I have always said, cigars are more than just tobacco leaf rolled and smoked. Cigars are a lifestyle, a way for people from all walks of life to bond over a common enjoyment. We like to say it’s a Fellowship of the Leaf. Cigars allow us to sit back and take the time to enjoy a relaxing moment with old friends and new ones. This bond of the leaf has gone on for generations – centuries in fact. It matters little if you are a banker, lawyer, truck driver, or hair dresser; the time spent enjoying a cigar brings us together. In fact, one such bond occurred 22 years ago when famed cigar maker and Villiger Soehne AG Chairman of the Board, Heinrich Villiger, met Jose Matias Maragoto, a young ambitious Cuban native who was living and making cigars in the Dominican Republic.
The Villiger Cigar Company explains the bond:
…Jose Matias Maragoto was an unknown cigar maker, who was beginning a new life in a new country. Fast forward two decades, the once untested Matias Maragoto is the overseer of all Villiger made product made in the DR. The Flor de Ynclan cigar, is the fruition of a bond between two different men from different backgrounds, over the love of tobacco.
In celebration of this bond, Villiger will be rolling out the La Flor De Ynclan cigar at this years IPCPR. Pronounced “een klahn“, Villiger Cigars actually produced a small batch of the La Flor De Ynclan over a decade ago but was unsatisfied with the result and decided to cease production.
As noted in the La Flor De Ynclan press release:
The creation of every cigar carries a story, and this is no different. The La Flor De Ynclan is a special cigar, diligently crafted by Heinrich Villiger and master blender Jose Matias Maragoto of ABAM Cigar Factory in the Dominican Republic.
This bond is described even better by Heinrich Villiger:
“The La Flor De Ynclan cigar has been an ongoing labor of love for us. We feel that there is a difference between a good and great cigar, Matias Maragoto and I hope you feel the same.”
As part of the La Flor De Ynclan roll out, they had a pre-launch party that included sampler packs of the La Flor De Ynclan. The Sampler included 3 different vitolas, a Robusto, Torpedo, and Churchill. I was gifted one of these samplers and today I would like to provide a review of this fine cigar from Villiger Cigars.
The La Flor De Ynclan
As mentioned above the original La Flor De Ynclan was deemed not ready for production and pulled from the market over a decade ago. The tobacco was set aside and aged, while Matias meticulously tweaked the amount of the Indonesian, Dominican, and Nicaraguan tobacco within its Ecuadorian wrapper. Now as the 2017 IPCPR approaches, the La Flor De Ynclan is what both Heinrich and Matias imagined it could be.
The Villiger La Flor De Ynclan will be available in three vitolas and packaged in 25-count boxes.
- Robusto – 5 x 50 (MSRP $11.00)
- Torpedo – 6 x 52 (MSRP $12.00)
- Churchill – 7 x 48 (MSRP $12.00)
The complete blend of the is described as:
- Wrapper -Ecuadorian
- Binder -True Indonesian
- Filler – Choice Nicaraguan and Dominican tobacco
Pre-light Examination
First off, the Villiger La Flor De Ynclan is a stunningly beautiful cigar to look at. In fact the sampler box itself was eye-catching with its deep blue color and silver print. That motif is carried over to the band also with an added and red and white to accent the colors. These cigar will most certainly pop out on a humidor shelf.
The Ecuadorian wrapper has a medium milk chocolate-brown color to it along with a bit of tooth and was light on veins. The cigar is firm to the touch with no soft spots or spring to the barrel and has a nice weight in the hand. All three vitolas have perfectly finished caps just waiting to be snipped.
For this review I sampled the Torpedo which had a sweet fermented aroma along the barrel and notes of cinnamon, nut, and sweetness on the foot. I sliced the cap on a 45 degree angle giving me about a 1/4 inch opening. The cold draw was just to my liking and offered notes of earthy truffle, nut, and very slight hint of pepper. It passed the Stogie Press “palm test” with flying colors assuring me the barely visible seams were tight and closed.
Passing all the preliminaries, it was time to ignite the La Flor De Ynclan and see how it performs.
Cigar Review Notes
La Flor De Ynclan
La Flor De Ynclan
La Flor De Ynclan
La Flor De Ynclan
La Flor De Ynclan
- Initial puffs provided a light pepper on the nose
- Fruit and sweet cinnamon is delivered through medium – full volume of creamy smoke
- This is one of those cigars that has a perfect smoke ring texture to the smoke
- Pepper finds its way between the upper lip and teeth
- Light gray ash with solid form resting on an thick char line
- Mouth watering citrus enters after an inch
- Cinnamon spice aroma fills the air
- Straight burn – I love how the burn keeps up, not letting the line wave. So well constructed!
- Leather and cocoa notes enter as the smoke smooths out nicely
- Burn line thins out on the ever-growing ash
- Little more earth coming in the second third
- Amazing ash
- Citrus turns more to a fruit wrapped in sweet cream
- Ultra smooth retro hale at this point
La Flor De Ynclan
La Flor De Ynclan
La Flor De Ynclan
- Moving into the second half I picked up a long dry fruit finish on the palate
- Cinnamon moves in again
- Spice increases on the nose
- Smoke volume is full
- Very fruity finish
- Touch of almond end of second third
- Ash finally fell revealing a perfectly centered burn cone down at the nub
- Aroma shifted to more of an earthy note
- Finishes with a tasty spice
- Medium strength
- Total Smoking Time was 75 minutes down to the nub!
Overall, the Villiger La Flor De Ynclan was an amazing cigar with consistent full flavor, perfect construction, and an incredible ash.This paired extremely well with the Zfran Rum that was recommended by the company, bringing out the fruit nuance that ran though the core of the cigar along with the sweet cinnamon spice. I have been a fan of Villiger Cigars ever since I smoked the Villiger Cabareté Maduro back in 2014 which made the Stogie Press top 25 for that year placing #8. This year the La Flor De Ynclan is even better than the Cabareté Maduro and will hit my list of go to cigars in shop if they carry it. Top 25 for 2017? We shall see!
La Flor De Ynclan
Villiger North America was established to service the premium cigar enthusiast primarily in the United States. With production from some of the most respected manufacturers in Dominican Republic, Central America and elsewhere, it is the goal of the company, to introduce the finest smoking experience a premium handmade cigar has to offer. Today, and in the future, one can rest assured that when they choose a Villiger cigar, the quality of the leaf, the manufacturing, and even the packaging will be second to none.
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