The Oliveros Gran Retorno has been around for quite a while now, but took a bit of a hiatus because master blender and Head of Product Capability, Rafael Nodal, decided to try something a little different with the blend. He turned over production to the Plasencias and, together, they decided to do a three-stage aging process. The Oliveros Gran Retorno tobacco is aged in bales for 2 years, then the rolled cigars are aged in an aging room for 6 months, then the cigars are boxed up and aged in their box for 3 years. The cigars are being made in Nicaragua at the Plasencia cigar factory and will be available in 3 different wrappers: Connecticut, Maduro, and Habano. The cigars are also available in only three sizes: Banjo, 4 1/2 x 52; Swing, at 6 x 50; Fiddle, 6 by 54. All three are Nicaraguan puros except the Connecticut which uses a Connecticut wrapper grown in Honduras. Today, I’m reviewing the Connecticut Swing.
- Wrapper: Honduran Connecticut
- Binder: Nicaraguan
- Filler: Nicaraguan
- Size: 6 x 50
- Vitola: Toro
- MSRP: $7.70, boxes of 20
- Factory: Plasencia Factory in Nicaragua
Pre-Light
The Oliveros Gran Retorno Connecticut Swing has a reddish-gold wrapper with a slightly veiny appearance. The cap isn’t the best looking, and the draw is somewhat loose. On the cold draw, I get notes of cedar, hay, and earth.
First Half
The Oliveros Gran Retorno Connecticut Swing is starting off with a very smooth flavor and body. I got notes of cedar, black pepper, graham cracker, with a nutty core and a hint of vanilla cream. I got notes of cedar, pepper, and a nuttiness on the retrohale. The body is medium with full flavor. The draw is still a little loose, but the Gran Returno isn’t burning hot, which is what I was worried about.
Last Half
The last half of the Oliveros Gran Retorno Connecticut Swing had the cedar note become more dominate over all the other notes. I still got notes of black pepper, graham cracker and a hint of vanilla cream, but its more muted on the last half. I did get a hint of orange peel near the very end as well. The retrohale is still mostly cedar, pepper, and a nuttiness. The body is still medium with full flavor.
Overall Impressions
The Oliveros Gran Retorno Connecticut Swing was quite a good cigar. The extra aging did make the cigar a smooth, rich smoke. The flavors were quite good, but the latter half of the cigar wasn’t as good as it’s start though. The flavors were a good mix of sweet, spicy, and savory which I did enjoy. I did feel the cigar was a a little flat later on, but overall I did enjoy the cigar. I’m curious to see how the Maduro and Habano versions compare to the Connecticut. For the price, it’s hard to beat and one that I will be picking up at the cigar shop when I see them.
