Vitola: Robusto- 4.875” x 50 ring gauge
- MSRP $5.95
- Samples provided by company
Background
2016 was a challenging year for the Villiger Cigar company. Late in 2015, the company was overhauled with most, if not all, sales reps left jobless and stores left with no clue as to the future direction of the company. Rene Castaneda was hired to help turn the ship around, a process which included revamping the company’s product lines…again.
In December 2016, the company shipped the “new” Villiger 1888, kicking it off with a launch party in Miami, Florida. The 1888 name made an original appearance in 2010 as a limited edition cigar, celebrating the company’s 100 year anniversary in Germany. I can’t tell you if this version is identical in blend to that one, but the current release uses Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, a Mexican binder, and an Ecuadorian wrapper. It is made in the Dominican Republic in 5 sizes, all of which seem relatively bargain-priced; the Corona has an MSRP of $5.70 and the Toro Gordo runs $8.20.
Castaneda is quoted as saying, “Villiger Cigars has undergone major positive changes in 2016 to include a new distribution center, new personnel and a new business philosophy. We look forward to ending the year on a high note with the release of the Villiger 1888 and we look forward to a prosperous 2017. We thank our supporters, colleagues, and customers for all the support in this past year.”
Villiger Cigars sent samples of the 1888 for review purposes. I have smoked a couple of them before I fired up this review sample.
Prelight
For a $6 stick, the 1888 has quite a visual presence. The box is fairly plain, but clean and nice-looking. The band makes liberal use of gold foil, almost tending toward gaudy, but not quite. The wrapper leaf was a toasted caramel color, smooth with an oily touch, and had barnyard notes to the nose. Notes of barnyard continued on the foot, which also had a mix of mineral and grassy aromas.
The prelight draw was very good, featuring flavors of earth, grass and citrus.
Flavor
As I toasted the foot of the Villiger 1888, the breeze in the air blew a strong cedar aroma to my nose. It took some doing to get the cigar fully lit, which I found particularly strange since it was an average, moderate temperature (about 60º) and the cigar had been stored at average or slightly lower humidity for several weeks (about 65 to 68%, probably). Once lit, though, I got an interesting and complex blend of hay and cedar, earth and pepper, wrapped up in a mild-to-medium-bodied smoke. There were touches of citrus and molasses sweetness, but just barely noticeable at the front end. The retrohale was mildly peppery and nutty.
As I got into the second third, the body picked up and some black pepper was added to the mix. I still got a mostly grassy and citrusy note up front, with touches of sweetness and earth on the backend.
The last third saw the Villiger 1888 ramp fully into the medium-bodied range, with earthy note aplenty and grassiness taking on a more supporting role. There was a slight increase in pepper and the citrus sweetness still hung around in the background.
Construction
All the samples of these I smoked had great construction: nearly perfect draw, very even burn line, and solid ash.
Value
The Villiger 1888 is a good cigar and the price is very reasonable, so I call it good value.
Conclusions
The Villiger 1888 qualifies as a “good” cigar and definitely worth the bargain price of admission. I don’t remember the original release in detail, but I seem to remember not enjoying it as much as I did this version. This could definitely be a good seller, slotting in at a price point around the same as the AJ Fernandez New World and appealing to the segment of the market that wants something slightly milder than that cigar and with a bit more complexity.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
