Villiger Royal Estates Staff Review
The all-new Villiger Royal Estates is here and, today, I’m smoking it in a 6-by-50 Toro to offer my unabridged opinion on Villiger’s hottest new cigar. Villiger is a Swiss-based company owned by Heinrich Villiger, who has bridged the brand into its third generation since its founding in 1888. Heinrich remained active with the company for 75 years until his recent passing at the age of 95 in July of 2025. His daughter, Dr. Corina Villiger, and grandson, Lucien Villiger, oversee the company, serving on its Board of Directors.
Villiger is largely known for its machine-made cigars, such as Villiger Export, which are distributed worldwide. Over the past decade and a half, however, Heinrich focused on expanding his brand into the premium, handmade market in America. He scored a handful of accolades from the critics at Cigar Aficionado for the 93-rated Cuellar Black Forest, 94-rated La Vencedora, 93-rated San’Doro Colorado, and the 93-rated La Flor de Ynclan, a former ‘Top 10 Cigar of the Year.’ Villiger cigars are produced in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
Royal Estates cigars hail from the DR, where a contingent of skilled artisans patiently handcrafts every cigar to an uncompromising standard for flavor, aroma, airflow, and aftertaste. The cigars come in shiny, blue 20-count boxes. Villiger put together a vintage recipe of premium Dominican and Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos beneath an oily Cuban-seed wrapper leaf harvested in Ecuador to create the Royal Estates profile.
After slipping the cellophane off a fresh Toro, an unmistakable aroma of leather, wood, and wheat toast penetrates my nasal cavity. The cigar is peppery and slightly sweet in the cold draw when I clip the cap and get acquainted with its taste before toasting the foot with my torch lighter. A balanced profile of cedar, dark spice, and cereal rolls over my palate in the first few minutes of Villiger Royal Estates. The cigar is approachable but offers a perky backbone of mesquite while I savor the smoke.
Distinct tasting notes of pepper and nutmeg grace my palate throughout the middle portion of the Toro. Hints of cocoa and blackcurrant glisten in the finish of each draw while the binder, filler, and wrapper burn symmetrically, leaving an appealing room note in the air. Royal Estates transitions into a straightforward profile of wood and spice with a hint of beef bouillon cube in the background.
The second half of Royal Estates stays leathery and woody with undertones of salt, pepper, and sweetness. Overall, it’s a medium-bodied cigar that I believe will appeal to many different palates with its versatile taste. The Toro performs consistently, leaving a chunky white ash in two-inch increments that resist flaking. After sixty minutes, I’ve got the band off and thoroughly enjoy a crescendo of cedar, pepper, and sweetness throughout the nub.
Villiger Royal Estates cigars are a solid value, considering you can buy a whole box starting around eighty bucks, after a big discount from Holt’s is factored in. We cornered the market on Villiger cigars years ago, and exclusive new releases like Royal Estates are an excellent option for bargain hunters who want to upgrade from an inexpensive bundle. Add a box to your next order and pass them out when you’re playing poker with your pals. I bet they’ll want to buy a box, too.
