In 1886, Melanio Oliva planted his first tobacco seeds in Pinar del Rio, Cuba. He had no way of knowing that 128 years later, a cigar bearing his name would be crowned the #1 Cigar of the Year by Cigar Aficionado with a 96-point rating — the highest honor in the premium cigar world. The Serie V Melanio is the Oliva family’s most personal creation and their most celebrated achievement, five years in the making before a single cigar ever reached a retailer’s shelf.

Built on the same Jalapa Valley fermented ligero foundation that defines the entire Serie V family, the Melanio steps up in complexity and refinement by pulling long-leaf ligero from three distinct Nicaraguan growing regions — Condega, Estelí, and Jalapa — each contributing a different character that layers into a profile of extraordinary depth. An Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, dark, oily, and seamlessly rolled, ties the three-region filler blend together with a richness and complexity that earned back-to-back Top 10 recognition in 2014 (#1) and 2020 (#8). Black pepper, freshly baked bread, unsweetened cocoa, rich leather, coffee, caramel, and a woody finish that builds from first light and lingers long after the final draw. This is the cigar that the Oliva family waited a century to make — and it was worth every year.

Why You’ll Love It

A Century in the Making: From Melanio Oliva’s first tobacco fields in Cuba in 1886 to the #1 Cigar of the Year in 2014 — the Serie V Melanio is the culmination of six generations of tobacco knowledge, agricultural dedication, and relentless pursuit of the perfect smoke.

Three Regions, One Vision: Condega, Estelí, and Jalapa each bring a distinct voice to the Melanio’s ligero filler — an approach to regional blending that creates a complexity most single-region cigars simply cannot achieve.

96 Points and Two Top 10 Finishes: Named #1 in 2014 and #8 in 2020 by Cigar Aficionado, the Serie V Melanio is one of the rare cigars that doesn’t just peak once — it keeps earning recognition year after year, proving that true excellence doesn’t fade.