Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Villiger La Capitana Lonsdale is dark tan and has some lightly raised veins present. The seams are smooth and the head well finished. There are two bands, with the primary being aqua blue, gold and black and denoting the line name and has an image of a female ship captain. There is a parchment type sleeve that runs from the primary band to the foot and has imagery of a map. The aroma from the wrapper is cedar, earth and light smokiness. The foot brings musty cedar and stewed fruit. The pre-light draw brings cedar and wood smokiness.
Seth: The best way to describe the Villiger La Capitana Lonsdale is by saying that it does not look like any Villiger release and comes off as a dolled-up bundle cigar. It’s odd to see a Villiger release of this nature. I think the band looks cheap, and the foot wrapping takes it to another level. Underneath the packaging is an average looking wrapper that sports small veins throughout. The cigar is silky in texture and sports a faint Claro-Colorado wrapper. Sand paper coloring. Aromas of earth, wood and hay. Soft barnyard notes.
John: The Villiger La Capitana Lonsdale comes in cellophane and features a UPC sticker with the cigar information, which tears when opened. The cigar is adorned with a primary La Capitana band and a secondary half-length cellophane wrap covering the lower portion of the cigar. I weighed the cigar at 10.4 grams with the wrap on and 10.0 grams with the wrap off. Aromas from the wrapper included sweet, musty bread and earth, while the foot offered hay and wood.
Jiunn: The Villiger La Capitana Lonsdale has a golden brown Colorado claro wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas present cedar and a hint of anise.

Villiger La Capitana Lonsdale

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with a slightly stale toasted cedar and cardboard along with some earth and mild black pepper. At a quarter inch in, the staleness and cardboard note depart as the toast level increases a bit. The retrohale is toasted cedar, earth and mild black pepper. At an inch in, the earth picks up to right behind the toasted cedar. At an inch and a half in, a light wood bitterness joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is just ahead of the earth, with black pepper a bit behind the middle of the profile and some wood bitterness in the background. The strength was slightly below medium.
Seth: The first third starts out with some cedar and hay qualities. Bits of earth are present as well with this herbal barnyard quality. Touches of earth are present with coffee notes. Very faint creaminess present on the blend. Just under medium in strength and body.
John: The first third opens with a combination of creamy, dry hay and wood as tannic hay defines the finish and carries into the post draw. As the cigar settles in, the retrohale presents musty tobacco with sharp wood on the finish. Savory wood becomes the defining element on the post draw at light-plus strength as the first third progresses.
Jiunn: The first third has a good mix of savory and sweet. Cream, celery seeds, anise, cedar wood and roasted nuts. Retrohaling has a great barnyard funk mixed with spicy cedar. The finish is short with cedar wood. Strength and body is medium.

Villiger La Capitana Lonsdale

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the black pepper mellows a bit. At a half inch in, the black pepper is now in the background and a bit of construction paper has joined in. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and earth along with construction paper and mild black pepper. At an inch and a half in, the construction paper bumps up to the middle of the profile. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is just ahead of the earth, with construction paper in the middle of the profile and the black pepper and wood bitterness in the background. The strength remained at slightly below medium.
Seth: The second third is in line with the first. No transitioning and very little complexity. Earth with some herbal barnyard, cedar and hay notes. Bits of coffee. Like before, under medium in strength and body.
John: The second third begins with creamy herbal earth and wood, with wood continuing to drive the finish. Bitter hay moves into the post draw as the third settles in, adding a drying character to the profile. The flavor progression remains largely static through the bottom half of the second third.
Jiunn: The second third continues to be savory and sweet. The mixture of celery seeds and creamy roasted nuts works incredibly well off each other. It’s also nice that the spice is on the retrohale (as it’s a missing component of mouth draws). Strength and body remains medium.

Villiger La Capitana Lonsdale

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the construction paper takes on a burning paper note. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and earth along with construction paper, wood bitterness and mild black pepper. At an inch in, the burning construction paper and wood bitterness both increase a bit. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar is just ahead of the earth, with burning construction paper a bit further behind. The wood bitterness is in the middle of the profile with black pepper in the background. The strength remained at slightly below medium.
Seth: The final third is in line with the first and second. No change. Lacking.
John: Creamy, sweet tobacco combined with wood leads the cigar into the final third, as mildly bitter hay carries the profile through the post draw. The flavor balance remains consistent moving through the halfway point of the last third, maintaining its wood-forward core with subtle sweetness in the background.
Jiunn: The final third is less interesting and engaging. It’s now a mixture of cedar and cream. Not bad by any means but also not great. Strength and body finishes the same medium.

Villiger La Capitana Lonsdale

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy at times, but never needed any attention. The ash held on in half inch increments.
Seth: The construction was great from beginning to end.
John: The burn was razor straight through the entire review, with the ash naturally falling in just under one-inch increments.
Jiunn: Great burn performance as the ashes were tight, cool burning temperatures and an even burn.

Villiger La Capitana Lonsdale

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was perfect throughout.
John: I measured the draw at 40 inches of water with the CigarMedics draw machine. Subjectively, I found the draw to be perfect and right in the ideal range for an effortless smoking experience.
Jiunn: The draw was also great, giving the ideal balance of air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with a slightly stale toasted cedar and cardboard along with some earth and mild black pepper. The staleness and cardboard departed pretty quickly and the toast level increased a bit. Later, the earth increased and some wood bitterness joined in. The second third saw the black pepper mellow to the background and some construction paper joined in. Later, the construction paper increased. The final third saw the profile gain a burning paper note, and then it increased along with the wood bitterness. The Villiger La Capitana Lonsdale had an average flavor profile through the first two thirds as it was focused around toasted cedar and earth. The final third took a step down as the construction paper gained the burning paper note and the wood bitterness increased. This is one of those Connecticut offerings that suffers from the construction paper and burning paper notes, that really doesn’t do it for me. Not sure how much a different vitola would change this, but for this particular vitola, it isn’t something I’d come back to.
Seth: I was not impressed with Villiger La Capitana Lonsdale. Villiger cigars typically go one or two ways, and you can usually pick up on those qualities earlier on in the cigar, and that was the case with this blend. It’s a lacking and one-dimensional release. It’s an affordable Connecticut seed offering. Looking back on the cigar though, it is crazy to see the price of simple and affordable Connecticut releases now. I remember when cigars like this cost under $5.00. Not something I would come back to or recommend.
John: The Villiger La Capitana Lonsdale delivered a consistent flavor profile centered around hay, wood and subtle sweet tobacco. While the cigar maintained balance and construction excellence throughout, the flavor progression remained linear with limited evolution. Its creamy smoke texture and excellent burn and draw performance made for a pleasant but straightforward smoking experience. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 46 minutes.
Jiunn: I found this Villiger La Capitana Lonsdale to be both unique and delicious. The mixture of savory, herbal and sweet qualities worked really well off each other. The only complaint that I really have is, what’s with the band artwork? It doesn’t follow anything along the Villiger profile.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.30

Cost/Point

$1.79

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

4.68

Cost/Point

$2.03

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.65

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$1.39

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Villiger La Capitana Lonsdale