Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is milk chocolate brown and has a few slightly raised veins present. The seams are very hard to spot and the head appears to be finished off with a double cap where the top cap is a bit of a darker shade. The band is a very similar style to some of the previous lines but is in a gray and black color combination. The aroma from the wrapper is damp wood with a mild pepper and the foot brings a light leather and faint tobacco sweetness. The pre-light draw is pretty tight and brings a bit of graham cracker and a fair amount of white pepper.

Pre-light Experience

The Villiger La Vencedora Toro has a gorgeous Colorado Red wrapper shade. Construction seems on point as veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and a well applied thick cap. Aromas off the wrapper give campfire, smoked meats and cedar. Aromas from the foot tell hickory, campfire and black pepper. Cold draw gives campfire, smoked meat and raisins.

First Third

The cigar begins with dark wood and a heavy black pepper. At a quarter inch in, a slight creaminess joins in which smooths out the pepper a bit. At three quarters of an inch in, the dark wood, pepper and cream are working pretty well together. The retrohale consists of the dark wood and a decent black pepper bite that gives a zing through my nostrils. At an inch and a half, the pepper begins to mellow some more while the retrohale maintains the strong pepper profile and zing. The strength in this third started at medium-full but mellowed to right at medium.

First Third

The first third presents notes that work quite well together. Flavors of semi-sweet chocolate, espresso beans, bread, minerals and aged cedar. Retrohaling gives sharper minerals and the introduction of black pepper. The finish is smooth, with lingering bread and aged cedar. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the smoke has a nice meatiness to it as the dark wood remains the primary component with cream and black pepper as supporting notes. At a half inch in, a dark cocoa note joins as the pepper almost completely drops from the profile. At an inch and a half, the cream has left and the slightly dark wood and dark chocolate is what remains. The retrohale consists of the dark wood and a slight mustiness. As the third comes to a close, a slight bitterness joins the mix of wood and dark chocolate. The strength in this third remains at medium.

Second Third

The second third’s flavor profile becomes smoother such that there really are not spikes in flavors. Chocolate, espresso beans, bread, minerals and aged cedar work better in unison. The finish is still quite smooth with bread and aged cedar. Strength and body maintains medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the chewy smoke continues to enhance the profile which is now a dark and musty wood while the dark chocolate is very faint. At a half inch in, the chocolate note has completely left and the dark and musty wood is what remains. At an inch in, things start to warm up a bit and a mintiness joins the dark and musty wood. The retrohale carries a nice warm oak note now. The cigar wraps up with a warm and musty wood note with a slight mintiness. The strength in this third bumped up to slightly above medium.

Final Third

The profile continues to build. Continuing its smoothness, the last third exhibits focus on creaminess in the sense of a creamed breadiness. This is well encapsulated by minerals, nuts and chocolate. Strength and body for the most part finishes medium.

Burn

The burn was perfect as it was razor sharp the entire way. The ash held on in near two inch increments.

Burn

Burn performance is very good. The only downsides are the slightly flaky ashes and short half inch ash marks. Other than that, sharp burn line, cool burn and no re-lights or touch-ups should be the key take-aways.

Draw

The draw was quite snug from the beginning. A draw tool provided slight relief early on, but things tightened up again and remained that way throughout. I did feel that the tight draw did hold back on flavor delivery.

Overall

The cigar started quite full in strength, but came back down to medium all within the first third. The flavor profile was pretty good but faded as the tight draw held back the flavors in my opinion. Dark wood was the primary component along with pepper. Some dark chocolate notes were present in the middle of the cigar and then it finished with primarily wood again. I’m interested in smoking another, likely in another vitola, to see what the profile is like with a better draw. This is an interesting offering from Villiger as it provides probably the highest strength cigar in the portfolio and I think will gain some new smokers to the brand.

Draw

Perfect resistance and airflow.

Overall

Villiger’s follow up to the very successful La Flor De Ynclan is another success. The Villiger La Vencedora Toro showed a good melding of flavors focused on chocolate, espresso, bread and minerals. Being a longer smoke, the cigar did not lose my interest, doing a good job of building on it’s core flavors. This is well worth putting on your new cigars to buy list.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.37

Cost/Point

$1.49

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

7.07

Cost/Point

$1.34

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Villiger La Vencedora Toro