Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is a nice milk chocolate brown color. There are some large sized veins present along with some smaller ones. The seams are very smooth and nearly invisible. The caps are applied very nicely. The bands almost appear to be two separate bands due to a ring of color that is very near the wrapper color but it is a single band. The upper portion is burgundy while the bottom portion is green. Everything is outlined in gold while the cigar name is in red lettering. The aroma from the wrapper is a slightly sweet barnyard. The aroma from the foot is a very sweet fruit which I would describe as cherry. The pre-light draw brings some of that same cherry sweetness from the foot aroma.

Pre-light Experience

The Villiger San’Doro Maduro has a nice Colorado maduro wrapper showing some good oil content. The veins are well pressed and seams tight. The head is finished off with a well applied triple cap. Giving the pinch test, the cigar feels well bunched and rolled with no soft spots and a uniform give. Pre-light wrapper aroma gives floral perfume and cedar. Nosing the foot gives sweet natural tobacco notes, white pepper and cedar. Cold draw tells cardboard and sweet natural tobacco notes.

First Third

Initial light brings an earthy woodiness. The earthiness continues and comes across as dirty at times, but not in a bad way, if that makes sense. The woodiness is still present and is more on the finish. The retrohale is primarily woody with a bit of earthiness on the finish. Three quarters of an inch in a little sweetness joins the profile. Just past the inch mark a slight metallic note becomes present. After a few draws the metallic note subsides and things go back to the slightly sweet earthiness and wood. An inch and a half in and the woodiness becomes a bit damp which blends well with the earthiness. Nearing the end of the third, the dampness from the wood goes away and it becomes a bit more defined as cedar with a slight spice. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

The first third of the cigar has soft notes of cedar, medium minus bodied sweet cream, slight charred bitterness and dried nuts. On the retrohale, inviting white pepper spice and cedar. The finish consists of slight charred bitterness and cedar. Body is in between medium minus and medium but weighing more towards medium. Strength is at a medium minus.

Second Third

This third continues with the earthiness and slightly spicy cedar. The retrohale is now a toasty oak. A quarter inch in and the cedar really takes over the earthiness. At a half inch in, the cedar transitions to the same toasty oak that was previously on the retrohale and the profile is now similar on both. A few draws later, a dull black pepper mixes in with the oak. The retrohale remains a toasty oak. At about an inch and a half in, some minerality joins in with the oak and dull black pepper. Nearing the end of the third, some of the earthiness comes back to mix with the oak and minerality. The black pepper has gone away. The earthiness has also made its way into the retrohale as well. The strength in this third is slightly above medium.

Second Third

The second thirds body ramps up to a medium, providing fuller flavors of sweet cedar, dried nuts and charred bitterness. A few new additions to the flavor profile come into play (inviting black pepper spice and milk coffee). Through the nose, still an inviting white pepper spice, cedar and dried nuts. The finish consists of pronounced charred bitterness and dried nuts. Strength continues to be at the medium minus mark.

Final Third

The oak, earthiness and minerality continues from the previous third. A quarter inch in and the oak is the primary flavor with the earthiness and minerality primarily on the finish. There is also a slight bitterness coming through on the finish. About an inch in, some mintiness joins the profile and mixes with the oak and the earthiness. The bitterness has gone away. An inch and a quarter in, the profile goes back to a primarily oak with a little bit of mintiness. The earthiness has gone away. The retrohale just consists of the oak. An inch and a half in, some char mixes in with the oak and mintiness. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

Final Third

The final third starts with noticeably an oilier and thicker profile especially realized on the front and back palate. Notes of sweet cedar, hazelnuts, charred bitterness and black pepper spice. On the retrohale, white pepper spice, cedar and dried nuts. On the finish, charred bitterness on the rear palate and dried nuts. Halfway through the last third, the charred bitterness intensifies, drowning out a good portion of the other aforementioned flavors. Body and strength continues to be medium and medium minus, respectively.

Burn

The burn was absolutely fantastic. Razor sharp and a very tight ash that held on between an inch and a half to 2 inches.

Burn

The burn was fantastic. Slow, cool and even burn giving me nearly 2 hours of smoking time. The ash held on very tight with no flowering, averaging 1.5 inch ash marks.

Draw

The draw was pretty tight when the cigar started and slightly eased up as it smoked along. It wasn’t too tight that effected the flavors I was getting, just tighter than I prefer.

Overall

The cigar was pretty one dimensional in flavors as it had a primary set with a few small transitions. The flavors were pretty good, so it’s a cigar well worth trying. The strength level makes it approachable for most smokers, it’s just a darker profile that people will want to be aware of before getting into it. I would recommend it as a mid day or evening smoke and it would probably pair well with brown spirits.

Draw

The draw although good, was a bit tight for my liking. Even cutting very close to the bottom of the cap, I had the same tighter draw.

Overall

This is definitely a step above most Villiger’s premium cigar offerings. The second third was the sweet spot for me, building off the first third and creating a more robust smoking experience. A cigar well suited for especially the novice cigar smoker, providing soft flavors that will not make you reach for sugar during or after the cigar.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.93

Cost/Point

$2.02

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.27

Cost/Point

$1.91

Scoring System