Oliva

Oliva is a Nicaraguan cigar dynasty tracing its roots to 1886 Cuba, where patriarch Melanio Oliva first grew tobacco. Now producing over 6 million cigars annually in Estelí, the brand earned the 2014 Cigar of the Year with the Serie V Melanio Figurado.

Key Facts

The Story

In 1886, Melanio Oliva began growing tobacco in Pinar del Rio, Cuba. His endeavors were interrupted when he left the farm to fight against Spain in the Cuban War of Independence. His son Hipolito continued the family tradition through the 1920s until the 1959 Cuban Revolution forced Melanio's grandson Gilberto to emigrate, eventually settling in Nicaragua. In 1995, Gilberto and his son Gilberto Jr. launched what would become Oliva Cigar Co. By 2005, the company was producing 6 million cigars annually and was the second-largest tobacco grower in Nicaragua. Their premiere products are made in a 60,000-square-foot rolling facility in Estelí capable of producing 50,000 cigars per day. The brand's flagship Serie V, launched in 2006, was named to Cigar Aficionado's Best Cigars of 2008. The Serie V Melanio — named after the family patriarch — topped that achievement by winning the 2014 Cigar of the Year with a rare 96-point rating. Today, Oliva grows tobacco across Estelí, Condega, Jalapa, and Somoto, offering a range of lines from the accessible Serie G to the powerhouse Serie V.