Toasted Marshmallow Maduro by Ohana Nui

BRAND / CO:  Ohana
CIGAR:  Toasted Marshmallows Maduro
VITOLA:  Lonsdale - 7" x 44
STRENGTH:  Medium - Full
WRAPPER:  Mexican San Andrés, Maduro
BINDER:  Nicaragua
FILLER:  Nicaragua (Condega, Jalapa)
ORIGIN:  Nicaragua, Origen Cigars S.A.

APPEARANCE & CONSTRUCTION:   Good
This is a dark chocolate brown MSA wrapper with light tooth that has a dark texture. It's on the dry side but has nice mottling and color variation. It's a little lumpy, but all the veins are thin. It's a thicker leaf, so the seam edges are raised but tight. The triple cap is a little sloppy, but it's secure. It sports the same cartoon marshmallow band as the Connecticut. It's inconsistent with the firmness, as some spots are quite squishy and the section between the band and the head is very firm, almost rock solid.

DRAW & BURN:   Poor / Good
The draw is incredibly tight, so I'm going to let it take a moment to heat up before I reach for the draw tool. Given the 7-inch length of the cigar, I'm not optimistic that this will loosen on its own as it's too firm to finger roll and massage, but it improves in the first inch to a more acceptable resistance, but it's still tight. The burn starts off quite wavy but also settles in nicely to an even line in the first inch that stays consistent through the burn. The ash is a medium to dark gray that's absolutely covered with oil crystals. The striations are tight, but the ash is quickly curving and looking like it's ready to break off any moment, and it does after the first inch.

FLAVOR PROFILE:   Excellent
Dry baking cocoa hits immediately on the first several draws, followed by baking spice, caramel sweetness, cedar, and breadiness. Where the Connecticut is graham cracker and toasted marshmallow, this is bringing the chocolate to give it a s'mores-like flavor. Like the Connecticut, it's also a fairly simple but tasty profile to start.

With the second third, there are really no major changes. Baking cocoa is primary, with that graham cracker breadiness, light cedar, pepper, and cinnamon spice, salted caramel, and a mild salted caramel sweetness. It's still a very dry blend, without much complexity or transitions. There's a little more dry, musty earth and coffee in the mix, but this one is landing really nicely.  There are even some nice vanilla notes that are popping up.
I mentioned toasted s'mores, but it's a bit more like a creamy Mexican hot chocolate with marshmallows in the final third. The 7" Lonsdale format is working to this cigar's advantage because it's giving it more time for the flavors to really come together. There are no changes heading into the final third. This is a simple blend, but it hits!

OVERALL EXPERIENCE:   Great
A blend doesn't need to be complex and light up the flavor wheel to be good.  It's like pizza, sometimes you only need one topping. But when it all comes together and it's great, it's just great! It's a shame that the Connecticut didn't land the same way, but it doesn't matter because we have the Maduro. Hopefully other examples have better draw and this was a one-off because it dragged the overall score down, but this blend definitely deserves your attention.

Purchase Singles or by the Box HERE

Reviewed by Sean McCloskey of The Collective