Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Mexigars HBA is a medium reddish-brown and has some raised, knotty veins that are surrounded by a lighter shade. The seams are smooth and the caps are decently applied. The band is red, white green and gold and is situated upside down in comparison to most bands as when the cigar is foot up, the top portion of the band is a volcano, which will play to the ash as the cigar is smoked. The band also denotes the company, brand and line. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of earth and light cardboard, while the foot brings bread, earth and mild spice. The pre-light draw brings cedar, earth and a light smokiness.
Seth: The Mexigars HBA is an average looking cigar. The bands pop against the dark Colorado wrapper, and the coloring is that of marbled red clay. The cigar has a nice give when squeezed, and the wrapper is slightly oily with some coarse qualities. Medium sized veins are present throughout. Aromas of rich earth, spices, tobacco, leather and seasoned wood.
John: The Mexigars HBA comes in cellophane and features a UPC sticker with cigar information and an integrated tear space that allows it to remain intact when opened. The band, which reads Mexigars HBA, is inverted compared to a standard band design. I weighed the cigar at 16.7 grams and measured the humidity with the CigarMedics Humidimeter Pro at 62.3%. Aromas from the wrapper included musty tobacco, wood and faint barnyard, while the foot offered sweet tobacco and hay.
Jiunn: The Mexigars HBA has an even Colorado wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas consist of construction paper and mixed nuts.

Mexigars HBA

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with a mix of toasted cedar and earth. The retrohale brings a musty mix of the toasted cedar and earth. At three quarters of an inch in, a light mustiness joins the mouth draws. At an inch and a quarter, some leather joins the profile. At an inch and a half in, a mild black pepper becomes present. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is a bit ahead of the earth, with leather in the middle of the profile and some mustiness and black pepper in the background. The strength was slightly below medium.
Seth: The first third began with soft earth notes that are paired with wood, coffee and spices. There is some sweetness and pepper qualities with the spices. Bits of leather and barnyard are present as well. In terms of strength and body, I would classify the cigar as medium.
John: The first third begins with dry herbs and baking spices as an herbal and dry wood combination finishes the draw. Light-plus strength sweet earth moves into the center of the profile. Wood is defining the post draw as the cigar progresses to the halfway point, while coffee moves into the retrohale as the first third continues.
Jiunn: Off the first draw, I’m not focused on the flavors. I’m mainly focused on the sensations of dryness and staleness. In terms of flavors, leather, burning paper, mixed nuts and anise. The retrohale is better as there’s more focused leather. The finish shows soft lingering cedar wood and dry bread. Strength and body is medium.

Mexigars HBA

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the earth becomes even with the toasted cedar up front. At a quarter inch in, the black pepper increases a bit. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth, leather and some black pepper. At an inch in, the earth takes a slight lead in the profile. At an inch and a half in, the black pepper is now even with the leather in the middle of the profile. As the third comes to a close, the earth has a decent lead over the toasted cedar, with leather and black pepper in the middle of the profile and some mustiness in the background. The strength bumped up to medium.
Seth: The second third is fairly in line with the first. I am getting some coffee with spicy notes on the cigar. Sweet baking spices with some pepper qualities. Earth and barnyard are present with some leather on the finish. Like before, medium in strength and body.
John: Creamy, tannic wood takes the cigar into the second third with dry wood finishing. The herbal notes from the first third fade into the background. A fresh, dry wood note moves into the retrohale, and mild chocolate attempts to join but is pushed down by the dominant wood character already present.
Jiunn: The second third’s flavor profile is for the most part intact. The only difference is the cedar getting sharper, which adds more character to the profile. But it’s still highly dry and stale. Strength and body remains medium.

Mexigars HBA

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the earth becomes to dominant component in the profile. The retrohale remains toasted cedar, earth, leather and some black pepper. At three quarters of an inch in, the earth eases a bit closer to the toasted cedar. At an inch and a quarter, the black pepper increases a bit more. As the cigar wraps up, the earth is a bit ahead of the toasted cedar, with black pepper just behind the cedar. The leather remains in the middle of the profile, with some mustiness in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The final third is fairly in line with the second. Some more mineral notes are present with the earth, barnyard and coffee profile. Pepper spices are still present with a finish of tobacco. Medium in strength and body.
John: A combination of earth, wood and mild sweet tobacco take the cigar into the final third with medium-strength tannic wood finishing. Salt and minerality move into the post draw as the third settles in, while medium-full strength earth takes over the post draw by the halfway point.
Jiunn: The final third is the same as second third. Still the same dry and stale mouthfeel with flavors of spicier cedar, leather, burning paper, mixed nuts and anise. Strength and body finishes the same medium.

Mexigars HBA

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout, and the ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: The burn was good from start to finish.
John: The burn was straight through the entire review experience.
Jiunn: Great burn performance giving an even burn, tight ashes and cool burning temperatures.

Mexigars HBA

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was good from beginning to end.
John: I measured the draw at 60 inches of water with the CigarMedics draw machine. Subjectively, I found the draw to be roughly 1½ to 2 notches toward the resistant spectrum.
Jiunn: The draw was also great, providing the best mix of air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with a mix of toasted cedar and earth. Some light mustiness joined in a bit later and then some leather and mild black pepper followed. The second third saw the earth become even with the cedar up front and the pepper increased a bit. Later, the earth took a slight lead in the profile and the pepper became even with the leather. The final third saw the earth become dominant and then eased back a bit and the pepper increased some more. Construction was absolutely perfect. The Mexigars HBA had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around earth and toasted cedar. The supporting notes didn’t do enough to elevate the profile. While the price point is pretty attractive in the current market, the earth focus just didn’t provide a profile I’d really seek out again.
Seth: I’m not sure what to make of Casa 1910 making affordable Mexican puro offerings. They have built themselves up as being a premium Mexican company, and that is the direction they need to go. Going cheap/affordable on a Mexican cigar is not the direction you want to go in my opinion. The bands may be catchy, but they also look like a nicer bundled cigar band. I guess in today’s market, this is a bundle cigar, but I don’t think that is what Casa 1910 should be doing. The Mexigars HBA was lacking overall. Not bad, but lacking. Decent flavor profile, but nothing ever got delivered or grew.
John: The Mexigars HBA delivered an herbal and wood-driven profile with supporting notes of sweet earth, coffee and dry spice in the first third. While the construction was excellent, the flavor balance gradually shifted toward a heavier earth and wood combination, leading to a dry and mineral-forward finish in the final third. Despite solid performance in burn and draw, the overall experience was linear and lacked complexity. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 56 minutes.
Jiunn: The Mexigars HBA executes delivering earthiness and spice very well, but the culprit is the dry and stale mouthfeel throughout the entire smoking experience. Because of this, the flavors themselves all taste monotone and flat. This is not something I would be interested in returning to.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.72

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.60

Cost/Point

$1.77

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.25

Cost/Point

$1.89

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.72

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Mexigars HBA