Oliva Cain Maduro 654T (6x54)

This cigar hit the market last year with much fanfare and became a huge sensation amongst just about every full bodied cigar enthusiast I know, with the exception of me. After an entire year of debating the merits of this smoke with just about every fellow BOTL, I decided that I could have been wrong about the cigar when I smoked nearly a half box of pain last year so I got this one from a friend and decided to give the Cain another chance.

The smoke is visually stunning, with an oily dark brown (nearly black wrapper) and this torpedo vitola is well made and has nary a flaw. A pre light inspection yields some tight spots that might cause some draw issues, but I am not overly concerned at this point. The pre light aroma is heady and smacks of tobacco and rich, dark wood. The pre light draw is a harbinger of things to come, showing a chemical and mineral note that is not pleasing.

The cigar opens with a profoundly horrendous mix of flavors that almost make me leave the smoke and reach for something else. There are flavors of minerals and chemicals that I could only liken to zinc and burning kerosene. At the back of the palate there are some notes of tobacco, but the overwhelming chemical essence from the front of the palate hurts the impression. Sadly, the draw is nearly perfect, imparting bilious mouthfuls of putrescence with each merciless puff. The burn is likewise excellent with a razor sharp presentation.

The first third of the smoke is unfortunately as bad as the opening moments. The chemical and mineral flavors intensify and nearly scorch the palate with acidic blasts, apparently this is what they mean by full bodied and strong, I could not disagree more. Brands like La Flor, Joya and Don Pepin are some of the strongest cigars on the market and they manage to incorporate nuance, balance and complexity in almost every offering. This is neither balanced or complex and is an insult to my palate at this point. The draw and burn stay consistent.

The middle third of the cigar finally settles down a bit. The core profile shows some notes of coffee and rich tobacco, but there are still undertones of minerals and the chemical fuel taste has not dissipated fully either. At the back of the palate there are some wisps of dark wood and pepper, but they are fleeting in the back drop of mineral heaviness. The draw and burn remain the same.

The final third of the cigar normalizes further, but it is too late to be redeemed at this point. The profile shows some nice coffee and tobacco notes, but still lacks nuance and balance. At the back of the palate the peppery notes are materializing into something more substantial, but are still not enough. The draw and burn stay strong throughout.

The finish is short and tannic with a mineral tone that lingers like sucking on a penny.

Appearance- 92 a very attractive smoke
Taste- 76 very poor showing and I could have scored it worse if not for the closing third of the smoke
Construction- 94 nearly issue free, the highlight of this smoke
Strength- 77 a very in your face full that does not compliment the palate well
Overall- 84.75 most decidedly saved by construction, I would not ever smoke this again!

Oliva Cain Toro

This is a new offering from Oliva. The cigar is an attrative looking smoke with a dark brown wrapper. The wrapper has some minor flaws and I have to repair a seam at the cap. The cigar is firm and I do not detect any plugs or hard areas. The pre light aroma is of rich tobacco and earth. The pre light draw is a blast of nicotine and rich tobacco notes.

This is an absolute powerhouse from the beginning. The cigar has a blast of deep rich tobacco and my mouth is tingling from the nicotine that is present. The burn is solid and the ash is firm. The cigar remains constant to the halfway point.

At the halfway point the cigar powers up. This is the strongest cigar I have ever smoked. The deep rich tobacco flavor has a light sweetness that has crept in, but the nicotine is literally numbing my mouth. The burn is consistant and the draw is flawless.

The final half of this cigar is all strength, and the smoke continues to get stronger and stronger. The flavor is of rich tobacco, but the nicotine is overwhelming the flavor profile. The draw and burn stay very strong and the cigar holds up well.

The finish is overpowering with notes of nicotine and my palate is exhausted and burned out from the effort.

Appearance- 88 some flaws hurt the score
Taste-82 due to the strength the cigar lacks depth and complexity
Construction- 91 this cigar performs well in both burn and draw
Strength- 78 this is the strongest cigar I have ever smoked, but it is detrimental to the smoke
Overall- 84.75 not for the feint of heart and for ultra full bodied enthusiats only