Oliva Master Blends is intended to be a yearly release of limited edition cigars made from special family tobaccos.  For this review we look into the Oliva Master Blends I Robusto.  The concept behind the Oliva Master Blends is best described by the following quote off their website.

"Master Blends is a limited production, limited release premium cigar. What makes Master Blends so special is the rare and limited tobaccos used in creating it. The fine Nicaraguan fillers and wrappers used are not for mass production. They are limited amounts of tobacco which would usually be reserved for private family use. Unfortunately, their scarcity only allows us to make a limited amount of cigars. The result is a super premium, ultra rare selection offered only once."

With only 375,000 of these cigars being made, getting your hands on one can be some work.  Our box came fabulously encased in what can only be called a piece of art cigar box.  So naturally our next thought was how much we were paying additional for the glitzy box.  Then again, with the reasonable price of these smokes, who's complaining!

It's hard to hide from our reviewers what they were smoking in this case.  The Master Blend Robusto has a laser engraved insignia in the cigar to prevent counterfeiting.  While a confirmed gorgeous cigar, a few people had fun with the insignia.

"It looked like a nice cigar before I even lit it. It had an insignia midway that resembled that logo once associated with the Artist Formerly Known As Prince.. or The Artist Currently Known As Prince... or whatever that person is called these days."

As we moved on to construction, the word flawless comes to mind.  Not one of the five reviewers had a negative thing to say.  The draw was great weather punched or cut, no mentions of having to be touched up, just a smooth easy draw.

This was one of those cigars that while claiming to be on the more robust side of the flavor spectrum, actually came in with our reviewers as being somewhat mild.  Better stated, this cigar had a distinct personality, without getting obnoxious and doing a Texas two-step on your palate.  No screaming aftertastes, as the Master Blend Robusto decided it was better to leave you quietly and well satisfied.  This cigar seems secure in who it was.

"The initial flavor was strong peppery spice that seemed somewhat short, with little after-taste. I assume that the majority of the spice may have come from the wrapper, or a component of the filler. The secondary flavors were a bit papery and some tastes of wood. There were very little changes throughout, though... even towards the end."

"I new this was an Oliva Master Blend when I saw the insignia, so take that for what it is worth.  This is another hit from Oliva, not mild, but not strong, all this cigar does is satisfy.  I was glad to be a part of this review.

"The smoke was surprisingly full and billowy, with a distinct yellow tint to it, and the temperature was mild. The ash was delicate, and the burn was very even, and may even have slowed a bit after the half mark. This cigar goes pretty well with beer (I had an Old Speckled Hen), and does not have any unpleasantness to it. The cigar was just like the loud-mouthed idiot sitting next to me: tough up front, but ultimately tame when it came down to it."

Oliva is no stranger to providing an inexpensive bang for the buck cigar, and they have done that again with their first edition of the Oliva Master Blends.  It's good to see a family operation stay with the model of providing good cigars for the right price.  So many companies have become slaves to the "double banded some kind of anniversary" cigar method of marketing and jacking up prices that this cigar is a breath of fresh air.

You won't go wrong picking up a couple of these cigars to help you relax.  Honors to the Oliva family.

Vital Statistics:
Size: 5 x 50
Shape: Robusto
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Est. Cost: $6.50