Oliva Connecticut Reserve Churchill box of 20

In the old days, every cigar I tried with a Ct. wrapper was akin to smoking hot air filtered through tobacco that was mostly devoid of flavor. I'm talking more boring than watching paint dry or watching Curling on TV. In recent times, starting about 10 years ago, the blenders finally figured out that the best way to showcase the flavor profiles of some of their prized filler leaf was to roll it with a very neutral tasting Ct. wrapper. Thr Ct. wrapper is mostly devoid of flavor, unless it's a little used hybrid variety from the 90's that Alec Bradley used before he was a big whoop in da cigar world. I digress, this Olive in the Double Toro is an absolute gem of a cigar. Gorgeous looking wrapper and really well made. The best part though is the delicious flavor profile right from the get go. We're talking a middle of the road medium bodied cigar with a very nice variety of flavors and nuances. I get some peppery spice, some creamy vanilla notes, a tough od cedar, and a few other notes I'm not able to identify. This cigar is a text book medium bodied beauty that goes perfect any time of day, even after a moderate dinner. Burn is razor sharp, draw is excellent, and it's got a nice burn time. I'm guessing this is a solid 75 to 90 minute gem. In years past I avoided all Ct. "shade" wrappers like the plague. About 10 years back I delved into them again slowly. No surprise at all that big boys and experts like Oliva and AJF have completely changed the way I think about shade wrapped cigars. They used their genius to highlight the guts of their cigars and it's worked out really well. The Ct. Shade wrapper in general is usually quite a great looking wrapper. I don't care if it's from Ct. or Ecuador, it's usually a great looking wrapper. This Oliva offering is excellent and very enjoyable. The flavor profile pucks up as I smoke the cigar, but it never becomes too much. A nice change of pace cigar for me. I wouldn't hesitate to buy more when mine are gone. This 6*60 Double Toro is a winner to boot.

Review by Terrence on 5/26/2023

80 Stars