It’s been a significant number of years since I last reviewed the Villiger Connecticut Cuellar Kreme – precisely eight years to be exact. Thus, I thought it was high time to revisit this excellent cigar, perfect for starting your day, to see if my palate had evolved or if the blend remained consistent. One thing that hasn’t changed is the loyalty and friendliness of my furry companion, Ziggy, who was just a little pup back then and still maintains the same level of devotion to this day. Now, let’s see how the Kreme fared over the years.
The Villiger Cuellar Connecticut Kreme is named after Diego Velazquez de Cuellar. The first Spaniard governor of Cuba.
The blend is described as:
- Wrapper – Ecuador Connecticut Shade
- Binder – Dominican
- Filler – Dominican
The Villiger Cuellar Connecticut Kreme is expressed in 4 different vitolas, each packaged in 20-count gloss white boxes.
- Churchill (7 x 50) – MSRP $8.50
- Robusto (5 x 48) – MSRP $7.50
- Toro Gordo (6 x 54) – MSRP $8.00
- Torpedo (6.25 x 52) – MSRP $8.50
For this review, I sampled one Villiger Cuellar Connecticut Kreme Toro Gordo which I received from the company for the purpose of revisiting and reviewing on Stogie Press.
Pre-Light Examination
The Villiger Cuellar Connecticut Kreme has maintained excellent construction sporting a medium tan wrapper that has a mild grit and a some noticeable veins. The cigar is firmly backed with no soft spots detected along the barrel. It has a decent cap to finish the presentation.
Two bands adorn the cigar. Both use a white and gold motif. The primary band boldly states this as the Cuellar along with the Villiger logo placed on top. The secondary band is positioned just below and and declares this as the Connecticut Kreme. The bands and packaging design have remained the same.
As I ran the Kreme along the nose, I did not pick up much aroma along the nose but the foot offered enticing notes of butter and hint of floral fruit.
Using my CigarMedics Baller cutter, I opened the cap perfectly and gave it some cold draw puffs that had an excellent restriction and graced the palate with an array of pre-light notes – cream, pepper, and light earth. The pepper grows a bit on the lips the more you cold puff it.
Using a lit cedar spill, I warmed the foot to an even orange glow and drew in the first puffs of black pepper notes to start the journey. Follow along as I burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Black pepper notes start the journey – opening up the nasals on the first retrohale
- A solid light grey ash forms on top of a medium thick char line
- Early hints of fruit join the profile
- Roasted nut aroma fills the air around me
- Ash continues to grow into the second third
- Tangy fruit notes appear nearing midway
- Ash fell revealing an excellent burn cone
- Spicy notes moving though the second third
- Mild bitter notes deep in second third
- Continued spice notes down to final
- Mild to Medium In Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 30 Minutes
Final Analysis
The latest Villiger Cuellar Connecticut Kreme Toro Gordo was a finevsmoke. It started off with an zesty blast of black pepper that was notably absent in the one I had smoked back in 2015. As the pepper gradually receded, I was greeted with delightful hints of fruit and nut, which were strikingly similar to those of the original blend. The fruit notes had a tangy undertone that complemented the spicy mix. The construction was superb, evident in the solid and long ash, just like the original cigar. As I had mentioned back in 2015, the Villiger Cuellar Connecticut Krēmē is not a complex cigar, but it delivers a perfectly balanced set of flavors with a consistent and rich creamy smoke. This cigar is still an ideal choice for a morning smoke, and I highly recommend it to any new cigar enthusiasts looking to try something new. This cigar is definitely worth grabbing a fiver of, and I rate it 93.
Point Deductions: (-1) Bitter Notes deep in second third; (-1) Not Complex
Bonus Points: (+1) Extreme Ash
