Gilberto Oliva Reserva Churchill (7x50 / Box 20)

Gilberto Oliva Reserva Churchill (7x50 / Box 20)

Over the past 20 years, Oliva has emerged as one of the finest cigars makers in Nicaragua. Their humble beginnings went from producing inexpensive bundled cigars to year after year landing high ratings and well-deserved spots on many Top 25 lists. Gilberto Oliva was a man who greatly influenced the transformation of this company into outstanding tobacco growers and cigar makers. This new blend, Gilberto Oliva Reserva, honors that patriarch with their first release since 2012. This cigar has been highly anticipated by the true enthusiasts, and after my first taste, it is just as impressive as you may have hoped.

Gilberto Oliva Reserva comes wrapped in a dark Indonesian Sumatra wrapper – a real pleaser if you ask me. The wrapper itself normally produces a mellower profile, but paired up with an Ecuadorian binder and rich Nicaraguan long-fillers you can expect a zesty medium-bodied cigar with smooth notes of earth, leather, and spice. I normally avoid the hype behind new releases to give every cigar the same chance, but this is one you cannot deny, it’s every bit as good as the hype behind it.  

Gilberto Oliva Reserva has received two 90-ratings, and was named a "Best Buy" by Cigar Insider. The reviewers noted, "shows notes of oak, earthy, and spicy gingersnap cookie before a rich, chocolatey finish."