Cigar Review – Oliva Master Blends 3

Wrapper: Ecudorian Sun-Grown Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero
Made In: Nicaraguan
Size: 5×54 Dbl Robusto
Price: $42.99 per 5 pack, $152.99 per box of 20 from TexCigars.com

This Cigar Review is sponsored by:

From the Oliva Cigars website
Oliva Master Blends 3 is the third offering in a series of limited artisanal blends. Liga Maestra is specifically blended to deliver the richest characteristics of Nicaraguan ligero fillers and Broadleaf sun-grown wrappers. It is a complex cigar crafted for the most developed palette.

Appearance & Construction: The Oliva Master Blends 3 is a gorgeous looking cigar that has a slight box press to it. The wrapper on the Master Blends 3 is a darker brown color with virtually no veins to it. The cap looks a little messy on one of the samples but overall the construction looks good.

Smoking Characteristics: The Oliva Master Blends 3 has a nice even draw and produces a ton of smoke. The burn is pretty bad and required some serious touch up work but the ash is nice and solid.

Flavor: The Master Blend 3 starts out with some rich cocoa notes along with some earth, coffee and nuts. The cigar is very smooth and is balanced very nicely. As the second third begins some caramel notes start to emerge which is very pleasant. The final third of the Oliva Master Blend 3 is much of the same but with more intensity and body. The body of the Oliva Master Blend 3 is medium to full, while the strength is average.

Final Thoughts: When all is said and done I think the Oliva Master Blends 3 is a great cigar. The cigar is rather complex and is balanced extremely well. The price can be somewhat prohibitive for some cigar enthusiast but this is one of those cigars that you must have in your humidor at all times. On another thought I wish Oliva would come out with more artisanal blends. The Serie O, Serie G, Serie V are all great everyday cigars that I smoke on a regular basis but they did such a great job with this cigar, I would just like to see more, especially if they taste like the Master Blend 3.