2009 Oliva Serie V Liga Especial Belicoso

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Another cigar brought to you by Bruce aka @Ljutic


Specifications:
Year of Manufacture/Box Codes: 2009

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Wrapper Color: Colorado Maduro

Wrapper type: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Binder: Nicaraguan

Vitola: Belicoso (5x54)

Manufacturer: Tabacalera Oliva S.A.

Factory: Nicaragua

Humidimeter Reading: 63% (+/-2%)


Environment:

Temperature: 63 degrees

Humidity: 30%

Wind: 5mph

Setting:
My favorite spot in the smoke shack staring at the beautiful green mountains.

Paired with:
Iced coffee

Ranked by Cigar Aficionado as #5 of the top 25 cigars of 2009, with a score of 93.

Described as “The Serie V Liga Especial Belicoso features superb construction, powerful, full-bodied flavors of meat and nuts and a balancing sweetness.”

I will continue to try to always include an exact or as close as possible, magazine or dedicated online reviewers like Halfwheel and such review, just to try and better gauge exactly what simply age alone has effected the cigar.

Also made a change to my real time review form by eliminating a section that was really better being incorporated into a couple other existing sections and distributed its max points to other sections that I believe most smokers would consider the most important when it comes to a cigar.

Ok, so lets see what 13 years has done to the exact same vitola and year, with the only difference being aged vs fresh.

Had a perfectly even burn and perfect draw. Ash was strong and mottled white, and coal was nice and flat. Also had no cracking, peeling, etc

Smoke volume was excellent and aroma was faint, but fragrant if retrohaled, with a burning wood and very light floral aroma.

Was of ample richness, mild-medium strength, generous body and perfectly balanced, generous flavors of herbal, woody and floral taste.

Finish was also generous, and of earthy, woody, mineral and some bitterness.

This is where it lost the most points of any section, due to the mineral and especially bitter finish/aftertaste.

Overall, of great character and great in general with a final score of 92 out of 100.

Just as a note, I tasted none of the things in CA’s review, due to age or my different palate, but the scores came out only one point difference.


I friggin love cigars