PCA 2023: Villiger Cigars North America

Tucked away in the front right corner of PCA 2023 is Villiger Cigars Noth America. It’s certainly not the best location of the show, though given some of the company’s neighbors—Joya de Nicaragua (which has a Drew Estate presence), Perdomo and Luciano—there is a steady stream of traffic. That said, I—and apparently not only I—initially thought the Villiger booth was just an extension of Joya’s.

I really liked Villiger’s booth last year because it had a map showing all the different places the company makes cigars. But this year’s is much prettier. I’m especially fond of the blue color and the backlit sign. Given the company’s European heritage, it’s no surprise that this booth looks more like the ones I see at Intertabac in Germany than most of the other booths here in Las Vegas.

When I was there, Fritz Bosser of Universal Leaf was hanging out. Anytime my morning starts with a chat with Fritz, it’s going to be a good day.

Villiger 1888 Nicaragua

This is a former European exclusive that is now offered in the U.S. The cigar is made at Villiger’s factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, which is run by Joya de Nicaragua, an odd twist of fate given the booth locations. There aren’t many new lines that are sold in boxes with all price points under $10, but here’s one.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Sumatra)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua & U.S.A. (Pennsylvania)

• Villiger 1888 Nicaragua Coronita (5 3/4 x 43) — $8 (Box of 20, $160)
• Villiger 1888 Nicaragua Robusto (5 x 50) — $8.80 (Box of 20, $176)
• Villiger 1888 Nicaragua Toro (6 x 50) — $9.20 (Box of 20, $184)

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: 2022

Villiger Miami 2023

This is a follow-up to last year’s Villiger Miami.

IT IS NOT MADE IN MIAMI.

Instead, the Miami part of the name refers to how that original blend started, as a cigar that was handed out to visitors to the company’s Miami office. Like last year’s blend, it is made at the ABAM factory in the Dominican Republic. That said, it’s a completely different blend. The notable new addition is Peruvian tobacco in the filler. For cigars thicker than 50 ring gauge, this is one of my favorite formats, so I’m curious to try it soon.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
• Binder: Undisclosed
• Filler: Peru & Undisclosed

• Villiger Miami 2023 (5 7/8 x 53) — $17 (Box of 10, $170)

Production: 1,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (10,000 Total Cigars)

Release Date: August 2023