Aaron Loomis

 John McTavish

Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Villiger TAA Exclusive 2024 is dark tan with a network of fine veins. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. There are two bands, with the primary being yellow, black, silver and red. The upper portion denotes the company, while the lower portion denotes the line. The foot band is yellow, silver and black and carries the TAA logo. The aroma from the wrapper is dusty earth and paper, while the foot brings cedar and melon sweetness like cantaloupe or honeydew. The pre-light draw brings cedar and a light amount of clove and melon sweetness.
John: The Villiger TAA Exclusive 2024 came in cellophane and did not have a UPC sticker or the cigar information. There is a primary Villiger TAA Exclusive 2024 band in white, black, yellow and silver. There is also a foot band with the TAA logo on it. I weighed the cigar at 15.5 grams. Aromas from the wrapper was primarily made up of sweet, mossy wood. From the foot, I could pick out damp earth and wood.

Villiger TAA Exclusive 2024

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with dry earth, toasted cedar and baking spice. At a quarter inch in, a light chalkiness joins the profile. At three quarters of an inch, the baking spice transitions to black pepper. The retrohale is toasted cedar, earth and some black pepper. At an inch and a half in, some leather joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and dry earth are even up front, with black pepper in the middle of the profile, the chalkiness just behind the pepper and the leather in the background. The strength was right at medium.
John: Damp mossy wood leads off the first third with sweet tobacco in the center and a mild, mossy wood to finish. Through the retrohale some mild spices mix with grass. As the first third settles in, the profile has evolved to creamy, mild spices at the front, wood to follow and mildly dry wood and spices combining on the finish. Mild chocolate moves into the retrohale as the mossy component from the main draw moves into the finish. The center of the retrohale is largely defined by sweet tobacco as it continues.

Villiger TAA Exclusive 2024

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the leather gains a bit of creaminess. At a quarter inch in, the dry earth takes a slight lead over the toasted cedar and the overall profile becomes a bit dry. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth, leather and some black pepper. At an inch and a half in, the black pepper mellows a bit. As the third comes to a close, the dry earth is slightly ahead of the toasted cedar, with black pepper and lightly creamy leather just behind the middle of the profile and some chalkiness in the background. The strength remained at medium.
John: Creamy, sweet tobacco at medium strength is joined by earth and wood to lead off the second third. Wood defines the post draw for the initial few puffs. As the cigar continues to the halfway point, some spices break into the center of the retrohale as tannic notes accent the wood on the finish.

Villiger TAA Exclusive 2024

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, a light wood bitterness joins the profile. At a half inch in, the black pepper increases to just ahead of the middle of the profile. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth, black pepper and light leather. At an inch in, the wood bitterness increases a bit. At an inch and a quarter, the wood bitterness is now even with the black pepper. As the cigar wraps up, the dry earth is just ahead of the toasted cedar, with black pepper and wood bitterness just ahead of the middle of the profile with leather a bit behind and some chalkiness in the background. The strength remained at medium.
John: The last third gets going with creamy wood and tannic wood and earth to finish the puff. As the last third continues, wood is driving the flavor profile with tannic, dry wood to finish.

Villiger TAA Exclusive 2024

Burn

Aaron: The burn line was straight throughout, and the ash held on in inch and three quarter increments.
John: The burn had some mild waviness in the first third, which continued into the second third. The cigar went out on me at the halfway point, requiring a re-light. Waviness continued through the last third.

Villiger TAA Exclusive 2024

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
John: The draw was a minor amount into the resistant spectrum, roughly 1-1/2 to 2 notches.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with dry earth, toasted cedar and baking spice. A light chalkiness joined in fairly quickly. Later, the baking spice transitioned to black pepper. Some leather joined a bit later. The second third saw the leather gain a light creaminess and the earth took a slight lead in the profile. The final third saw some wood bitterness joined in and it built up as the cigar went along. The construction was absolutely perfect. The Villiger TAA Exclusive 2024 had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around earth, toasted cedar and black pepper. The cigar had a pretty typical Honduran puro profile that has an earth focus. Nothing exciting here and not something I’d see myself coming back to.
John: I thought the Villiger TAA Exclusive 2024 had an interesting start, with balanced flavor combinations that kept me engaged. Once the cigar reached the second third, it became linear and mundane for the remainder of the review. The draw was a minor amount into the resistant spectrum and it went out on me once, requiring a re-light. I’ve struggled for some time with the TAA offerings for the past several years. The releases are supposed to be a shining example of what a company is offering from their portfolio. I don’t feel that the Villiger TAA Exclusive 2024 represents the Villiger brand particularly well, as it isn’t something I would likely return to. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 37 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$2.61

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$2.61

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Villiger TAA Exclusive 2024