Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado Review

The Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado arrives as one of the most-celebrated cigars in modern American premium. The Sumatra wrapper is a warm reddish-brown with a slight oily sheen. The Figurado shape, narrow at both ends and fattest at the middle, is unmistakable. The construction is dense and uniformly packed.

The cap is precisely applied with the tapered figurado point. The Serie V Melanio band, distinctive with its gold-and-cream graphics, marks this as Oliva's flagship offering. Cigar Aficionado named the Serie V Melanio Figurado the #1 cigar of 2014 (96 points), and the blend has remained remarkably consistent in the decade since.

The cold draw pulls at moderate resistance. Pre-light flavors are concentrated: cedar, dried fruit, faint coffee, light pepper. The aroma at the foot is dense, sweet earth, refined cedar, espresso bean.

The first third opens at solid medium-full body. Within two draws, refined cedar, balanced pepper, dark coffee, and a thin leather note settle in. The Sumatra wrapper drives the cigar with the refined Cuban-influenced character that has defined Oliva Serie V since the line's launch.

The smoke output is dense and creamy. The Figurado shape produces a continuously-changing smoking experience as the cigar burns from the narrow foot toward the wider middle. The burn line is razor-sharp. The ash holds firmly with tight gray banding.

The retrohale is the Serie V Melanio defining moment. Sweet cedar wraps around refined pepper and resolves into espresso and dried fruit. The retrohale rivals premium cigars priced significantly higher.

For comparable Cigar of the Year-level cigars in the same approximate flavor zone, see the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo (CA #1 2015) and La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull (CA #1 2016).

The second third is where the Figurado's distinctive shape pays off. As the cigar widens, the smoke concentrates and the flavors become more layered. Cedar deepens. Coffee shifts to fresh espresso. A subtle dried-fruit sweetness emerges, fig and date.

This is the third where the Serie V Melanio earned its 96-point Cigar Aficionado rating in 2014. The complexity is layered without being aggressive. The integration of Sumatra wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Nicaraguan filler is seamless. The Figurado vitola produces a richer experience than the parejo Serie V Melanio Robusto would deliver.

Body holds at solid medium-full. The pepper recedes from accent into a balanced background note. A faint baking-spice character appears on the finish.

Construction continues flawless. The draw is at perfect resistance. The ash drops cleanly. For more on Oliva's blending philosophy, the brand has consistently produced top-tier Nicaraguan cigars at mainstream-premium pricing.

The final third pushes deeper into cedar, coffee, and dried fruit. The pepper returns slightly. Leather thickens. A faint sweetness emerges, almost a brown sugar note that signals the deeply-aged Sumatra wrapper.

This is where the Serie V Melanio proves its Cigar of the Year status. Most Sumatra-wrapped cigars get harsh in the final inches. The Serie V Melanio continues to develop. The flavors deepen rather than collapse.

The cigar warms slightly in the last inch but never becomes uncomfortable. Total smoke time runs 75 to 95 minutes at a relaxed pace.

The Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado sits among the most-celebrated cigars produced in modern American premium. Cigar Aficionado named it the #1 cigar of 2014 (96 points), and the blend has remained remarkably consistent in the decade since. Few mainstream cigars at any price match the Serie V Melanio's combination of complexity, construction, and value.

What Oliva does better than most mainstream brands is consistency at premium quality. The Serie V Melanio Figurado is widely available at every major online retailer; this is not an allocated cigar. The price stays in the $11 to $13 range, well below the Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo and other Cigar of the Year winners.

For smokers building a comprehensive premium humidor, the Serie V Melanio Figurado earns a place alongside the Padron 1964 Anniversary Maduro Robusto, Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo, and other reference benchmarks. Compare current pricing across 19 retailers before any box purchase.

Final score: 94/100.

Best paired with espresso, aged bourbon (Knob Creek 12, Eagle Rare, Booker's), Highland Scotch (Macallan 18, Glenmorangie 18), or aged Cognac. The Serie V Melanio's refined Sumatra-driven profile pairs broadly across premium spirits.