Villiger La Vencedora Staff Review
Villiger La Vencedora is a reliable Nicaraguan premium, and I’m firing up a 6-by-50 Toro for today’s review. Villiger cigars are popular with volume buyers looking for a good blend that doesn’t cost a fortune to toss in the coolerdor. When your humidor is depleted and you’re paying off the credit card bills after the holidays, Villiger is a brand worth exploring because you can scoop up a top-rated box for a big discount.
The critics in Cigar Aficionado consider La Vencedora one of the best Villiger cigars you can buy today. It’s an authentic Nicaraguan Puro blended from an oily Nicaraguan wrapper leaf and a vintage recipe of well-aged Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos on the inside. Company owner Heinrich Villiger hails from a long family heritage in the tobacco industry. His grandfather founded Villiger in 1888 in Switzerland, and the brand is best known for its machine-made cigars, Villiger Export in particular. In the past fifteen years, Heinrich focused on growing a portfolio of premium handmade cigars for the U.S. market, opening a new cigar factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, in 2021 to increase production.
When I crack open a fresh box of Villiger La Vencedora, noticeable aromas of earth, cocoa, wood, and pepper emanate from the top row of cigars. Shiny black and silver bands adorn the cigars. They come in boxes of 25 that you can get for under $120, almost half off the original retail price. I like to restock my humidor with an affordable box during the winter, so I’ve got some inexpensive cigars to smoke while I’m shoveling the snow. It’s a bonus that the critics rated Villiger La Vencedora a whopping 94 points when it came out. Plus, I’m getting a premium long-filler cigar that comes in a box as opposed to a bundle.
After clipping the cap and taking a few cold draws, smooth and hearty notes of cedar, oats, and wheat create an inviting first impression. The Toro displays adequate airflow despite one or two soft spots when I perform a gentle pinch test. La Vencedora opens with big plumes of creamy, peppery smoke in an effortless draw. The retrohale is spicier than the taste on my palate, but that’s what I generally expect in the first phase of smoking a cigar.
In the initial ten minutes, the Toro unfolds with tasting notes of oatmeal and wheat with hints of damp soil and spice. A slight undercurrent of minerals and earth eventually fades. La Vencedora settles into an approachable profile of dark cocoa powder, wheat, cedar, and spice throughout the middle of the cigar. I’ve had to touch up a crooked burn a few times, which I attribute to the soft spots I noticed before I lit the cigar. A cigar will canoe if it’s underfilled, but luckily the issue is temporary for La Vencedora. A nice firm ash forms as I power through the final third of the Toro.
Hints of rum come into play after the band is off the cigar. The intensity of the nub culminates in a lingering finish of oatmeal cookie dough, black pepper, and earth with a touch of anise before the Toro expires in my ashtray. Overall, Villiger La Vencedora is a solid smoke for the money when you factor in the savings. Just read our customers’ reviews of La Vencedora. I’m not afraid to recommend this blend, but I’m docking a few points for the construction issues. Enjoy another gem from Villiger for a big discount from your pals at Holt’s!
