In part one of our series exploring the lancero phenomenon, we’ll take a close look at the similarities and differences between the Oliva Serie V Lancero and it’s Double Robusto counterpart. These cigars are a great example of some of the truly excellent leaf coming out of Nicaragua. The heart and soul of the Serie V is the Jalapa Valley Ligero used in its filler. This powerful leaf provides the Opus-like spiciness and rich, bold, flavor that has made the Serie V so well-regarded. The wrapper is a Sun-grown Habano- again, reminiscent of the Opus X in it’s beautiful rosado tone. Maybe that wrapper will truly have a chance to shine within the context of a lancero. We’ll find out. Being very familiar with the flavor profile of the conventionally sized Serie V line, I nevertheless decided to ground this experiment with a control. Up first in our comparison would be the Double Robusto.
Appearance: The 5×54 Double Robusto’s wrapper was flawless in its dark rosado color and finely veined ultra-smooth texture. A little bird told me to watch out for a special release of Serie V Maduro this fall. The present cigar’s dark wrapper makes me wonder how dark, indeed, the Maduro will be. The masterfully executed triple cap on this Double Robusto is perhaps one of the few visually-observable things that you can rely on to reveal true quality in a cigar. All in all, a great looking cigar.
Pre-light Draw: Strong notes of Earl Gray tea and some mild almond flavors persisted in the easy but firm draw.
First Third: The first few puffs of a Serie V are guaranteed to impart some significant spice onto the smoker’s palate. That Ligero spiciness was very apparent in this fairly thick cigar. Quickly, however, the flavors begin to soften and grow more complex. Some very unambiguous coffee flavors began to show themselves not-to-far into this first part of the smoke.
Second Third: As the Double Robusto began to open up, the coffee flavors developed and were augmented in intensity. The solid Ligero “background power” provided a rich base from which some dark, French Roast character emerged. Mildly leathery notes were also present and all the while thick creamy smoke and a perfect burn proved a very well constructed cigar.
Final Third: Toward the end of the cigar the individual coffee flavors began to take a back seat to a culmination of leathery tobacco flavors. As the overall temperature of the smoke increased so did the power. Strong finish.
Overall Impression: The Serie V never disappoints and this one certainly was no exception. Quite a bit of power subtly wrapped in assertive flavors made this cigar a really memorable smoke. Excellent flavor and flawless construction. Go get one.
Having smoked nearly every size of Serie V I feel confident in saying the Double Robusto is an excellent representative sample. Next we’ll see exactly how the Lancero stacks up. Would all of the notes and characteristics that make this cigar what it is be able to show themselves in the smaller scale of a 38 ring gauge? Would some heretofore obscured yet delightful trait of that beautiful wrapper have a chance to be “king of the hill” over a diminished Ligero profile? We’ll see.
Appearance: The Sun-grown Jalapa Valley wrapper of the Lancero was equally as smooth and attractive as that of the Double Robusto, but was significantly lighter in color. Still showing that warm rosado glow, was the lancero specifically intended to have a lighter wrapper than the other sizes? Was that part of some lancerologic master plan to bring out a unique characteristic? Hard to say. Someone out there knows.
Pre-light Draw: Notes of Earl Gray and almonds similar to the Double Robusto.
First Third: The beginning puffs of the Lancero revealed a much less ligero dominated cigar. While the filler remains the same, of course, as the other sizes; the reduction in volume must account for the less spice-dominated opening notes.
Second Third: This middle portion of the cigar saw a defined increase in strength. That ligero monster did, after all, show its face. The strong dark-roast coffee flavors of the Double Robusto became smooth, velvety café laté. It seems that the lancero was showing me restrained power yet refined flavor. Meanwhile, notes of Earl Gray tea swirled in the background.
Final Third: A similar effect as seen in the Double Robusto was manifested near the end of the Lancero. All of the seemingly separated flavors melded into a unified whole of bold tobacco flavor. The strength continued to increase along with the greater temperature of the smoke. Again, the finish of the Serie V goes on and on. Great cigar.
Overall Impression: The Lancero was certainly recognizable as having the Serie V profile. A modicum of spiciness, coffee-influenced flavors, and impeccable construction, placed this particular V right at home with it’s more conventional brethren. This is an excellent introduction to lanceros. Find them, buy them, smoke them.
After all of the hard work, the hours of backbreaking labor, the unrelenting iron grip of scientific rigor; what exactly have we learned about the lancero phenomenon? Well, it is certainly believable that the wrapper leaf of the Lancero took a more prominent role in our experiment. However, the difference was attributable mainly to a reduction of “in your face” power and a mellowing of known flavors. Was this the true nature of the wrapper seeing the light of day? Or was it merely a direct result of the Lancero having less filler? Like any good scientific investigation, each answer only spawns more questions. As painful as it may be; the only solution is to smoke more lanceros and compare them to their shorter, fatter counterparts. It’s not going to be pretty, but our integrity requires that we act. Keep a lookout for the second part of this ongoing series. More cigars, more questions, more answers. Rinse and repeat.
-AnejoMofo
