Back in November of 2011, Atlantic Cigar released the first of what they announced would eventually be four different cigars from four different manufacturers to celebrate their 15th year of business. The fourth and final cigar in the series is being produced by Oliva Family of Cigars and will be released for sale to the general public on Monday, October 15th.

We broke the story and published all of the details on the release earlier in the week:

Atlantic Cigar Co. will release the fourth and final release in their 15th anniversary series next week, the limited edition Oliva Atlantic Cigar 15th Aniversario Diadema. The 6 3/4 x 48 Diadema will go on sale on Monday October 15 with an MSRP of $8.50 per cigar or $85.00 per box.

Like the first three releases, the Oliva Atlantic Cigar 15th Aniversario is a limited edition with only 400 boxes of 10 made. Interestingly, the blend is said to be one never offered for sale before by Oliva composed of Nicaraguan fillers wrapped in an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.

Says the Atlantic Cigar website:

After brainstorming with Oliva, we decided to come up with something completely new, a blend that they haven’t yet offered in a retail shop… The final blend is a cigar that delivers a good amount of strength yet achieves an excellent balance, allowing its flavors to emerge. The cigar has all the markings of an Oliva cigar, from its excellent construction with its flawless wrapper to its flavor profile of solid leather and varying wood notes, a good amount of spice with just a hint of sweetness. The Oliva Atlantic Cigar 15th Aniversario Diadema is the perfect way to close our 15th Anniversary collection.

_______________________________________________________________________

The four Atlantic 15th Anniversary releases are:

• Viaje Exclusivo Atlantic Cigar Co. 15th Anniversary Lancero (7 1/2 x 40) — 150 Boxes of 25 Cigars (3,750 Total Cigars)
• My Father Atlantic Cigar Co. 15th Anniversary Box-Pressed Robusto (5 1/2 x 52) — 400 Boxes of 15 Cigars (6,000 Total Cigars)
• E.P. Carrillo Atlantic Cigar Co. 15th Anniversary (6 x 52) — 500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (5,000 Total Cigars)
• Oliva Atlantic Cigar 15th Aniversario Diadema (6 3/4 x 48) — 400 Boxes of 10 Cigars (4,000 Total Cigars)

_______________________________________________________________________

The Oliva Atlantic Cigar 15th Aniversario Diadema comes in boxes of 10 that look like this:

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

The first third of the Oliva Atlantic Cigar 15th Aniversario Diadema starts out with strong notes of creamy oak, earth, slightly bitter espresso and strong black pepper on the retrohale. There is quite a bit of spice on the tongue right off the bat as well — stronger than I expected — and it does not die down much for the entirety of the first third. I also noticed quite a bit of cinnamon in the profile, but it ebbed and flowed throughout the first third, instead of staying at a constant level. The burn is phenomenal, but the draw is a bit tight, albeit not tight enough to really bother me in any significant way. Overall strength starts at a solid medium and only seems to be getting stronger.

Coming into the second third of the Oliva, and the profile is fairly consistent with the first third — notes of espresso, creamy oak, hay and earth. The black pepper on the retrohale has decreased noticeably, but is still strong enough to impact the flavors. The cinnamon note is also still present, but still not constant. There is a very nice sweetness in the background — and while it was not overly strong — I was able to place it as graham cracker. The major change is the overall strength, which takes a surprising and quick upturn around the halfway point, ending the second third firmly in the full category. Construction has become excellent with the draw loosening up nicely.

The final third of the Oliva Atlantic Cigar 15th Aniversario Diadema has an increase in that graham cracker sweetness on the retrohale that I tasted in the second third, a wonderful addition to the profile. The notes of creamy oak, coffee, gritty earth, leather and cinnamon remain and the strength continues at a full level until the end of the smoke. Construction remains wonderful, both burn and draw, and it is an easy cigar to nub, never getting hot at the end.

_______________________________________________________________________

Final Notes:

• I smoked three of these on consecutive days, and even with that little bit of rest, the last one got quite a bit better then the first one I smoked. I honestly can’t wait to smoke another one in a few weeks.
• I absolutely adore the vitola of this release. Not too big, not too small, not an overwhelming ring gauge, and the tapered end is a nice touch.
• In fact, looking at the vitola, it seems to be very close in looks to the recently released Viaje Honey and Hand Grenades, albeit with a less pointed foot. It should be noted, Oliva made this size a few years ago for the Serie V.
• This is the second limited edition Diadema Oliva has announced in the past few weeks, Charlie recently reviewed the massive Serie V Diadema that heads to Europe next month.
• After the slight issues with the draw in the first third, the construction was excellent overall for the rest of the smoke. Interestingly, the minor draw issue was present in all three of the samples I smoked for this review.
• This will be a perfect cigar to do a redux review on.
• The fast increase in strength in the second third was quite surprising to me, and it comes on like a freight train.
• I find it very interesting that there is absolutely nothing on the cigar itself that signifies it is an Oliva product: no name or logo on the band, no regular Oliva band on top. However, the “Special Release” on the secondary band reminds of the color scheme of Oliva, brown and bronze.
• I also find it interesting that Oliva misspelled Atlantic Cigar’s name on the top of the box, putting it as “Atlantic Cigars” as opposed to “Atlantic Cigar (Co.)” It’s particularly interesting given elsewhere on the box and band, they got it right.
• The cigars in the box came in cellophane, which was removed for the pictures.
• I love the price on these, and think that it is a bargain for the size of the cigar and the size of the release.
• I also love the fact the each one of the releases for the Atlantic Cigar 15th Anniversary have been so different in terms of vitolas, profiles and blends. The Viaje Exclusivo Lancero are dense, with a dark, rich profile, the My Father is medium-bodied and box pressed, the E.P. Carrillo is sweet with chocolate, and the Oliva is strong and flavorful. Much like the Smoke Inn’s Micro-Batch series, it is almost like Atlantic Cigar wants to make sure that people with all different palates who buy one of their exclusives are happy at some point during the year.
• The cigars for this review were sent to us by site sponsor Atlantic Cigar.
• The final smoking time for all samples averaged about one hour and 35 minutes.
• If you would like to purchase some of the Oliva Atlantic Cigar 15th Aniversario Diademas you can call Atlantic Cigar Co. directly at 800.887.7877 or purchase via their website today, which is a special for halfwheel readers. Don’t forget to tell them halfwheel sent you.

_______________________________________________________________________

The Bottom Line: There is no doubt at all that the Oliva Atlantic Cigar 15th Aniversario Diadema is extremely young and needs some time to sit, but I could also not help but notice the potential just beneath the surface during the entire smoke. My advice is that when you do buy them, smoke one immediately, then put the rest down for a few weeks, and you will be rewarded. The profile is fairly complex, the flavors in the cigar are wonderful and the combination of creamy oak, cinnamon and slight graham cracker is fairly unique. Is this better then the Oliva Serie V Melanio? Not even close. But honestly, I do like it better than (most vitolas of) the regular Serie V from Oliva both in profile and in price, and with a bit of rest, I think these will really shine.

Final Score: 89

_______________________________________________________________________

Thanks to Atlantic Cigar Co., we are giving away a box.
If you would like to win a box of Oliva Atlantic Cigar 15th Aniversario Diademas, leave a comment.
Contest ends one week from post. Rules here.