From Cuba to Nicaragua
The Oliva story begins in 1886, when Melanio Oliva planted his first tobacco seeds in the rich red soil of Pinar del Río, Cuba. What started as one man's passion for tobacco grew into one of the most respected cigar dynasties in the world.
When the revolution forced the family from Cuba, they rebuilt everything in Nicaragua — planting in the volcanic soils of Estelí, Jalapa, and Condega. Gilberto Oliva Sr. and his son Gilberto Jr. expanded the brand through the 1990s and 2000s, earning a reputation for meticulous quality and vertical integration.
The family grows their own tobacco across multiple Nicaraguan regions, controlling every step from seed to finished cigar. That commitment paid off in 2014, when the Oliva Serie V was named #1 Cigar of the Year by Cigar Aficionado.
Acquired by J. Cortès in 2016, the Oliva family remains deeply involved in production, ensuring the same standard of excellence that has defined the brand for over a century.
