It all about family and 2015 is turning into a wonderful start to the cigar industry with new boutique cigars starching to hit the market. Today we have the pleasure of reviewing one of these new introductions the OHANA, from Familia Rodriguez Tabacos LLC. OHANA Cigars are the creation of , Ryan Rodriguez, with the help and support of his father who is his investor as well as partner in the company. They are produced in the Plasencia factory in Nicaragua. Ryan chose Plasencia because they are the largest producer of tobacco in the world, with fields of tobacco in every region tobacco can be grown.
The name OHANA was chosen for this new blend, because it is the Hawaiian word used to describe family and close friends. This introductory blend is a tribute to all those in the cigar industry including Ryan’s family, cigar manufacturers, shops, and Brothers and Sisters of the Leaf that provided the inspiration for him..
OHANA cigars currently come in 2 blends:
- “First Generation” – an all Nicaraguan puro, with 7-10 year aged tobacco
- “Friends and family” – which uses a Habano Rosado wrapper, is also a all Nicaraguan Puro, and the tobacco is at least 7-10 years aged as well.
The First Generation line is available in a limited production of 500o (500 10 count boxes) and come in 2 vitolas:
- Toro – 6×50
- Churchill -7×47
The Friends and Family line is also available iin limited production of 3000 (300 10 count boxes) and come in only one vitola
- Toro – 6×50
Today I review the OHANA First Generation Toro.
Examining the stick you will notice the dark Nicaraguan 7 year aged Sun Grown Criollo wrapper that has a slight discoloration to it.The discoloration is not something that concerns me and is not uncommon in a sun grown leaf. It is actually an indication of being sun grown and is the results of sun spots. Other than that, the wrapper has a slight sheen to it and there are no significant veins. The seams are tight and the cap is well applied.
The band itself is classic in nature, Red, Gold and White. The word OHANA is prominently displayed in white on the red background and the words Familia Rodriiguez are printed on the left and right of the band. Under OHANA are 2 golden scripted R’s that signify Ryan Rodriguez or could very well symbolize Rodriguez and Rodriguez the father son team behind these cigars.
Ohana First Generation
The aroma of the cigar foot has a kind of smokey scent to it. I could almost describe it as the same scent I get from a peaty Islay scotch. I am not drinking anything but water with this sampling but I would like to pair this with a snifter of Lagavulin scotch.
I give it a double blade cut and the exposed head shows a well packed cigar with no loose tobacco from head to foot. The barrel is firm with no soft spots and the draw is only slightly restricted indicating a long burn. The dry draw flavor is peppery and sweet.
Firing up the OHANA First Generation, I am hit with a a full volume of peppery smoke that cleanses the nostrils. The ash is a medium gray and it holds tight for a good inch and half. Into the first third the pepper fades and there is a dried fruit taste that enters the profile along with a nutty aroma that fills my nostrils. The fruit flavor is further enhanced with a some subtle notes of coffee.
Moving into the second third there is a transition to more of a sweet cedar note. The ash picks back up and holds tight for another run. I did need to do a small touch up at this point as the burn got more uneven than I would like, but once fixed it continued to burn well and carried for another good inch and half.
The cedar morphed into a bit of cinnamon and the aroma shifted from nutty to molasses which stayed through most of the remainder of the cigar.
The final third brought forward a toasted nut flavor that blended well with the still pronounced molasses aroma There was also a reemergence of pepper in the final third.
Overall the OHANA First Generation was a pleasurable medium body smoke and I thank Ryan Rodriguez and Familia Rodriguez for the samples of this and the Friends and Family which we will review also this week. If you get an opportunity to pick up one of these cigars we highly recommend it. The OHANA cigar line is a welcome addition to the 2015 family of boutique cigars and we look forward to more from Ryan in the future.
ohana
Ohana First Generation