The Villiger 1888 Gran Reserva delivers a profile that leans heavily into earth, chocolate, wood and sweet tobacco, with flashes of coffee and baking spice in the middle third. The second third stands out for its more refined balance and nuanced notes. However, two spontaneous re-lights disrupted both the burn integrity and flavor delivery, dragging the overall experience down.
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.
Even though price doesn't factor into the scoring, it is definitely worth mentioning that this is something that is a fantastic budget friendly cigar. For those that find the flavor profile enjoyable, it may well turn out to be an ideal daily smoke.
Villiger Cigars is set to ship the new Villiger 1888 today Monday, December 12, 2016 Nationally to cigar shops in the U.S.