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Spotlight Brand: Oliva Saison

July 7, 2013 |

Oliva's best from farms in Somoto, Esteli, and Condega.

The Oliva Cigar family is easily one of Nicaragua's biggest tobacco producers. As such, they tend to have first rights to the finest leaf hailing from this Central American nation, which is why their blends earn a rating of ‘90' or more. Oliva cigars also maintain some of the highest standards in quality control and are a true testament of the fine art of cigar creation. If you haven't experienced Oliva cigars, then you're missing out on some of the best-tasting Nicaraguan premiums on the market. 

Oliva Saison showcases a medium to full-bodied blend of Nicaraguan long-leaves masked inside a toothy, Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The blend pushes the envelope in flavor, releasing a thick, chewy smoke while still presenting that enjoyably smooth, creamy finish you've come to expect from Oliva blends. Well-balanced from head to foot with a moderate draw and even burn, Oliva Saison is rapidly becoming a classic blend.

Q & A: Marrying Cigars?

Q.
I overheard some people talking about "marrying" their cigars. What on earth does that mean?

7/03/13 | by TS of Lexington, MA

A.

​Good question. "Marrying" is the act of allowing different blends of cigars to age together in the same humidor for an extended period of time. As cigars age, they release oils and aromas while at the same time, they absorb moisture and aromas. Many enthusiasts appreciate a well-aged cigar because the flavors have changed in a positive way; a well-aged cigar sometimes becomes richer, sometimes becomes more mellow, and maybe even more complex, depending on how the cigars were aged. Marrying takes place over time, as the cigars will release their own aromas while absorbing aromas and moisture from other cigars - thus enhancing their flavor. Be careful when marrying mild cigars with full-bodied cigars because the full-bodied cigars will impact the flavors of the mellow ones. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if you want to keep your mild sticks from taking on any characteristics of your full-bodied sticks, then you won't want to marry them.

The most common practice in marrying cigars involves cedar. There are many aficionados who enjoy a particular cigar but also want something more from it, such as notes of cedar in the aroma which aren't present when the cigar is first purchased. Aficionados will leave these cigars in a cedar box for aging. Over time, the cigars will begin to take on the flavors of the cedar and now the cigar will offer a unique flavor profile which wasn't originally intended by the manufacturer. Marrying is a great concept, if done properly.

by Dave

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