the fuller side of things, the flavor is balanced and right in the middle of the scale. The Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper brings out those typical Sumatra flavors with a nice light sweetness and some baking spices, complementing the slight spice and earthiness of the Nicaraguan long-fillers perfectly. The finish is long, but doesn’t overstay its welcome, wearing off right when I was ready to take another puff almost every time. 

In short, this is certainly a cigar I’d recommend. If you’ve never tried H. Upmann before, this AJ Fernandez made blend is probably one of the best H. Upmann cigars you can get. Pick yourself up a 5-pack, and you won’t regret it. Or, if you’re hesitant, do what I did — convince your friend to buy some, and then mooch a couple off of him! Either way, I’d put the H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez chiefly in the “win” column. 

Five generations is one helluva long lineage. And that’s exactly what the Plasencia family brings to the table. If you’re not familiar with the name, I’m almost positive you’ve enjoyed some of their cigars. Check out this résumé — Nestor Plasencia currently makes 5 Vegas Gold, Alec Bradley Black Market Esteli, Romeo 505 Nicaragua, and many, many more. So, back in 2017, Nestor decided it was finally time for the Plasencia name to become a household name and released a series of cigars, all starting with the Plasencia Alma Fuerte. 

It takes some real cojones to enter the market with a $22 blend. But the Plasencias believed in their product, and trusted that once people tried the Alma Fuerte cigar for themselves they’d be on board. 

Personally, I overlooked the brand for the first few months of its release (I prefer my cigars to land around the $5 mark), but after Alma Fuerte received a 93-rating and earned a spot in the Top 10 Cigars of 2017, I figured it was time to give it a shot. As luck would have it, myself and an equally wise and handsome group of cigar lovers were just down in Nicaragua and visited with the Plasencias. There, after insisting I embarrass myself by attempting to ride a horse for the first time in front of a crowd (it ended poorly), Nestor proudly handed us a box of the Alma Fuerte in the Sixto II Haxagon and Generacion V Salomon size. 

Initial impression? This cigar’s an A+. Not only does it look beautiful, but it retails for over a Jackson, and I got it for free. And as CI’s resident mooch, that’s most certainly appreciated.  

After a little wining and dining that evening, I retired to the patio to give this cigar the attention it deserves. Each size is an accomplishment on their own, with only the most skilled rollers capable of handling the unique vitolas. On top, the Alma Fuerte is wrapped in a reddish-hued Nicaraguan Jalapa wrapper, overtop Nicaraguan binder and filler.

On first light, I was not disappointed. This cigar starts rich from the get go, with notes of leather and soft spice combining in an enjoyably long finish. As the cigar progresses, hints of cocoa and black pepper join the mix, with the profile edging more towards medium to full-bodied, but never going all the way to the top of the scale. If I had to make a knock against the cigar, the burn was slightly wavy, but I’m really nitpicking at this point — I never once needed to relight or touch-up the cigar throughout the hour and a half of burn time. 

There’s some bells-and-whistles on this cigar in terms of packaging (the lid doubles as an ashtray), but all that stuff is just icing on the cake. Plasencia Alma Fuerte is a fantastic blend that you should shell up the cash for next time you have a special occassion. You won’t regret it. 

This holiday season brought many joys my way. The family finally accepted that I’d prefer a bottle of booze over new undies, my Grandmother gave me my annual jar of pickles, and on the work front, I was gifted a plethora of dynamite sticks (who ever said giving was better than receiving?). 

Take that last comment how you will, all I know is my humidor is now filled to the brim and raring for the New Year. And before 2018 even arrives, I dove into a cigar that I couldn’t wait to take for a test drive, the brand new limited edition Romeo y Julieta Reserve Rare 2006. As soon as you pick this sucker up, you can tell construction will not be an issue. It’s heavy in the hand and stuffed evenly with a mixture of Criollo ’98 and Honduran long-fillers. A gorgeous, peach-colored secondary band separates Rare Corojo 2006 from the original Reserve line, but the real difference lies in the true Corojo wrapper leaf cultivated back in, you guessed it, 2006. 

A quick cut and light reveal instant hints a bright fruity notes that dominate over subtle hints of cedar, sweetness, and a tinge of spice. This combination continued until about the halfway point, at which time that unique fruity note went into hiding, and was overtaken by sweet cedar and hints of cashew. This was also the point where I had to give props to Reserve Rare 2006’s spot-on construction. No touch-ups needed with a crisp, even burn going strong. 

Heading into the home stretch, you could say I was a bit disappointed. Not because the cigar was bad, but because that initial bright fruit notes were so captivating I demanded more. Luckily, it answered my calls, and with about 3 inches to go it returned with vengeance. Again dominating the flavor profile along with the entrance of a savory baked bread nuance that together carried me through the nub. 

I can’t claim to have smoked every cigar on the market in 2017, but with my job, I’ve smoked a damn good amount. Romeo y Julieta Rare 2006 sits proudly in my top 10 for the year, and I’m confident those without a donkey palate will agree. It yields a refreshing, unique flavor profile that leaves an enjoyable aftertaste on the palate and boasts a burn that you’d expect from the brand Winston Churchill preferred. Only problem is the limited supply, so if I were you, I’d use whatever cash left over from the holidays to snag a box before they disappear for good. 

After writing up my thoughts on Ave Maria, I got an email from a guy who was part of a customer trip to Nicaragua in September. I read his, then scrapped mine. He says it all:

"....the surprise highlight (by far): Ave Maria. Arriving in Esteli late I was jet-lagged and dragging the next morning. Come noon I was seven cigars deep and hadn't had lunch yet. So when his factory manager approached us with a new tray of Ave Maria cigars from the packing room, I just about puked. He had a serious look in his eye though, and ceremoniously announced in broken English that this was a "berry special proyect" he started two years prior that's finally set to be released. I politely accepted. The artwork/band was stunning and the wrapper looked like it came right off the pages of a magazine. I'd pick this one out of a lineup any day based on looks. So good was it that I lowered my expectations....can't tell you how many times I've been let down by cigars with great style points. I thought my taste buds would be fried but lit er up anyhow. It was the only one I burned down to my fingers that trip (and still wanted more!)....next morning after a good rest I made this the first of the day, to give it a fully unbiased review on a fresh palate. Boom. Wrapper: flawless. Construction: spot on. Flavor: rich, smooth, balanced, refined, complex....I'm at a loss for more adjectives. The thing that struck me most about it- it's the most complete cigar I can recall. If you want a knock-yer-head-off powerhouse, Ave Maria is not it...same token if you like mild, look elsewhere. Everywhere in between though, this one's masterful. The finest I can remember. I since downed 8 more over the next day and a half of the trip. Blown away. Ship me 2 boxes off your shipment as soon as they land."

Ave Maria has also received well-deserved praise from some highly respected folks in the cigar industry:

“This is a cigar you could easily pay $8 apiece for.”
- Nestor Plasencia

“It’s got a distinctive sweetness to it.”
- Pete Johnson (Tatuaje)

“This is definitely a premium cigar....well-balanced....this is a hit.”
- Doug Wood (La Perla Habana)

“I’m enjoying the heck out of it. I’ve already asked for a second cigar.”
- Carlos Diez (Puros Indios)

“Good burn, good draw, nice ash.”
- Nimish Desai (Rocky Patel)

“It does have a lot of depth as the flavor profile goes. It’s a fantastic cigar.”
- Kaizad Hansotia (Gurkha)

“I find it to be a cigar that has a wonderful strength. Because it’s not overpowering, but it’s not mellow.”
- Manuel Quesada (Fonseca)

“Packed full of tobacco....well-rolled.”
- Jerry Dear (Xikar)

“It has a lot of flavor....I’m very impressed with this cigar.”
- Rene Castenada (La Aurora)

“The taste of it is rich, it’s flavorful and I find it a beautiful cigar to smoke.”
- José Dominguez

"It's got a lot of complexity, it's very smooth....this is something I would smoke every day."
- Alan Rubin (Alec Bradley)