Brand guide
Oliva cigars
Oliva is a cigar maker founded by the Oliva family in 1995 that rolls its handmade cigars in Estelí, Nicaragua, mostly from tobacco it grows in Nicaragua.
The Oliva family grew tobacco before it made cigars
Melanio Oliva began growing tobacco in Pinar del Río, Cuba, in 1886, and the family stayed growers for most of the next century.
Melanio paused to fight in Cuba's War of Independence, then went back to the fields. His son Facundo took over the farms in the early 1920s, according to the company's history. Facundo's son, Gilberto Oliva Sr., moved from growing to brokering tobacco after the revolution.
In the early 1960s, Gilberto went looking for Cuban-like growing conditions abroad: Honduras, Panama, Mexico, the Philippines. He settled on Nicaragua. Wikipedia notes the family left again in 1979 during the Sandinista revolution and came back in 1995.
From leaf grower to cigar company
Oliva Cigar Co. was founded in 1995 by Gilberto Oliva and his son Gilberto Jr., per Cigar Aficionado.
The first cigars were made in a Honduran factory owned by Plasencia. The brand name was shortened to "Oliva" in 1996. In July 2003 the company opened its own factory in Estelí. Wikipedia describes it as a 60,000 square foot rolling floor that can turn out about 50,000 cigars a day.
Five siblings, Melanio's great-grandchildren, have run the parts. Gilberto Jr. on leaf and blending. Carlos on production. Jeannie at the Florida office. José on sales, and later as CEO.
Where are Oliva cigars made today?
Every Oliva handmade cigar is rolled at the company's factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.
Wikipedia adds a smaller facility in Danlí, Honduras, for lower-priced production, with those cigars shipped to Nicaragua for export. The family grows tobacco in the Jalapa Valley, Estelí and Condega, and Cigar Aficionado reports operations in Ecuador too. Oliva's own history calls the family Nicaragua's second-largest grower of Cuban-seed tobacco.
Oliva changed hands in 2016
J. Cortès Cigars, a family-owned company in Moen, Belgium, bought Oliva Cigar Co. in 2016.
Cigar Aficionado reported the deal on July 1, 2016. Terms were not disclosed. J. Cortès mostly makes machine-made cigarillos in Europe, about 500 million cigars a year. Oliva was making 15 to 16 million handmade cigars a year. The Oliva family stayed on to run the company, with José Oliva as CEO and Gilberto Jr. on tobacco.
Oliva lines and their stated blends
Oliva lists the wrapper, binder and filler country for each line on its website.
| Line | Wrapper (maker) | Binder / filler | Maker's body note | Notable sizes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serie V | Ecuador | Nicaragua / Nicaragua | Not published | No. 4 (5 x 43), Double Robusto (5 x 54), Lancero (7 x 38) |
| Serie V Melanio | Ecuador | Nicaragua / Nicaragua | Not published | Not listed here |
| Serie G | Cameroon | Nicaragua / Nicaragua | Medium | Robusto (4.5 x 50), Churchill (7 x 50), Special G (3.75 x 48) |
| Serie O Maduro | United States | Nicaragua / Nicaragua | Full-bodied | Not listed here |
| Connecticut Reserve | Ecuador | Nicaragua / Nicaragua | Medium-bodied | Not listed here |
Maduro versions of Serie V and Serie V Melanio switch to a Mexican wrapper from the San Andrés Valley. Oliva also makes NUb, short squat cigars with a thick ring, and Cain.
Oliva milestones
Oliva's dates trace a farming family that waited more than a century to put its name on a band.
- 1886: Melanio Oliva grows tobacco in Pinar del Río.
- 1995: Oliva Cigar Co. founded; first cigars made in Honduras.
- 2003: Estelí factory opens.
- 2006: Serie V launched.
- 2016: J. Cortès buys the company.
What to know before you buy an Oliva
Most Oliva lines pair a Nicaraguan binder and filler with an imported wrapper, so the wrapper country is the main thing that changes from line to line.
Check the band against the table. Ecuador, Cameroon, Mexico, United States: each shows up somewhere in the range. The wrapper color chart shows what those leaves tend to look like.
Shape follows the vitola name. Serie V runs from a 7 x 38 Lancero to a 6 x 60 Double Toro and figurado. Serie G adds a 3.75 x 48 Special G at the short end. Compare those on the cigar size chart. Oliva's strength labels are only published for some lines. Where it's given, it sits in the table above. For how those labels compare, see the strength and body scale.
Oliva questions
Who owns Oliva cigars?
J. Cortès Cigars, a family-owned Belgian company, bought Oliva Cigar Co. in 2016. Cigar Aficionado reported that the Oliva family kept running the company, with José Oliva as CEO.
Where are Oliva cigars made?
Oliva rolls all of its handmade cigars at its factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, according to Cigar Aficionado. The US office is in Florida.
What wrapper is on Oliva Serie V?
Oliva lists an Ecuadorian wrapper on Serie V over Nicaraguan binder and filler. Serie V Maduro uses a Mexican San Andrés wrapper.
Is Oliva Cigar Co. related to Oliva Tobacco Co.?
No. Cigar Aficionado notes that Oliva Cigar Co. has no relation to Oliva Tobacco Co. of Tampa, the leaf grower founded by Angel Oliva.
Where the Oliva facts come from
- Oliva Cigar Company, Wikipedia
- Oliva Cigar Acquired by European Cigar Company, Cigar Aficionado
- Oliva history, Oliva Cigar Co.
- Serie V, Oliva Cigar Co.
- Serie G, Oliva Cigar Co.