The company has announced the Oliva Serie V Melanio Gran Reserva Limitada World Cup 2026 Edition, which comes in a soccer-ball-shaped box and includes 24 cigars. Inside are the regular production Oliva Serie V Melanio Double Toro, specifically 12 of the standard blend and 12 of the Maduro. Both cigars measure 6 x 60 and are box-pressed. These are regular production cigars, though those used for this release feature a special secondary band.

Each box has an MSRP of $680, and production is limited to 5,000 boxes, with 4,250 slated for the American market. They are expected to ship to stores following the 2026 PCA Convention & Trade Show, which takes place April 18-20 in New Orleans.

“Everybody see the goals, everybody hears the cheers, but the true power of legends lies in the way they took the gift of nature and turned it into a craft-and the craft itself is a new gift to the world,” said Fred Vandermarliere, owner of Oliva Cigar Co., in a press release. “It is not about wanting to be the best. It is about becoming synonymous with the game itself. Such is what we aspire to each day at Oliva Cigar Company. It was our desire for supreme craftsmanship that helped us design one of the most beautiful cigar keepsakes of all time.”

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Size: 6 x 60 Gordo Box Press

The Cold Draw :

The flavors include cola, cocoa powder, dark cherry, cabernet grape, pine needle, plum, coriander, leather, gooseberry, sea salt, sapolte, and clove.

Flavors

1st :

The initial puffs of this cigar reveal a delightful blend of sweet baking from vanilla and baker’s chocolate. Earthy notes of cedar, roasted pine nuts. and rounding it with preserved lemon and pangon

There is a back note of long-pepper spice.

2nd:

The second third of the cigar offers more earthy notes with leather, copper, whole wheat, and burnt caramel. A dark sweetness is throughout like molasses, prune, coffee, and sun-dried tomato. It finishes with a hebatious note like of rubbed sage and plantain to rind it out

3rd:

The last third has a more earthy note throughout, with notes of sandalwood, brown rice, oak, buck brush, and temerand. Notes of cashew bring out a creamy note along with bosc pear and melba toast. There is spice to it from long pepper, but more from grains of paradise.

It finishes with a malty, creamy note like black matcha.

The Draw :

I made a straight cut and encountered resistance; I could not get a good draw at first.

After the draw was constant and smooth with no ristance to it, but I do purge a few times.

The Burn :

The burn is consistent and even, but once lit, it does not need to be relit and does have a high smoke output

The Appearance :

The wrapper is smooth, with a slight shine and very little oil.

It is a medium-full cigar with a slightly high nicotine content.

There is only a unique label with a soccer ball at the bottom, but this is just like the regular one

Final Thoughts:

This cigar is just like the standard, but with a unique label with a soccer ball at the bottom, to make it more expensive.

This cigar is nothing special, just a cigar, and that’s just it,

I was so disappointed in this, from the flavors to the textures

Oliva - Serie V Melanio Gran Reserva Limitada World Cup 2026 Edition