As the first official smoke of the dog walker cigars we’re taking a look at the Flor de Oliva Gold. This cigar in particular is a Robusto with a length of 5″ and 50 ring gauge with an Ecuadorian grown Connecticut Shade wrapper. Flor de Oliva is a “bargain” line of cigars from the Oliva family, based out of Nicaragua, and are often seen available online and in B&M’s in bundles. Now on to the cigar.

Appearance: Beautifully wrapped in a light Connecticut Shade leaf. The cigar had a slight sheen at some angles and was smooth and dry to the touch. Also this cigar is well constructed with a nice firmness when squeezed.

Pre-light Draw: Before the draw itself, I noticed the candied aroma of the wrapper. The initial fire-less pulls on the cigar yielded a slight hint of tea with some spice potential. The draw itself was a little tighter than I would have liked, but still within the acceptable range of enjoyment.

First Third: The initial flavor of this cigar is almost not present. The hinted tastes from the PLD were gone and impact on the palette was at a low minimum. Although the flavor seemed lacking, the incredibly even burn picked up the slack. Throughout the first third of the cigar I only needed one touch-up from my lighter.

Second Third: I would have to say the second third of the cigar is merely a continuation of the first third. A very light, possibly lite, smoking experience. The only flavors available at this point are a mild earthy taste and possibly a slight creamy finish. The nice even burn kept up through this part of the cigar with no additional touch-ups required.

Final Third: The final third of this cigar saw a little more development on the earthy flavor and creamy finish with the addition of a mild spice near the very end of the cigar. A continuation of the perfect burn lasted until the very end of the cigar.

Overall Impression: The Flor de Oliva Gold doesn’t share the full flavored high pedestals of other Oliva name brands, but it was still an enjoyable cigar in its own right. The absolutely perfect burn on the cigar could very well be the saving grace of the experience. At ~$3 a stick (individually, closer to $2 when bundled) this cigar is a good bargain smoke for fans of mild flavor or for anyone else that wants a thrifty smoke while enjoying other activities.

–Mike Everyday