Oliva Serie V Melanio Torpedo (6.5×50)

The Serie V Melanio is a favorite of mine. I love the torpedo vitola.

A lightly sweetened dark roast is a particularly fitting pairing with the Melanio's coffee, cocoa, hazelnut, and graham-cracker notes. I've integrated it into the Smoking Conditions section while leaving the tasting assessment intact. Writing Oliva Serie V Melanio Torpedo Personal Tasting Review — 96/100 The Oliva Serie V Melanio Torpedo is a cigar I have smoked before, having gone through an entire box several years ago. I remember being highly impressed with both its construction and flavor profile, so when I recently purchased another box, I was curious to see whether it would live up to my recollection. It did—and quite impressively so. What struck me immediately was the flawless construction. The cigar was beautifully made, with a perfect draw, abundant silky smoke, and an exceptionally even burn. Even more impressive, this was smoked straight from the box immediately after receiving it, with no opportunity for rest or acclimation in my humidor. Despite that, it performed virtually flawlessly from beginning to end. Smoking Conditions & Pairing I smoked the cigar outdoors, seated on a bench in the green space behind my apartment building. There was a slight sprinkle when I first began, but it cleared fairly quickly. The remainder of the smoke was enjoyed under sunny, pleasant conditions at approximately 70°F, accompanied by a light breeze. I paired the Melanio with a lightly sweetened dark-roast coffee. The pairing proved particularly complementary as the smoke developed. The coffee's roasted character naturally echoed the cigar's emerging coffee, toasted hazelnut, and cocoa notes, while the slight sweetness complemented the persistent graham-cracker character. The setting made for a particularly enjoyable smoking environment—comfortable enough to sit outside for the duration of the cigar without the heat, humidity, or wind becoming distracting. First Third The opening was exceptionally smooth and silky, with a rich, satisfying smoke that immediately delivered a wonderful combination of spice, graham cracker, leather, and a subtle soft pepper. The spice was present without being aggressive, and the pepper was remarkably restrained. Rather than dominating the profile, it provided a gentle warmth that complemented the sweeter and earthier components. The graham cracker was particularly enjoyable, providing a sweet, bready foundation that helped tie the other flavors together. Second Third As the cigar progressed into the second third, it became considerably more interesting without abandoning the flavors established in the opening. The graham cracker, leather, spice, and soft pepper remained firmly present, while beautiful notes of toasted hazelnut and subtle coffee emerged. What impressed me most was how these new flavors interacted with the existing profile. The hazelnut and coffee did not diminish the graham cracker sweetness or spice. Instead, they enhanced them, creating a richer and more cohesive flavor experience. A subtle mineral note also emerged. Mineral flavors are not always among my favorite characteristics in a cigar, as they can sometimes strike me as dry or austere. In this cigar, however, the mineral character was sufficiently subtle and so well integrated with the other flavors that I found it genuinely pleasing. It added depth rather than distraction. The cigar also increased slightly in strength, moving into a true medium-full, while the flavor intensity had become decidedly full. Approaching the Final Third As the cigar approached the final third, another layer appeared: subtle cocoa. Again, it did not replace what had come before. The graham cracker, hazelnut, coffee, leather, and spice continued to work together, with the cocoa adding another dimension to the increasingly rich profile. At this point, the cigar had become an exceptionally compelling smoke. The flavors were layered, yet none seemed out of place. The blend demonstrated an impressive ability to become richer and more complex without losing its balance. Final Third The final third brought another gradual increase in intensity. The spice intensified slightly, while the toasted nuttiness became more prominent. The hazelnut character that had emerged in the second third was now an important part of the overall profile, working beautifully alongside the coffee and cocoa. Most significantly, the cigar eventually developed into full strength. Yet despite reaching full strength, it remained balanced and full-flavored. It never became harsh, excessively peppery, or one-dimensional. Instead, the increased strength seemed to amplify the character that had been developing throughout the entire cigar. The cigar ultimately finished with prominent chocolate, rich nuttiness, and spice—a satisfying culmination of the flavors that had progressively developed from the opening third. Overall Impression What impressed me most about this Melanio Torpedo was not simply the quality of its individual flavors, but the way those flavors developed and interacted throughout the entire smoking experience. The cigar began with graham cracker, leather, spice, and soft pepper. It then layered in toasted hazelnut, coffee, and mineral notes before introducing cocoa and eventually developing into a rich final third dominated by chocolate, nuttiness, and spice. The progression was natural and remarkably cohesive. Even more significant to me was the consistency. Having smoked a box of these years ago, I recognized the same fundamental flavor profile and exceptional construction in the current cigar. That consistency, across years rather than merely between two individual cigars, speaks highly of the blend and of Oliva's commitment to maintaining its character. And the fact that this cigar performed so beautifully immediately out of the box, without any humidor rest, only added to the impression. Final Assessment Construction: Flawless Draw: Perfect Burn: Exceptional Smoke: Silky and abundant Strength: Medium-full → Full Flavor: Full Complexity: Excellent Balance: Exceptional Progression: Exceptional Consistency: Exceptional 96/100 — Exceptional The Oliva Serie V Melanio Torpedo has reaffirmed itself as one of those cigars that deserves to be judged not merely by individual tasting notes or published scores, but by the complete smoking experience. For me, it delivered everything I want from a premium cigar: flawless construction, a full and complex flavor profile, progressive development, increasing strength without loss of balance, and—perhaps most importantly—the consistency to reproduce an experience I remembered from years ago. This was not simply a good cigar. It was a cigar that reminded me why I liked the Melanio in the first place.

I've always enjoyed Oliva Series V Melanios. Something may have been wrong with the particular cigars I received as no others in my humidor smoked "uncharacteristically". Each of the Series V Melanio's I purchased were "squishy" and smoked hot and bitter. Tried 3 of the 5. Decided I was done. Threw out the remaining two. Humidor was verified as at right temperature/humidity level and other cigars therein smoked consistently with their respective descriptions and flavor profiles as was my experience and consistent with multiple reviews. Very sad. Might try them again down the road but it'll be awhile. Right now they are "blecchhh".