United Tobacco Distributors recently released a line of cigars made by Oliva Cigar Company. They named the cigars "Series X".  Were not sure if that is meant to invoke thoughts of another famous cigar with an "X" in it's name, or if it's merely a coincidence.  Either way, we found the Series X family of cigars to stand on it's own.

The Series X family consists of 4 cigars.  The Boomer is a 5 x 54 Robusto, the Celebrity is a 7 x 52 Double Corona, the Tabu is a 5 1/2 x 54 Torpedo, and the Chairman is a huge 6 x 60 Toro.  You'll notice the large ring gauges of all the cigars.  Be prepared for some sore mandibles when smoking these giants.

This Staff Review is a bit different in that our reviewers each sampled two members of the Series X family.  Each shape in the family was smoked by at least three reviewers.  The good news is that the results and feedback were fairly consistent and didn't vary from shape to shape.

The following quote from one of our reviewers sums up the general appearance and construction comments about these cigars.

"The appearance of the cigar was wonderful. A dark wrapper, not a maduro, but still quite dark and oily. It was quite smooth and not veiny. The cap was perfect and led to a very smooth and easy cut. The construction was great, leading to a good light that led to a consistent burn throughout the smoke. The ash was gray and held up yielding very long ashes. This cigar never needed to be re-lit. The burn rate was perfect, neither too fast nor slow. The draw was easy and the wrapper stayed intact throughout the enjoyment of this cigar."

Most reviewers found the Series X to be a full-bodied cigar with peppery tastes.  A few complained about the cigar being overpowering, while at the same time many praised its balance.  Either way you look at it, these turned out to be very satisfying cigars for our reviewers.  One interesting note a tester mentioned was that this would be a great starter smoke for those looking to dive into full bodied cigars for the first time.  The relative smoothness and rich taste would not overpower the palate, while still giving a sense of what real strength can taste like.

The Series X cigar is a must try for all caliber of cigar smokers.  The Series X will also age its way into an all star powerhouse smoke.  We gave this cigar an "A-" only because you could taste a hint of youth in some of the samples.  This is by no way a detraction, just a statement that things will likely improve with age.

They should start showing up in more tobacconists as time passes.  Make sure you don't pass by them when they do.

Vital Statistics:
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown
Binder:  Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Suggested Retail Prices

Boomer 54 x 5 - $5.80
Celebrity 52 x 7 - $6.10
Tabu (Torp) 54 x 5-1/2 - $5.95
Chairman 60 x 6 - $6.45