Tasting notes
Nose: Wrapper aroma leans coffee and cocoa. Foot aroma brings spicy pepper. Cold draw is sweet with cocoa and coffee.
Palate: First third: cocoa and coffee. Second third: wood and leather. Final third: earthy and grounded.
Finish: Earthy lingering notes with a medium aftertaste. No retrohale on this one.
Pairing
Peaty Scotch pairing: Lagavulin 16 or Port Charlotte. Best in the evening when you can slow down.
Final verdict
Medium strength/medium body Oliva Serie V Melanio (Natural) Robusto with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and fillers. Heavy smoke output and a razor-straight burn, but the draw was a bit loose and the wrapper unraveled on the first ~1/5 after lighting—so construction lands at 7/10. At about $11, it’s a premium stick that really clicks alongside smoky, peaty Scotch.