Villiger La Capitana Staff Review
A lot of folks don’t know it, but Holt’s is a virtual Villiger clearing house, and today, I’m giving you the rundown on one of our biggest-selling bundles – Villiger La Capitana – in a standard 6 by 50 Toro. They say what you don’t know can’t hurt you, but, boy, your bank account must be taking a beating if you’ve been buying Villiger anywhere besides Holt’s, friends. The company just built a sprawling new Villiger cigar factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, to accommodate the colossal cigar shipments your pals at Holt’s order on a weekly basis. And once they get to our warehouse dock, we pump ‘em into our daily deals for the cheapest prices you’ll find anywhere online.
The brand began in Switzerland in 1888 and became well-known for its small machine-made cigars, but Heinrich Villiger, the reigning family patriarch, made it his mission to produce premium handmade Villiger cigars. Heinrich has invested much in Villiger’s handmade division over the past two decades, and let me tell you, my coolerdor is a major beneficiary. It’s not that Villiger makes the greatest cigars known to man, but they’re awfully affordable – and they burn straight too. La Flor de Ynclan scored huge accolades with the critics in Cigar Aficionado a few years back, and Cuellar Kreme is always a top seller.
Villiger La Capitana is a fine specimen of one-hundred percent long-filler craftsmanship. An oily Cuban-seed wrapper encapsulates a beefy recipe of Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos assembled in a pair of traditional sizes – Toro and Churchill. I’m toasting up the Toro today. One of my favorite sounds is the crackling of cellophane when I tear open a fresh bundle of 20 tasty Villiger boomsticks.
La Capitana is named for a Spanish galleon that landed at the bottom of the ocean off the coast of the Punta Santa Elena Peninsula in Ecuador, in 1654, with a treasure trove of gold and silver coins. Word has it, the ship was overloaded, but it was a brush with a reef that technically took it down. If I could hold my breath long enough, I could probably stuff my overalls with the kind of loot that could buy me enough Villiger for the rest of my life. Sigh.
Fittingly, Villiger La Capitana cigars are wrapped in cigar bands that depict the ship’s captain valiantly gripping the helm. Underneath, a gingerbread-hued wrapper leaf leaves a glistening impression when I pluck a fresh Toro from the center. Woody notes of molasses and black pepper layer the palate after I clip the cap and start puffing. I’m not expecting fireworks, but I can’t stress enough that you can score 20 Toros for under fifty bucks, which comes out to roughly 67% in cold, hard savings. That’s tough for any brand to compete with.
La Capitana lights up like a champ. Tasting notes of dark cocoa, pepper, and leather wake the palate. The flavor is straightforward, and the room note is tolerable, dare I say, darn near delicious. It takes one to know one, and as the number one curmudgeon at Holt’s, I can say La Capitana passes my litmus test for price, taste, and construction after fifteen minutes of smoking.
Sure, a bit of bitterness kicks in around the halfway mark, but it doesn’t last too long, and the ash has been mostly stable. I wouldn’t pass La Capitana out to impress anyone with my credentials as a cigar industry veteran, but this is a fine handout for any gavones who show up to my man cave unannounced on poker night.
After forty-five minutes I pick up notes of oak, hickory, and cedar. Leather and cocoa still linger in the background, and there’s enough sweetness that you could sip on a stiff bourbon from Maker’s Mark or Jack Daniels if you wanted to pair it with something. Once the band is off and I’m pinching the nub, peppery notes prevail and singe my nose hairs a touch. I’m prepared for it, though. Value trumps refinement in my book.
In closing, La Capitana is proof positive that the Villiger portfolio is loaded with plunder-worthy bundles you can pluck from the Holt’s Blowout Bin at the lowest prices seven days a week as long as your Wi-Fi is working. If you’re new to Villiger, add the ‘Dream Team 2’ Monster Deal to your coolerdor, and taste the cheapest Villiger smokes on Planet Earth before you commit to one blend.
Until next time, long ashes to you!
