I am happy to announce that the guys at Famous Smoke Shop have asked me to review for them.  This is my first review for them and am pretty excited to get things rolling.  Granted, I am so far behind on reviews it is crazy - so their partnership has given me a bit of a goose to get back on the horse.

The cigar up for review is one of the tried and true brands - Oliva.  A family that provides tobacco to tons of other brands out there, Oliva is constantly one of the best selling brands around based on price, availability, and quality.  Their earning of the number one cigar of the year on Cigar Aficionado's top 25 of 2014 can't hurt sales either.  I will admit that I haven''t smoked a lot of their cigars so this review is a relatively new experience for me.  It is a typical cold and gray Ohio Thursday here today, so after grabbing some coffee and a seat, I am ready to start things off in style.  Here we go....

Construction: A very nice looking and nearly veinless wrapper covers this cigar.  The band fits in with the rest of the Oliva line too.

Pre-light Aroma and Draw: The aromas once the cellophane is removed are sweet tobacco, hay, mild leather, and a hint of cocoa.

Light and Burn: Burn on this cigar never strayed from perfect - not even a little.  The ash is a tad flaky but it is clingy.  I had several spots where the ash stuck for over an inch before dropping.

Tasting: The Connecticut Reserve starts off with notes of white pepper, cedar, and cream.  It is, as you might guess, a pretty mild off the bat.  The big surprise is the heft in the flavor department.  I Have found that a lot of Connecticut shade cigars tend to be a bit too bland but in recent years there have been a handful of exceptions to this rule - and I am smoking one right now.  Leather, pepper, cedar, and a creamy earthy note dominate until the middle third begins.

This is a quick smoking cigar, my friends.  I am about 15 minutes from the start and already at the second third.  Smoke output is copious and aromatic.  Notes of sassafras, anise, and more of that white pepper at the core make for a very nice body.  Paired with a cup of good Columbian coffee, this cigar makes for a good first of the day.

As the final third fires up, I get a nice milk chocolate note mixed with that white pepper core.  Until the last puff, this cigar performs perfectly and provides more than I ever would have guessed possible from a big brand Connecticut shade cigar.

Value: At around $6, the Oliva Connecticut Reserve is perfectly priced to add to your usual rotation.  Looking to buy some now?  Click here to get your Oliva cigars!

Final Thoughts:  I have said before that I usually steer clear of Connecticut cigars as they tend to be lacking in the oomph department.  In recent months, I have tried several and have been proven wrong time and time again.  There ARE some great Connecticut shade cigars out there and the Oliva edition is totally worth smoking repeatedly.  It is smooth and never sways from a low medium body.  I will be going back to these when I am looking for a cigar to start my day off right.    Highly recommended!

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Strength: Medium

Size: 5 x 50

A very pretty cigar - and tasty as can be!