Oliva Cigars

History of Oliva Cigars

The brand’s roots stretch back to 1886. At the time, Melanio Oliva worked in Cuba’s Pinar del Rio, one of the main regions that played a major role in the country’s cigar scene. His grandson, Gilberto Oliva, inherited the family farm until the Cuban revolution swept across the island forcing him into exile. He eventually roamed Mexico, Panama, and even the Philippines in search of a new home for their cigar operations. He found it in Nicaragua. The volcanic valleys of Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa held a similar mineral bite and soil richness from their homeland. He would return to Nicaragua in 1995, poised to capitalize on the fertile volcanic soils and the explosion of popularity premium cigars were enjoying during the 1990s.

It was around this time that Gilberto Oliva linked up with the famous Plasencia family. Out of the Plasencia’s prestigious Honduran factory, Oliva Cigars released its first ever blend in 1995. However, Oliva Cigars would not have its first big break until after the cigar boom, surviving off its extensive inventory of aged tobaccos.

An Award-Winning Cigar Brand

Today, the Oliva Cigar Company is one of the largest growers of Cuban-seed tobacco in Nicaragua. Their name is stitched with the legacy of their old-world Cuban roots and a massively popular portfolio of Nicaraguan crafted cigars. The family owns their own farms. They monitor fermentation in their own warehouses. They employ skilled rollers at Tabolisa factory. This extensive level of control has helped them win international acclaim. When the Series V Melanio Torpedo earned Cigar Aficionado’s Cigar of the Year in 2014 with a 96 rating, it propelled Oliva to become one of the most respected brands in the market.

Popular Oliva Cigar Lines

Oliva Cigars features a wide variety of incredibly crafted cigars for just about every mood and budget-conscious buyer. From the top shelf award-winning options to the everyday products, Oliva continues to be the go-to for many cigar enthusiasts.

Serie V Melanio

For many, the Serie V Melanio is the star of the show. Dressed in an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Melanio became the pinnacle of achievement for the brand. Its incredibly sturdy Nicaraguan binder and premium Jalapa Valley Ligero fillers deliver an experience that’ll make you notice it’s no ordinary cigar. Rich, layered, and balanced with notes of coffee, leather, caramel, and wood, this 96 rated Cigar of the Year will hook you like nothing else.

Serie V

If Melanio is the brand’s golden child, Serie V is the runner up. If you try this beauty even once, prepare more space in your humidor. These could easily land in your top five of all time. Rolled with a sun-grown Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Jalapa Valley Ligero fillers, it’s classic Oliva cigar if there ever was one. The dependable medium-to-full-bodied strength, savory profile, balanced complexity, and “got-to-smoke-it-to-believe-it” kind of experience, make this an easy recommendation.

Serie O

Oliva Cigars’ popularity increased with the introduction of the Serie O, now a staple in humidors across the country. This everyday option showcases the brand’s Nicaraguan magic. It’s a Habano puro, crafted with seed grown in Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa. The Sun-Grown Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan Habano binder, and Nicaraguan Habano filler delivers an incredible medium-bodied experience. The flavor waves of dark chocolate, black pepper, leather, and creamy coffee are complemented by an almost picture-perfect draw, amazing flavor output, and an experience that’ll leave you wanting more. Perfect for anyone who wants reliability day in and day out.

Serie G

The star of the show here is the authentic African Cameroon wrapper. It tops a Nicaraguan binder, and Nicaraguan filler. The balanced and flavorful cedar and coffee swing back and forth throughout this always exciting smoking medium-bodied experience. Like the Serie O before it, it’s also the perfect everyday option.

Master Blends 3

In 2003, Oliva would show off its chops with Oliva Master Blends 3. At the time, most of Oliva Cigars’ business was through affordable bundles like Flor de Oliva, but Oliva Master Blends 3 proved that it could create top-shelf, premium cigars brimming with flavor. Master Blends 3 is still an exceptionally popular choice with seasoned aficionados to this day. It’s one you’d keep in your “private stash” for a rainy day. This line perfectly highlighted the cherry-picked tobacco from the company’s reserves. It wears a Broadleaf Sungrown wrapper, Nicaraguan Habano, and Nicaraguan Ligero. Grab one of the brand’s most popular cigars.

Oliva Connecticut Reserve

Smooth, creamy, and wrapped in a lovely Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. Together with the Nicaraguan binder and filler core, it delivers a rich and savory mellow to medium-bodied experience. This is perfect for new smokers or anyone chasing an easier landing.

More Popular Options

Oliva Cigars is also the home of the innovative NUB brand. All the cigars in the NUB line are hand crafted in short, big-ring sizes designed to get to the “sweet spot” of a cigar at the very first puff. On the flip side, you can count on the bold blends in Oliva Cigars’ Cain Series to also deliver tons of flavor.

If you still don’t know where to start, we put together a Oliva Cigar buying guide to help you decide.

The right drink or pairing can pull hidden notes from your cigar to the surface, soften the edges, or give your smoke a little more punch.

• Connecticut Reserve: Pair with a cappuccino, your morning coffee, an IPA, or a soda.
• Serie O: A brandy, scotch, bourbon, or martini is the perfect match for this one.
• Serie G: Aged rum, port wine, or even dark chocolate give this workhorse an exciting layer of fun.
• Serie V: Whiskey, wine, or coffee reveals the rich complexity of this amazing cigar.
• Serie V Melanio: Single malt scotch, wine, whiskey, coffee, tequila, highlight the layers found in this award-winning beauty.

The Oliva Cigar Company built its reputation the long way, through consistency, incredible craftsmanship, and crafting fantastic cigars exactly the way smokers want them. You want an award-winning cigar, something for your weekends, or something that won’t drain your budget? Oliva has something for you.

Stock your humidor today with Oliva cigars for sale at JR Cigars. You’ll find every Olvia cigar box packed with top-quality vitolas, no matter which one you pick up. Save more when you order from JR Cigars.