Villiger San’Doro Claro Staff Review
Today I’m smoking Villiger San’Doro Claro, a basic, mellow smoke handcrafted at the Villiger factory in Nicaragua. To evaluate this blend, I’m smoking a standard 6-by-50 Toro. Thanks to recurring discounts from your friends at Holt’s, Villiger cigars have carved out a consistent niche among budget-conscious smokers and volume buyers. You’re probably not popping a bottle of Champagne to sip with a Villiger cigar, but they taste great any time with an everyman beer.
Founded in 1888, the Swiss-based Villiger brand is best known for its machine-made cigarillos, such as Villiger Export. But Villiger’s growing portfolio of premium hand-rolled options has made strides in the market in recent years, with the 93-rated Cuellar Black Forest, 94-rated La Vencedora, and the 93-rated La Flor de Ynclan, thanks to a handful of accolades in Cigar Aficionado. Let’s find out how San’Doro Claro stacks up.
Villiger San’Doro Claro is blended with a golden Ecuador Connecticut wrapper and aged Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos. When Christopher Columbus originally introduced tobacco from the New World to Europeans, they called it San’Doro, the name of a sacred plant from India. Although we now know Columbus was nowhere near India, the folks at Villiger commemorate this early European misnomer with San’Doro cigars. Two blends are available: a darker Ecuador Habano wrapper, called Colorado, and the Claro edition I’m smoking now. Claro refers to the light color of the wrapper leaf.
Villiger San’Doro Claro cigars come in eggshell-white boxes of twenty, with maroon-and-white cigar bands and shiny gold text. The cigars show a seamless, consistent complexion when I open a new box to choose one. A Toro is always a safe bet when you’re unsure what size of cigar to smoke. Toros are roughly an inch longer than a Robusto and an inch shorter than a Churchill, generally lasting for about fifty minutes, depending on how fast you smoke. A Toro offers plenty of time to savor a cigar without tying you down for more than an hour.
After unsheathing San’Doro Claro from its cellophane, delicate aromas of cocoa and grass come from the foot of the unlit Toro when I hold it near my nose. I find no soft spots or protruding veins during a quick pinch test. Visually, Villiger San’Doro Claro looks prepared for a night on the town.
Once I slice the cap between my guillotine blades, soft notes of coconut, spice, and dried hay come through in the cold draw. Upon lighting the foot, an astringent sequence of wet newspaper and Nestle cocoa powder creates a conflicting profile on my palate. The cigar wants to be creamy, but a harsh influence persists. Fortunately, it subsides like a sneeze, as the smoke leaves my nasal cavity without lingering. Unfortunately, not much comes of San’Doro Claro in the aftermath.
The flavor behaves like a fireworks sparkler, enflaming the senses with an initial burst before dwindling into oblivion. Traces of caramel, cedar, and nutmeg offer cameos in the second half but don’t materialize with enough savoriness. While Villiger San’Doro stops short of becoming offensive, it doesn’t capture my attention, despite offering a pleasant burn with a mild, easygoing finish.
Previously, I’ve reviewed Villiger Royal Estates and La Vencedora. Although both are heartier than San’Doro Claro, I maintain that Royal Estates offers an edge over most cigars in the Villiger portfolio due to its balance and complexity. Essentially, San’Doro is dressed up like fodder for aristocrats because it comes in a box. In reality, it’s a run-of-the-mill yard ’gar with tolerable but mediocre taste. You can rest easy, though, knowing you’re getting it for a significant discount when you buy it from Holt’s. C’est la vie.
