Gilberto Oliva cigars are a Nicaraguan line from Oliva Cigar Co., made at its Tabacalera Oliva de Nicaragua factory and named for the family patriarch, Gilberto Oliva Sr. Launched in 2017 (it was first announced as Facundo), the brand has two blends that share an Ecuadorian binder and Nicaraguan filler. The Gilberto Oliva Reserva uses an Indonesian Sumatra wrapper; halfwheel’s 2017 review found it mild-to-medium in strength with medium-full flavour, Cigar Aficionado lists its strength as medium, and typical notes include earth, coffee, cedar, white pepper and cocoa. The Reserva Blanc uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, with typical creamy, toasty notes of nuts, oak, citrus and a light nougat or vanilla sweetness. Of the two, the Reserva Blanc is the milder starting point, while the Reserva is the stronger choice.
Gilberto Oliva Cigars
Gilberto Oliva is a tribute line by the Oliva Cigar Company honoring the brand’s patriarch, Gilberto Oliva Sr., whose family tobacco legacy began in 1886 when Melanio Oliva first grew tobacco in Cuba’s Pinar del Río—with Gilberto later emigrating to Nicaragua in the 1960s and founding Oliva Cigar Co. in 1995 inside Nestor Plasencia’s factory in Honduras, before opening the family’s own Nicaraguan factory in 1996. Introduced in 2017 and handcrafted in Estelí, Nicaragua, the line features two expressions: the Gilberto Oliva Reserva (dark Sumatran wrapper, Ecuadorian binder, aged Nicaraguan fillers) delivering medium-full flavour notes of spice, earth, leather, and cocoa, and the Gilberto Oliva Reserva Blanc (Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper, Ecuadorian binder, Nicaraguan fillers) offering a milder, creamy profile of nuts, creamy oak, cedar, citrus and light baking spice—both designed to showcase the Oliva family’s mastery of Nicaraguan tobacco at an accessible price point.
Frequently asked questions about Gilberto Oliva Cigars
Who makes Gilberto Oliva cigars and where are they made?
Gilberto Oliva cigars are made by Oliva Cigar Co. at its Tabacalera Oliva de Nicaragua S.A. factory in Nicaragua. The line launched in 2017 and is named for the Oliva family patriarch, Gilberto Oliva Sr. It was first announced as Facundo, but halfwheel reported that Oliva changed the name because of a trademark conflict with the rum maker Bacardi. In 2016 the Oliva family sold its cigar manufacturing and sales business, but not its tobacco farms, to J. Cortès.
How strong are Gilberto Oliva cigars?
In strength they run from mild to medium, while the Reserva's flavour and body are fuller. halfwheel's 2017 review of the Gilberto Oliva Reserva Torpedo rated its strength mild to medium, getting close to medium in the second third, but its flavour medium-full and its body medium-plus, rising to full in the second third. Cigar Aficionado lists the Reserva's strength as medium, and Oliva describes its body as medium to full. The Reserva Blanc is the milder of the two: halfwheel found its Corona went from between mild and medium to close to medium, and Cigar Aficionado (2022) called the Reserva Blanc Torpedo a good fit for fans of mild cigars.
What is the difference between Gilberto Oliva Reserva and Reserva Blanc?
Both blends use an Ecuadorian binder and Nicaraguan filler and come in the same five sizes: Corona, Robusto, Toro, Torpedo and Churchill. The Reserva has an Indonesian Sumatra wrapper, and halfwheel's 2017 review noted earth, coffee, cedar and white pepper, with Oliva describing spice, earth, leather and cocoa. The Reserva Blanc has an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper and is typically creamy and toasty, with nuts, oak, citrus and a light nougat or vanilla sweetness. The Reserva Blanc is the milder of the two: Cigar Aficionado lists its strength as mild-medium, against medium for the Reserva.
Where can I buy Gilberto Oliva cigars?
Oxford Cigar Company lists Gilberto Oliva on its category page when in stock: https://oxfordcigarcompany.com/gilberto-oliva-cigars/. Free US shipping on orders $50+.