Cigar: Villiger La Libertad
Size: 5 x 52
Wrapper: Equador
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
MSRP: $6.00 to $7.00 per cigar
Samples received from the manufacturer
The next cigar up for review today is one that was initially released in 2016 by Villiger Cigars. Scoring strongly and earning a number of accolades that year, it was decided this year by the Villiger top brass to re-release the La Libertad (Freedom in Spanish) and rebrand the cigar. In my opinion, it’s always great when a limited run of anything (cigar, beer, favorite food, etc.) gets enough recognition and drive to warrant it to be available full time. I checked to make sure that I hadn’t already done a review of this cigar back in 2016 (no review from me), so I was more than happy to tee off on this one. A big thank you to Villiger Cigars for the chance to review this re-released cigar.
No construction issues found on the third cigar of five sent. The pre-light aromas gave me notes that reminded me of a field of tilled earth, florals and straw. The cold draw was a balance of wood and florals but very slight upon the palette. I opted on this review for a straight cut from the guillotine just to change things up from my often-used V cut. The light brought an ever-so slightly tight draw with complex opening notes of florals, spice, wood and something with a light touch of sweet. Villiger considers this a medium bodied cigar and I would occur with their strength assessment. Nine minutes into the smoking was where the florals began to fade while the spice and wood began to rise. For the next 30 minutes, the cigar held firm and smoked as described in the chilly fall air. It was after that 30 minutes smoked that the tightness noticed in the opening draw of the cigar opened up, offering less resistance and more smoke on the exhale. The last 40 minutes of the cigar pushed the strength every so slightly but not getting out of the medium bodied range. The flavor profile finalized with faint spice, that sweetness found at the onset and finishing woody notes. The total smoking time on the La Libertad finished at 1:20.
I touched up a couple minor burn corrections throughout the smoking of the cigar as well as the previously noted barely-tight draw at the start. Otherwise, it was great to the end and not enough to be bothered by to drop points from the cigar.
By-The-Numbers
Pre-light: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.25/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.25/10
To recap the Villiger La Libertad:
- I found a complex and flavorful medium bodied re-release from Villiger Cigar that smoked evenly from start to finish.
- The complexity of the flavors coupled with the strength of the cigar makes this a cigar that can be enjoyed by a vast majority of smokers.
- Way under $10.00 a cigar. A fantastic value for what you are getting.
- The La Libertad will definitely find its way to my humidor again.
Thank you to Villiger Cigars once again for the opportunity to review this cigar and thanks to all of you for reading. I look forward to the next time I can share my thoughts with you.
