Oliva Serie V Torpedo

 Last weekend I wanted to pick up a torpedo, as I have not smoked many of these shaped cigars.  My choice was the Oliva Serie V.

Size: 6 x 56
Shape: Torpedo
Wrapper: Nicaragua Habano Sun Grown

Filler: Nicaragua Jalapa Valley Ligero

Binder: Nicaragua

Strength: Medium to Full

Price: $6.25 retail


This is a beautiful cigar.  It has a nice sheen to the wrapper, and has no noticeable imperfections.  The cigar takes a sharp cut, and the foot toasts evenly and quickly with little effort.  At this point, I take the first draw, and notice that it is very tight.  This appears as though it is going to be a difficult smoke.  There are no overly hard spots on the cigar, which leads me to believe that it is just very tightly rolled rather than plugged.  Even with the tight draw, the cigar produces large amounts of smoke and a tight gray ash.


The first 3rd of the smoke is a blend of developing flavors.  Coffee and leather dominate, with a creamy sweetness on the edge.  There is no pepper noticed in the smoke at all, a trait that carries through the entire stick.  These flavors build further in the second 3rd, developing some additional flavors of chocolate, and a bit of peat on the finish.  The cigar through the second 3rd is a solid medium strength, and the flavors are full.

The final 3rd goes nicely, with the flavors remaining consistent from the second 3rd.  My initial thought was that the cigar would take about and hour to smoke, but to my surprise the end did not arrive until a full 90 minutes had been completed.  The burn on the cigar is razor sharp throughout requiring no touch ups.  The cigar produces a fragrant aroma, adding nicely to the entire experience.  The cigar feels great in your hand from beginning to end, having a good heft to it.  This is a nice cigar that can be found at a reasonable price point in any B&M.

Let's Talk About Cigar Size

I was asked the question a few weeks ago on Ward B at Cigar World "what size cigar do you prefer?" A valid question, but before I could truly answer the question I had to figure out what cigar sizes existed.

Surprisingly there are many different cigar sizes. First, the basics: A cigar is measured by the length, often in inches, and by the ring gauge which is a measurement of how many 64ths of an inch the cigar measures in it's diameter. For example, the Punch Gran Cru is a 5 1/4 x 50, meaning it is 5 1/4 inches long and 50/64 inches in diameter.

Roughly, cigar sizes range as follows:

-Half Corona: 4 1/4 x 42
-Rothschild: 4 1/2 x 50
-Robusto: 5 x 50
-Corona: 5 1/2 x 42
-Toro: 6 x 50
-Torpedo: 6 1/4 x 52
-Lonsdale: 6 1/2 x 44
-Churchill: 7 x 48
-Double Corona: 7 1/2 x 54
-President: 8 1/2 x 52

Please remember that this list is very basic and not all inclusive. There are numerous custom sizes for individual cigar producers, and there is also some variance around the measurements listed above (for example, a Brick House Churchill measures 7 1/4 x 50, and a Rocky Patel 1990 Vintage Churchill measures 7 x 48, while a Padron Maduro Churchill comes in at 6 x 46). One must remember that this is the Cigar Amateur, and therefore we are only aiming to approach proficiency, not to define the complete boundaries of the cigar world.

As you venture through the numerous offerings of the cigar world, try different sizes to find what you like. Understand the time needed for each individual size, and allow yourself that time to enjoy the smoke. If you do not, it is not fair to you or the stick.