Oliva Serie V Belicoso Review

The Belicoso takes the Serie V blend and points it - a 5 by 54 figurado with a tapered head that narrows the smoke onto the palate. The Ecuadorian Sun Grown Habano wrapper was dark and slightly oily on mine, the box-pressed shoulders rolling into a clean pointed cap. I clipped just below the tip to open a modest hole. The cold draw came through concentrated, cocoa and a peppery edge, hinting at the focused smoke a figurado head delivers.

The tapered head does its job immediately: the opening is intense and pinpointed, coffee and dark chocolate driven onto the tongue with the black pepper riding right alongside. Because the smoke funnels through a narrow tip, the Serie V's flavours feel sharper and more direct than in a straight parejo. Cedar sits underneath, resiny and warm. As the burn moves past the taper into the full 54 body the smoke broadens out, and the intensity settles from a point to a full spread. Draw and burn were clean throughout the first stretch.

Once the figurado opens into its full ring the profile fills in. That focused coffee-and-cocoa core stays central while leather and a dried-fruit sweetness from the wrapper work in around it, the pepper easing to a steady warmth. The Belicoso runs a touch warmer than the plush gordos because the taper concentrates combustion early, but it never crossed into harsh for me. The ash stacked firm, the burn line stayed honest with only a slight wave. This is the size for someone who likes their flavour aimed rather than spread.

The final third is the fullest part - espresso, cedar and dark chocolate deepen toward the nub, the pepper firming up as the oils build. My verdict: the Belicoso is the Serie V for a smoker who wants the blend focused and driven, the tapered head sharpening every note. The honest catch is that the figurado shape runs warmer and demands a slower pace than the parejo sizes, and clipping the tip well takes a little care. But for a pointed, intense, full-bodied hour of Oliva's flagship, the Belicoso is a distinctive way to smoke it.