Villiger Cigars has a history that stretches back to 1888, and that founding year serves as the namesake for the company’s 1888 line. The latest extension takes the blend in a darker direction with the Villiger 1888 San Andres.
The cigar has blend described as:
- Wrapper – Mexican San Andrés
- Binder – Ecuadorian Habano
- Filler – Nicaragua
The cigar is produced at the Villiger de Nicaragua factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, and is offered in three vitolas, each packaged in 20-count boxes:
- Robusto (5 x 50) – MSRP $12.00
- Churchill (7 x 47) – MSRP $13.00
- Box Pressed Toro (6 x 52) – MSRP $12.50
For this review, I sample 3 of the Box-pressed Toros, which I received from the company for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.
The yellow presentation used on the bands and packaging is designed to connect the cigar with Mexico and the San Andrés region, giving the line a distinctive appearance on the shelf.
Pre-Light Examination
The Villiger 1888 San Andres Toro is presented with a dark brown, toothy wrapper displaying a touch of marbling and practically no noticeable veins. The box press is well formed, and a gentle squeeze along the barrel reveals just the right amount of give. The cigar is finished with a well-applied double cap.
The Villiger 1888 San Andres band has a clean, almost architectural presentation that stands apart from more ornate cigar bands. The design is dominated by a bright golden-yellow field, with the large black “1888” numerals serving as the primary visual element. Along one side is a contrasting warm cream/gold panel featuring the VILLIGER name and traditional crowned crest. Multiple thin metallic-gold, black, and white horizontal borders separate the two sections and give the band a structured, upscale appearance. A raised, rounded tab around the Villiger logo adds a subtle architectural element to the otherwise rectangular design.
Running the cigar along the nose, I picked up natural tobacco sweetness and earth along the barrel. The foot was considerably more expressive, offering an enticing combination of chocolate and nut.
After opening the cap, I gave the cigar a few cold puffs. The draw was spot-on in restriction, delivering an interesting sea salt note followed by black pepper that continued to build with each cold puff.
With the pre-light examination complete, it was time to fire up the Villiger 1888 San Andres Toro and see where the journey would take me.
The Smoking Experience
Once fired up with my single-flame torch, I was immediately greeted with a combination of butter and pepper. The pepper was particularly noticeable on the retrohale, providing a sharp contrast to the buttery opening.
A white ash began forming on top of a thin and decently behaved char line. The cigar was producing a clean burn from the start.
The ash eventually dropped in a small chunk, revealing a decent and centered burn cone underneath.
As I moved deeper into the first third, the initial pepper began to tone down and transitioned into a more refined spice note. At the same time, an enticing fruity aroma began wafting from the foot. That aroma proved to be a preview of the next stage of the cigar.
Moving into the second third, fruit found its way onto the palate, adding another dimension to the profile. An interesting umami note soon entered the mix, bringing a savory quality that played well against the fruit and spice. Through all of this, the burn remained very well behaved, allowing me to concentrate on the developing flavor profile rather than tending to the cigar.
As I worked through the second third, the spice began to increase again. It was not an abrupt transition but rather a gradual ratcheting up of intensity.
Moving into the final third, that progression continued as spice became increasingly dominant. The fruit remained present but moved into the background, providing a subtle counterpoint to the more assertive spice. The Villiger 1888 San Andres Toro finished at a comfortable medium strength and provided a total smoking time of 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Final Analysis
The Villiger 1888 San Andres Toro proved to be a well-constructed and nicely balanced cigar that offered enough transition to keep my attention throughout the 90-minute experience. The journey began with an enjoyable butter and pepper combination, followed by the pepper settling into a more refined spice. Fruit then moved from an aroma off the foot onto the palate, where it was joined by an interesting savory umami component in the second third. The cigar gradually shifted its focus toward spice, which continued to build through the final third while the fruit lingered quietly in the background.
Construction was a definite positive. The cigar maintained a very well-behaved burn, the draw was right where I like it, and there was no need to spend the smoking experience fighting with the cigar.
The Villiger 1888 San Andres Toro delivered a flavorful medium-strength experience with a few interesting twists along the way. In particular, the combination of fruit and umami helped distinguish the profile from a more traditional spice-forward San Andrés blend.
This is worth a box buy
Strength: Medium
Smoking Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes