Vitola: Robusto- 5” x 50 ring gauge
- ~$8.50
- Samples provided by Villiger Cigars
Background
Villiger Cigars debuted the San’Doro lines in 2015; I remember seeing them at the IPCPR trade show in New Orleans that year, as well as trying out some show samples soon afterwards. I did not get to try any actual shipping version of the cigar for quite some time, however, as we were having “rep trouble” at the shop I work in.
Villiger Cigars sent out some Christmas gift packages to bloggers, though, containing a very nice ash tray and a few samples of the San’Doro Colorado, which I had been waiting patiently to try. I smoked through several of them and saved this last one for review.
The San’Doro Colorado uses Nicaraguan filler and binder, along with an Ecuadorian Habano Colorado wrapper. They come in 20-count boxes in three sizes.
Prelight
The band and box look nice, if not overwhelmingly so. They are attractive, though I wondered if the dark and medium browns, gold foil and a splash of red would really garner much attention in the humidor all by itself. I guess if it were surrounded by other Villiger products like the Flor de Ynclan or Vencedora it would look “a part of a whole.”
The wrapper leaf was a medium brown with a tinge of red, exactly as you might expect from a Colorado leaf. The aroma from it was a mix of earth and hay with just the slightly leather note. The foot of the stick had leather and vegetation over earthier notes.
Once clipped I got a good draw that had flavors of anise and hay mostly.
Flavor
The San’Doro Colorado started off medium-plus in body with notes of wood, hay and light earth. There was a slight peppery heat on the finish, while the retrohale was nutty with a little pepper and anise. As I got further into the first third, there was a citrus zing that came in strongly, while the cedar faded a bit.
In the second third, I got more citrus and cedar, while notes of earth and pepper increased in the mix. The retrohale, in particular, got more peppery.
As I got into the final third, I got an increase in cedar along with a corresponding decrease in citrus notes, which were adding a pleasant sweetness. I got some nuttiness and earth as secondary notes, while pepper held on as a nice accent.
Construction
The draw was snug, but not even approaching unsmokeable. The burn line was even enough after a big touch-up early on. The ash was solid up to about three-quarters of an inch.
Value
Good cigar with a very good price tag.
Conclusions
Overall, the San’Doro Colorado is a good cigar that I enjoyed, but I wasn’t blown away by it. I found that strange in that the first couple times I smoked it a few years ago, I was very impressed by it. Could be that my palate changed…could be that the blend was tweaked in the meantime. Whatever the case, I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed when comparing my memory with what I experienced this time around. Again…good cigar and a very attractive price tag, but it really didn’t rise above its price point.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10
