Today I would like to present a review of the latest release from Ohana Cigars known as the M13. The name is an homage to brand owner Ryan Frank Rodriguez’ grandma. Ryan called her mom. She has passed away. That’s where the 13 comes from. M is the 13th letter in the alphabet. Ryan noted that she always pushed him to believe in himself. That’s why he uses the word Ohana. His dad was the one who made it possible to have his brand.
The cigar itself has a blend described as:
- Wrapper – Habano Rosado
- Binder – Mexican San Andres
- Filler – Nicaraguan regional tobaccos
The cigar is expressed in a single (6 x 50) Toro vitola with an MSRP of $12/cigar. They are packaged in 20 count boxes. The cigars are handcrafted at Tabacalera Pichardo in Nicaragua.
For this review, I sampled 3 Ohana M13 10 cigars. Two of them I received from the company for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press. One other sample was part of the package I received from the ForTwentyClub, run by Brian Lewis, which was smoked with a panel of enthusiasts.
Pre-Light Examination
The Ohana Cigars M13 10 is a beautiful cigar with solid construction. The wrapper is medium brown with a light reddish tinge and a mild toothiness to the touch and a decent oily sheen. Construction is completed with a fan tail cap and a semi closed foot.
Two bands adorn the cigar. The primary band is the standard Ohana Cigars band that proudly displays the name “Ohana” in white on a red background. A secondary golden footer band is also applied.
Running the cigar along the nose I picked up a woody like aroma along the barrel along with a slight barnyard note off the foot.
Once I sliced the cap straight across the shoulder of the cigar, I gave it some cold draw puffs that I found to be spot on with restriction imparting a growing black pepper note that pleasantly coated the palate.
Using my single flame torch, I warmed the foot which took to the heat perfectly a I drew in the first notes of natural tobacco sweetness and pepper to start the journey.
Cigar Review Notes
- Initial notes of sweetness on the palate along with pepper notes on the retrohale
- Nice white ash forms
- Mild cherry like notes add to the early profile
- The ash fell in a small chunk revealing a well formed burn cone
- Honey notes enter deep in the first third along with a touch of lingering generic fruit
- Continued spice notes moving through the second third
- There was a slight off burn midway but no touch up was required
- I was pleasantly surprised when the profile radically shifted to a rich dark chocolate note deep in the second third
- The chocolate and spice take it to the end with a well rounded clean finish
- Medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1hour and 30 minutes
Final Analysis
The initial puffs of the Ohana M13 10 bring a pleasant sweetness to the palate, paired with pepper notes that show themselves more clearly on the retrohale. Mild cherry-like notes join the profile, adding a touch of brightness to the opening third. The ash soon falls in a small chunk, revealing a well-formed and centered burn cone.
Deep into the first third, honey notes begin to emerge, accompanied by a lingering, generic fruit character that rounds out the sweetness nicely. Moving through the second third, continued spice notes maintain a steady backbone. A slight off-burn develops midway, though it never requires a touch-up and corrects itself naturally.
Things become particularly interesting deep in the second third when the profile makes a dramatic shift, unveiling a rich and satisfying dark chocolate note. From there, the combination of chocolate and spice carries the cigar confidently to the finish, delivering a well-rounded and clean conclusion.
Point Deductions: (-1) Off Burn; (-1) Ash dropped often;
Bonus Points: (+1) Well rounded clean finish; (+1) Box Buy
