Oliva Omaha Event and Nub Maduro 460

Good things come to those who wait, baby. Boy howdy, do they. Oliva Cigars had their first ever Nebraska event at Ted's Tobacco in Omaha, and it was a blast. A special thanks goes to Cory Horinek, our region's Oliva rep, whose enthusiasm has really been a shot in the arm for Oliva fans here in the Plains.

I had the pleasure of tagging along with Social Cigar pals Ditch Digger, Liriel, and internet cigar veteran Uncle Booga, and we made the roadtrip a party on wheels. We made some purchases, scored some killer swag, and smoked some wicked tasty cigars:



The Nub Maduro 460 is another shining example of killer Nicaraguan maduro, sweet and smooth. Though there's no info on the Maduro on the Nub site, several sites are claiming the wrapper is Brazilian. The wrapper tastes less peppery than the wrapper on the CAO Brazilia or MX2, and tastes more like the maduro Nicaraguan wrapper of the AB Maxx.

The wrapper's that delectable dark brown that bodes sweetness, and the cigar felt fairly firm, but also felt a little light in the hand. The draw was a little loose, so I had to pace myself when drawing on the cigar. Despite the loose draw, the cigar burned fairly evenly, only requiring a minor touch-up.

Once lit, the flavors are immediate; Leather, cocoa, a touch of cedar, and a mild spice in the finish. The flavors don't change much, except maybe in intensity, over the duration of the smoke. But, with such pleasant flavors, that's not an issue for me.

At $7, this is a tasty smoke and a great addition to the Nub line.

Shout Outs for the Nebraska Cigar Festival 2008

Wow, the Nebraska Cigar Festival was a blast: Good fun, good smokes, and great company. I hope we get to do this again next year.

Shout outs are as so:

1) Our local B&M owners, Cattlemen's Bank, and event planners.

You guys rock! Cattlemen's Bank helping out by literally hosting the event, and our B&M's Cliff's Smoke Shop, Ted's Tobacco, and Capitol Cigar Company. Miles, thanks for bringing out the VSG!

2) Gene Arganese

Gene, you were the star of the evening, and really made the event special. There's a good reason why the word "generous" starts with Gene. Not content with merely bringing a supply of great smokes, including his new CL3 and ML3 smokes for us, and he had several Unos given to several lucky winners.

The highlight of the evening was the raffle, to benefit our lobbying efforts. Gene donated 7 trips to his villa in the Dominican Republic, complete with factory tour, smokes, bar, and being fed by Gene's personal chef. Talk about a vacation in the lap of cigar luxury!

3) Other cigar makers supporting the event

Willy, of Willy Cigars, was rolling smokes through the entire event, and I landed a couple gorgeous looking maduros from his table. Cusano sent a supply of Cuvee and Rare Cameroons for the masses. Palamino Cigars came though, as did Savinelli, Clint's, Conch Republic, and delegations from Filipino and Peruvian cigar makers. Ladies and gentlemen, my hat's off to you.

4) Good friends to share the evening with

Uncle Booga and I were counting the hours until the event, we were that stoked to go. Ditch Digger and Liriel caught up with us later, at the venue. We all smoked and chatted the evening away, and for me, the company really made the evening. After the Festival, DD, Liriel and I had a great breakfast, and while DD diverted my attention, Liriel picked up the tab.

Hats off to you all for a great evening. I didn't take any pictures, but DD did, and so I imagine we'll see those soon enough.