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

  Almost like a tired refrain from some political campaign; we hear over and over again cigars being compared to the Fuente Fuente Opus X. Is this vaunted blend truly worthy of such seemingly unqualified praise? Does the Opus X really represent a revolution in the philosophy and production of cigars? Are you, as a cigar enthusiast, missing something big if you’re not smoking Opus? Quite simply, the answer to all of these questions is an unequivocal YES!

  Accounts from our hallowed cigar lore relate that Carlos Fuente Jr, or Carlito as he is perhaps better known, was once inadvertently insulted by a well known cigar industry magnate. To paraphrase, Carlito was told that he merely assembled cigars, and that by implication, he was not a true cigar maker or grower of tobacco. Anyone who has heard Carlito speak on the subject must recognize the truly indomitable spirit he possesses. This idea that Tabacalera A. Fuente was somehow not producing important and innovative products would not stand for Carlito. As such, he undertook a project which was widely believed to be a suicide mission in cigar-making circles; to produce- from seed to cigar- a Dominican puro.

  Until the early nineties, when Carlito undertook his “Project X”, the common wisdom was that due to various characteristics of terrior and vicissitudes of climate; wrapper leaf could not be grown in the Dominican Republic. As we cigar aficionados well know, it takes a special plant to grow leaves suitable for the wrapper of a fine cigar. The leaf must be very large, finely veined, without blemishes, and strong enough to be wrapped around the filler and binder of the cigar without tearing or cracking. Carlito was determined to grow the first Dominican wrapper leaf and finally put an end to all of the nay-saying that surrounded his project. In 1995, the Fuente Fuente Opus X hit the market and caused quite a few well known cigarmen to eat their words. The first Dominican puro had arrived and much in the same way that Muhammad Ali forever changed the way we thought about boxing; no conversation about cigars could now ignore the Opus X.

  But the Opus X is more than just a visually stunning and amazingly delicious rosado wrapper. It is an achievement of cigar blending unparalleled at the time, and possibly never again to be equaled. The expert blending of five different tobaccos was in and of itself a pioneering feat. The fact that the types and proportions of tobacco used seemed to guarantee an uneven burn was another cause for speculation; but once again, the proof was in the proverbial pudding. The Opus X, in it’s entirety, is a masterpiece of the art of the cigar. It is a rich, sophisticated, visceral smoking experience that can forever change one’s perspective on cigars. The smoke is a veritable journey of flavor and aroma from spicey to smooth, creamy to tannic, and everywhere in between. It is the very definition of complexity.

  For those who have yet to experience this cigar, perhaps a brief expository narrative would not be out of order. Those of us who are familiar with Opus will enjoy a trip down memory lane.

  The first thing that strikes you is the silky rosado wrapper. Its soft cedary color almost shimmers with the rich, delicate oils of the leaf. A careful clip of the cap reveals an easy draw carrying with it alluring vegetal notes and a hint of sweetness. As the foot of the Opus is put to flame, an aroma rises into the air that is unmistakeably unique. It’s a sort of buttery curry-like scent that is not usually present in other Dominican cigars, and is only paralleled by those celebrated smokes from south of Miami. The first pull on the Opus brings an eye-opening blast of spice, bristling on the palate with peppery flavor. This spiciness is part of the identity of the Fuente Fuente Opus X, as it lasts well into the second third of the smoke. As the cigar progresses, development in complexity continues and accelerates at a tantalizing rate. At this point it becomes clear that the shear amount of flavors that present themselves is almost unprecedented by any cigar “foreign” or “domestic”. To pick out individual notes of flavor and aroma is now as effortless as recognizing familiar shapes in clouds. As the cigar winds down to the nub, the flavor remains consistently excellent with virtually no degradation or harshness. Your fingers having long since been burnt, the nub being impaled on the end of a toothpick for continued smoking; the Opus X finally gives up the ghost seconds away from singeing your mustache. You have just smoked one of the finest cigars ever to exist on this earth.

  So how is it, that such a unique cigar is so routinely compared and contrasted with so many other vitolas of a more run-of-the-mill pedigree? When is this comparison appropriate, when is it not? It could be said with a straight face that Lexus is the “Cadillac” of Toyotas but one could never be taken seriously to say that the Sonata is the so-called “Cadillac” of Hyundais- even though the analogy is logically sound. What this means is that there are certain criteria one must adhere to in making a comparison to Opus. Firstly, the cigar in question must exist in the same world as the Opus X. We’re talking about high quality, full-flavored, very strong smokes here. For this reason I, myself, have made the Opus comparison concerning the Oliva Serie V and the Tatuaje Cabinet (“brown label”) series. These cigars are of an exceedingly sumptuous make. The classic ligero spiciness must be present. The rosado wrapper of the Serie V is truly reminiscent of that of the Opus and its spicy character is unmistakable. The shear power of the Tatuaje Cabinet series provides a very similar, if less subtle, gut-check as the Fuente in question. These are the qualities we look for when making this often-times overblown comparison. That being said, it is entirely inappropriate to use the Opus comparison simply for marketing expediency or for lack of better descriptive terminology in praising a great cigar that might not bear any resemblance to the Opus X. How many times have we seen “Ready to give up your Opus?” as the header of a cigar vendor’s advert? First of all, no, I’m not ready to give up my Opus and secondly, your Flor de Whatever bundled stogies have no business sharing the same page as any mention of Carlito’s masterwork. This is truly one example of a cigar that in every way lives up to its hype.

  In short, the Fuente Fuente Opus X is the true cigar-lovers’ cigar. Our world of premium smokes is a different one in the era of the Opus than it ever had been before. New territory had been charted and while others have sought to fall into the footsteps of Carlito’s dream, other makes of Dominican puro have all but fallen by the wayside. For many, the CAO Vision -with all of the pomp and circumstance that surrounded its release- turned out to be little more than a disappointment; while the efforts of Litto Gomez produced some truly excellent cigars. The Opus X is one great example of how risks taken by those who are willing to lose everything can yield fabulous results. And that, my friends, is why Opus matters.

  You’re in luck my friend. Directly in your line of sight is CC&H Framing. Yes, a picture framing shop. But CC&H is much more. As you approach the very nicely decorated storefront you’ll notice an enticing display of hot sauces with a sign proclaiming “Pepper Pete’s Hot Shop”; and to the right, that most important of salutations, one which has given hope to many a road-weary traveler: “Fine Cigars“.

  Upon entering, you’ll see that CC&H quite clearly is a large and functioning frame shop of very serious proportions. However, unlike the last frame shop you were in- the one where your wife drained your wallet to frame a four foot by six foot print of a snowy-roofed log cabin by Thomas Kinkade (he’s the Painter of Light, you know)- this one has a walk-in humidor. Feel free to browse through the very nice selection in the walk-in; if you have any questions or would like a suggestion, owner Clark Anderson will be more than happy to help. CC&H carries a variety of high-quality hand-rolled cigars including the largest selection of boutique brand Perdomo that I have ever seen in person. Other notable hard-to-find smokes you’ll find in Clark’s shop include Oliva Serie V and Padilla 1968. You will not be able to walk out empty handed. I know I wasn’t.

  As part of the CigarsEveryday commitment to exploring and supporting Brick and Mortar cigar shops, I sat down with Clark Anderson to get a sense of the mission and history of CC&H. Clark has been in the framing business for a long time. The current location has been in operation since 2000, and before that Clark was serving the community from another Keene location. When asked how exactly it came to be that a frame shop has a walk-in humidor, Clark relates that he had always wanted to have a cigar shop, but as a good neighbor, he didn’t want to compete with the establishment that had been in Keene’s Colony Mill shopping center. When they closed-up two years ago, Clark was finally able to hang his “Fine Cigars” sign in the window.

  There will always be a need for a purveyor of fine cigars in a diverse and cultured community such as Keene, Clark was able to fill that niche. “We get customers from 18 to 95 years old. All types of people; blue collar and white collar,” says Clark, perfectly describing the wide range of demographics that are part of the cigar lifestyle. This is something you can plainly see when you attend one of CC&H’s cigar tasting events. People of all ages at all stages of life gathered around, happily puffing away; all brought together for the love of cigars (there’s usually a deal or two to be had at Clark’s events as well). I asked Clark how the New Hampshire indoor smoking ban has effected his business and I was surprised and heartened by his answer. “I haven’t noticed any drop in business, whatsoever,” said Clark with refreshing optimism. Here is an example of one Brick and Mortar cigar shop owner who isn’t going to be intimidated by anybody. CC&H is going to be around for a long time. Plans for next year’s cigar tasting events are already in the works. I, for one, can’t wait.

  If you’re ever in the area, drop by and pay Clark a visit. You’ll probably catch him right outside the doors of CC&H Framing, cigar in hand, chatting with the wonderful people of Keene. I dare you to come out of there without at least a fiver and a bottle of hot sauce. Sounds like a good way to spend a night if you ask me.

CC&H Framing
41 Central Square
Keene  NH 03431
603-352-3777

  Enlisting the help of all-around number crunching guru, man of science, author, and creator of debtsmart.com Scott Bilker, BSEE, I sought to determine once and for all the answer to this persistent question…through the work of others. Scott answers as follows.

1. Let’s assume that a cigar is a perfect cylinder.
2. Surface Area: SA = 2 * pi * r * h (excluding the surface area of the circular ends since one end is lit and the other is cut), where r is the radius and h is the height.
3. Volume: V = pi * r^2 * h (pi r squared h).
4. Question: People say that the thinner the cigar is, the more outside surface area (wrapper) there is in comparison to inside volume (filler).Math translation: Does the ratio of surface area to volume of a cylinder increase or decrease if the radius decreases?
5. Ratio: SA / V = 2 * pi * r * h / pi * r^2 * h this reduces to…
6. Ratio: SA / V = 2 / r
7. As r approaches 0, 2/r approaches infinity.
8. Therefore, it is true that the thinner the cigar, the more wrapper there is in comparison to the volume.

  Hell, I’m convinced. Now I won’t have to suffer through countless hours of hands on research. Of course, I would say such an outrageous thing only in jest. Scott’s geometrically intriguing answer has only piqued my curiosity. In part one of an ongoing series, we’ll compare a Lancero of a particular blend to a more conventional size of the same. First up, the Oliva Serie V. This cigar is one of the best “new” cigars of recent years. A truly complex, flavorful, bold, beautifully constructed masterpeice of a cigar. The “poor man’s Opus”, really. The spiciness and power of the Serie V are rivaled by no comparably priced cigar. The excellence of this cigar is nearly undisputed; but let’s see how the Lancero stacks up against a more familiar size. At 5×54, the Serie V Double Robusto should give us firm footing from which to view the Lancero phenomenon in the clear light of day.