A slight whiff of the wrapper gives off very subtle dry hay and cedary notes. I can barely smell any tobacco on the wrapper but the light woody notes are pleasant.
The cold draw has perfect resistance. Still, I can’t really taste anything solid, perhaps fleeting woody and earthy notes.

First Third

The first draw is simply delectable. This baby does not shy from wowing right from the start.
I can immediately taste sweet creamy butter leaning on a toasty finish; kinda like a graham cracker. There are definite hints of a floral, citrusy flavour mixed with dry hay.

A few draws in and I began to taste a bit of vanilla sweetness with a little spice. The citrusy flavour is more of a dried fruit savour, some sweet honey, and still more of the dry hay-now transitioned to dry leaves.
Retrohale brings out a long sweet tobacco finish with splashes of coffee and butterscotch.

Middle

As my Oliva Connecticut Reserve settles, the citrus flavours perfectly blend with fleeting floral notes, and flashes of pepper and cinnamon. Dark coffee, toasted nuts, sweet vanilla, and subtle premium tobacco notes hold down the fort.
This is perhaps the most enjoyable and perplexing part of this cigar experience. Even though the long finish felt a tad dry, the whole draw and beyond is enveloped in a delicious creaminess.

The Retrohale is a mix of the original buttery toast flavours surrounded by savoury oakiness, and a tangy orange citrus zing.
For a mild cigar, these flavours deliver a bang. If you are not keen, you would think this baby is gaining in strength but that simply isn’t the case. Strength remains a mild, maybe weak-medium, but the flavours are full-circle.
My Robusto burns famously with a razor-thin burn and lots of smoke output. The ash is a healthy silver-grey falling in thirds. There are no issues with the draw or construction; but then again, this is an Oliva!

Final Third

In the final third, flavours remain the same but still pretty interesting. There are no new flavours introduced but the same flavours keep interchanging.
Now dark coffee marries a sweet cedary and mild spice mix in the front of the palate. Sweet vanilla and dry hay stay constant while the long finish features lots of cream, dry fruit, and warm pleasant tobacco notes.

Towards the nub, the cigar gets a little warm, but pleasant. There is no bitterness or harshness even on Retrohale. You may notice a bit more peppery zing and much more sweet creaminess towards the end.
My Robusto smoked for a little over an hour. It was a badass smoke from start to finish and a great start to my day.

How does the Oliva Connecticut Reserve stand out from other Connecticut Cigars?

Seasoned smokers know that a Connecticut Shade leaf is the ultimate wrapper for a mild cigar. However, Connecticut wrappers tend to get bitter if they get hot especially towards the nub.
A good mild cigar should be able to balance this aspect and ensure you can enjoy your whole cigar without the bitterness.

The Oliva Connecticut Reserve is a superior stogie that manages to smoke down to the nub while maintaining a piquant superlative finish.

The Oliva Connecticut Reserve Price Point 

In addition to being a delectable treat, the Oliva Connecticut Reserve is fairly priced compared to other cigars in its category. It retails from $6 to $10 depending on the Vitola.