Check out the latest installment of Mike_Everyday’s tireless search for the perfect Dog Walker. Do us a favor and get in there with some comments.

  It’s no secret to our readers that I am a huge fan of the Oliva Serie V; so when I heard through nefarious sources that there would be a special release of these beauties with a maduro wrapper, I was understandably elated. Through clandestine and arcane means, my emissaries in the Brick and Mortar world delivered to me a box of my quarry with all the haste of the hounds of hell. Ecstatic and drunk with unbridled avarice, I tore into the first of these like a dessicated desert animal at an oasis. So, were they any good? You bet your sweet ass, son.

Appearance:The maduro incarnation of the Serie V is noticeably darker, but is more in keeping with the Padron natural-vs-maduro philosophy in it’s difference from the regular line. A satiny sheen on the still-rosado wrapper bore witness to increased oils brought forth by careful fermentation. In a word: beautiful.

Pre-light Draw: Earl gray tea notes that seem to indicate stronger tobacco were in evidence, carried as they were by the perfect draw of my 40 ring-gauge cut.

First Third:All of the spice of the original release Serie V was present in spades during the first puffs of this cigar. Some soft coffee flavors swirled at the periphery of this piquancy. The thick body of the smoke carried with it sea-salt nuances as a testament to the mineral richness of the soil in which this fine leaf was grown. Gentle notes of anise persisted on the finish.

Second Third: A leathery character began to develop in this middle portion, punctuated by a mildly bitter hazelnut quality. The nearly ineffable “warm” flavor that I so enjoy but struggle to describe carried me into the final stages of the cigar.

Final Third: Universally desired, but seldom seen; the ending puffs of the Serie V Maduro brought together all of the previous flavors in a curtain-call of epicurean proportions. This particular victim died slowly, impaled on the torch-bleeder of my Xikar MTX. Nub-o-licious.

Overall Impression: More than the sum of its parts, the Oliva Serie V Maduro Torpedo is a rare example of an improvement on a classic. Years of shade-tree mechanic-ism have taught me that if it ain’t broke, don’t break it; but here the Oliva family has joined the ranks of millions who have at one time or another, proved me wrong. Carefully cultivated and brilliantly constructed, the maduro revamp of the Serie V is a hands-down winner. Time to call in a favor and get a hold of some.

-Anejomofo

  To catch everyone up, our goal is to find a good dog walker cigar. We’re looking for a low priced—quality cigar that can be and will be enjoyed while taking the dog for a walk at night.

Oliva Nub 464 Habano

  A truly unique cigar, Nub is the brainchild of Sam Leccia, a former Oliva sales rep, and Jose Oliva. The theory behind the Nub is that the “sweet spot” on a cigar is somewhere between 3.5 – 4 inches. So with that in mind, they experimented with hundreds of different sizes in that range and came up with a short, thick cigar that contains as much tobacco as anything you’re used to, and will probably smoke just as long. The 464 Habano is a Nicaraguan puro at 4″ long with a 64 ring gauge and a torpedo shape.
Official Nub Habano page

Oliva Nub 466 Cameroon

  Another Oliva Nub, but featuring the Cameroon wrapper this time. Arguably the Nub’s inclusion could contrast some of the search criteria, but I needed an excuse to really try these cigars out. Also, I view the Nub as the highpoint of these comparisons and it will serve as a good benchmark for the rest of the cigars. The 466 is a 4″ long 66 ring gauge box pressed torpedo with a Nicaraguan filler and binder beautifully wrapped in Cameroon tobacco leaf.
Official Nub Cameroon page

Cupido Criollo Revolucion

  Allegedly the “Best Cigars in the World”, the Cupido Criollo Revolucion is a box pressed 5 x 50 Nicaraguan puro from Cuban Crafters. This cigar came to me recommended by a friend as he would use this as his “friendly give-away” at parties.
Official Cupido page

Oliva Serie G 4.5 x 50

  Recognized as one of Cigar Aficianado’s best cigars for 2006, the Serie G is yet another well received cigars from Oliva. Featuring both a Nicaraguan filler and binder with an African Cameroon wrapper. I would often overlook this series in favor of the bigger named (and bigger priced) Serie O and Serie V relatives, but I think this habit might be proven to be a long standing error on my part. I’m not saying the Serie G will replace his bigger name brothers, but why not buy an O and G or a V and G together.
Official Oliva Serie G page

Flor De Oliva Gold

  Started in 1996, the Flor De Oliva line is another cigar from the Oliva family. This cigar features Nicaraguan filler with a “golden” Connecticut seed wrapper. This came to me as a second-hand recommendation. This low-priced often bundled cigar boasts premium quality at discount prices (summarized marketing speech from most internet retailers). Lets hope the tales are true, because at these prices I could smoke these for a month for the same price as one tank of gas.

Punch Double Maduro Rothschild

  A beautiful smoke at a phenomenal price, the Punch Double Maduro Rothschild is 4.5″ long and has a 50 ring gauge. As the name describes the Double Maduro Rothschild has a beautiful Honduran maduro wrapper with fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras. This cigar comes into the “dog walker” experiment with a leg up on the competition, no pun intended. This is already the standard and expected cigar for any dog walking activities while the Cigars Everyday group is together. Can’t wait for an excuse to smoke another one.

  So these are the contenders and I must say I have a big task ahead of me. It is my privilege, no my responsibility to smoke as many of each of these cigars as I can. This is an Oliva heavy list of cigars, but with the Cupido, a boutique brand, and the Punch, an old standard, I think this should prove to be an interesting project. Now excuse me, I should take the dog out.

  Not too often will we stray so far off topic, but the first Tuesday of November is an important day in America. I don’t care what party you’re affiliated with, which of the candidates you’re going to vote for or how much you’re sick of hearing about it. Go Vote. The US Government was intended to be a participatory government and election day is everyone’s chance. Even if the Presidential race doesn’t matter to you, there are Senate races, House races and other state and local issues that you can weigh in on. So put down your manwich and go vote. While you’re out you might as well stop by your local B&M and pick up a cigar. Keep it topical and light up a CAO America, or just get one of your favorite go-to smokes.