Pre-light Experience

The wrapper on the Villiger 1888 Nicaragua Churchill is a marbled medium brown with some lightly raised veins present. The seams are smooth and the caps are very well applied. The band is meant to look like two band, both having gold borders. The upper portion is purplish-blue with red trim and denotes the company, while the lower portion is blue with black trim and denotes the line. The aroma from the wrapper is bread, cedar and light earth while the foot gives a dense raisin bread. The pre-light draw brings a mix of raising bread and dusty cedar.

First Third

The cigar begins with earth, toasted oak and bold black pepper. At a half inch in, the black pepper mellows a bit. The retrohale is earth and toasted oak with lightly zingy black pepper. At an inch and three quarters, the pepper mellows a bit more. As the third comes to a close, the earth has a slight lead over the toasted oak, with black pepper in the back half of the profile. The strength was slightly above medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, a light creamy leather joins the profile. At an inch in, the creamy leather is now in the middle of the profile. The retrohale is now earth, toasted oak and creamy leather. At an inch and three quarters, the earth and toasted oak are now even up front. As the third comes to a close, the earth and toasted oak are even up front, with creamy leather in the middle and black pepper in the background. The strength remained at slightly above medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the creamy leather picks up a bit and the earth gains a slight lead in the profile again. At a half inch in, the black pepper picks back up a bit. The retrohale remains earth, toasted oak and creamy leather. As the cigar wraps up, the earth is just ahead of the toasted oak, with the creamy leather just a bit further back and the black pepper just past the middle of the profile. The strength remained at slightly above medium.

Burn

The burn was straight throughout and the ash held on in inch and a half increments.

Draw

The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

The cigar began with earth, toasted oak and bold black pepper. The pepper mellowed as the third went along. The second third saw some creamy leather join in. The final third saw the creamy leather increase and the black pepper pick back up. The construction was absolutely perfect. The Villiger 1888 Nicaragua Churchill had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around the earth, toasted oak and creamy leather. I don’t see myself really coming back to this cigar, but it does have an attractive price point, especially for the size and smoking time. I could see this as a good cigar for smokers that tend to shy away from Nicaraguan offerings as the profile is smooth and provides a slightly higher than medium strength.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.67

Scoring System

Personal Cigar Review: Villiger 1888 Nicaragua Churchill