Over the last number of years, cigar enthusiasts across the United States have come to really appreciate Mexican San Andrês leaf, especially when used as a wrapper. You can count me in that demographic. In fact my original Boston Jimmie 60th Birthday cigar used a well aged San Andrês wrapper. But have you ever wondered what a full Mexican Puro cigar would offer the palate? Enter Casa 1910 Cigars, a new company based out of Mexico, that hit the premium cigar market in 2021 and is named after the year of the Mexican Revolution. Their debut cigar, Cuchillo Parado, is a true Mexican puro.
The company describes the Cuchillo Parado blend as:
- Wrapper: Mexico (Sumatra)
- Binder: Mexico (San Andrés)
- Filler: Mexico (San Andrés)
The company did not short cut the aging on the leaf used in this inaugural blend. The wrapper is reported to have been aged for 3 years and the binder aged for 5 years. While many cigars on the market have been aged an additional 3 – 4 months in an aging room, Casa 1910 aged theirs for upwards of 8 months.
The Cuchillo Parado, released in late 2021, is expressed in a single (5 x 50) robusto and comes packaged in both 10 and 20-count boxes. The MSRP has been set at $15.00/cigar.
Pre-Light Examination
The Casa 1910 Cigars Cuchillo Parado is a nice looking dark tan and smooth to the touch cigar. It does have a a few veins running along the barrel but nothing that would make this be described as rugged. The bunch is well packed and the roll exhibits tight seams and a firm feel to the touch. If anything was to be described as rugged it would the application of a rather simple cap.
Two bands adorn the cigar. The primary band uses a bright gold and white motif that displays the company’s logo in the center, a rattle snake wrapped around what looks like a tree trunk. There is more to unpack on the primary band. Across the top is printed the phrase “MIL NOVECIENTES DIEZ” which translates into 1910 and the bottom states “Origen Veracruz Mexico” which identifies the location where the cigar is made. The left and right side displays the colors of the Mexican flag (green, white, orange). There is a circle on the left with the number 19 and “Orgullo Nacional” (National Pride) along with a circle on the left with the number 10 and “Elaborado por Artesanos” (Made by Artisans). A secondary orange band is placed just below the primary and states the name of the cigar Cuchillo Parado in gold.
As I ran the cigar along the nose, I picked up sweet baking spice notes along the barrel while the foot has a bit of a campfire note and touch of earthiness. I must say the campfire note through me off a bit, as I was not expecting it. A few more sniffs of the foot and yep, campfire.
Using my CigarMedics Baller cutter, I opened the cap perfectly an gave the Cuchillo Parado some cold draw puffs that I found to be a tad more open than I like but definitely not airy. The draw offered notes of pepper, cream, and bit of sea salt.
Using my single flame torch, I warmed the foot to an even orange glow and drew in the first puffs of pepper and woody notes to start the journey. Follow along as I burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Initial light offers a mix of pepper and wood notes
- A medium grey ash develops on top of a medium thick and slightly wavy char line
- Each puff is delivering a full volume of thick and chewy smoke
- A growing citrus tang begins to add to the profile moving through the first third
- The smoke is rather smooth moving into the second third with cocoa nuances and an added cedar note
- A slight off burn develops but does not demand a touch up
- Floral notes brighten the profile midway
- The profile starts to get a bitter bite moving towards the final third
- I did note a small hole in burn cone when the ash dropped
- Medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 30 minutes
Final Analysis
I have to say I was rather intrigued when I read the description of the Casa 1910 Cigars Cuchillo Parado being a Mexican Puro with some well aged tobacco leaf. The pre-light further enticed me with some rather unique and unexpected notes like the campfire and sea salt. The first half of the cigar was decent, but things started to become unbalanced in the second half and eventually developed a rather bitter bite through the remainder. The construction was average at best, with a jagged burn and an occasional off burn but never needed a touch up. Sadly it also exhibited a small tunnel hole in the burn cone. I rate this an 85.
Point Deductions: (-1) Wavy Burn; (-1) Medium Grey Ash; (-1) Off Burn; (-2) Small Tunnel Hole in Burn Cone; (-1) Bitter in second half; (-1) Unbalanced Flavors in the second half; (-2) Expensive for the performance
