Tasting Note

Like many other companies, Oliva Cigar tried to break into the cigar business by crafting a blend of tobaccos from various countries that created an easygoing flavor profile. When the cigar trade grew lean, the company turned to the Nicaraguan tobacco grown by family patriarch Gilberto Oliva. It turned out to be a blessing. The Olivas are making stellar cigars, and because the family-owned company grows much of its own tobacco leaf and eschews debt, it charges reasonable prices for most of them. The robusto-sized Olé, which measures 5 by 50, retails for $4.50, making it one of the least expensive cigars on this list. It’s medium bodied and rich in flavor.