At the end of last year, Villiger Cigars gave the La Libertad line a revamped look in both box and bands. The blend remained unchanged. The cigar has been around since 2010 and we reviewed it 5 years ago here giving it an 89. The new band shows the Villiger handmade premium cigar logo where before it just said “La Libertad”.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
La Libertad means “freedom” in Spanish. It is made at the ABAM factory in the Dominican Republic and blended by Master Blender Matias Maragoto. Villiger Cigars described it as medium strength. It comes in boxes of 20 and four vitolas ranging from $6.00 – $7.00: Robusto: 5×52, Torpedo Box Pressed: 5.5×52, Churchill: 6.5×50, Masivo: 6×60.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Robusto Length: 5″ Ring Gauge: 52 Country of Origin: Dominican Republic Wrapper: Ecuador Binder: Nicaragua Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua Factory: ABAM Blender: Jose Martiás Maragoto Number of reviewers: 5 – Jeremey W. (Jeremey) Sean F.(fullermaine) Joseph S.(Bearded Bastard) Matt Cade(CADE) Brian L. (Brian L.) Price: $5.37 Age: 4 Months Release Date: 2010 Contributed by: Blind Man’s Puff
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 88
“The cigar features a very veiny and somewhat lumpy brown wrapper.” –Matt Cade (CADE)
Aroma: 88
“Natural Tobacco, Citrus with a spice.” –Brian L. (Brian L.)
First Third
Blind Cigar Review: Villiger | La Libertad Robusto
Flavor: 89 Strength: Mild-Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“Initial light is earth with note of leather and hay. Farther into the first 3rd is more hay notes than leather. Retrohale is smooth.” –Jeremey W. (Jeremey)
“Well I’m back from a 2 week hiatus and well the bad boy started off with a pepper splash to my rested nostrils!! Picking up a sweetness and a earthy hay type of bite. I say bite because it’s not pleasurable and hoping it passes.” –Brian L. (Brian L.)
Second Third
Blind Cigar Review: Villiger | La Libertad Robusto
Flavor: 90 Strength: Mild-Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“A pencil shavings note joins mineral on the retrohale and that creaminess has increased slightly in the middle third of the cigar as well complimenting the coffee nicely. There’s still that faint mint present as well on the draw.” –Matt Cade (CADE)
“In the second third it goes from hay to a full on leather very smooth and tasty. Retrohale is even better than the first third. Notes of leather are prominent ” –Jeremey W. (Jeremey)
Final Third
Flavor: 87 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Light-Medium
Blind Cigar Review: Villiger | La Libertad Robusto
“Flavor got a bit harsh towards the end, and more and more cracking appeared, and, more touch ups due to uneven burns.” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
“At the start of the final third a surprising spice joins the mineral and pencil shavings on the nose. All the flavors present up until now (coffee, cream, mint) on the palate not only remain but intensify as the stogie crosses the finish line. ” –Matt Cade (CADE)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 90
“No issues with the draw, was easy, not too loose or tight.” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
Burn: 82
“Constant relights to counteract the uneven burns, delights when it would burn itself out. Got mildly irritating towards the end.” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
Construction: 88
“The wrapper unraveled in the final third and maintaining an acceptable burn line was a challenge to say the least.” –Matt Cade (CADE)
Overall Strength: Mild-Medium Overall Body/Complexity: Medium Experience Overall: 89
“Definitely a cigar to go with your morning coffee on your ride into work.” –Jeremey W. (Jeremey)
“Don’t waste your time in buying or smoking this cigar. The bitterness of this smoke made me go for some gum to get the taste out of my mouth.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)
“I’ve had better, I’ve had worse. To me, it would be an ok cigar if you are out and about as in a “yard gar.” To me it was a mid range “ok” kind of a smoke, one you wouldn’t mind tossing if you had to. Aroma and flavors were ok, the burn and cracking were mildly irritating, but at least it didn’t peel and crumble apart like some I have had in the past. Not something I’d go out of my way for, but something I might stock in the humidor to take to work or to fart around outside with. Had a bit of a loose and flaky ash which, in typical fashion, I ended up washing myself with. Not recommended to smoke this shirtless, unless you like your man boobs charred.” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
“This cigar is a grower not a shower. Don’t let the sub optimal appearance deceive you, there’s interesting flavors here that develop over the course of 75 minutes. Even the cracking of the wrapper in the final third didn’t take away from smoking experience. All I ask is that a cigar doesn’t bore me and this stogie isn’t boring by a long shot. The lesson – don’t judge a book by its cover folks.” –Matt Cade (CADE)
“It wasn’t my cup of tea, at all. This would probably be more suited for someone who really likes spice and sweetness.” –Brian L. (Brian L.)
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.
Blind Cigar Review: Villiger | La Libertad Robusto
Overall Score – 88 – Good
Blind Cigar Review: Villiger | La Libertad Robusto
Summary
"This cigar is a grower not a shower. Don’t let the sub optimal appearance deceive you, there’s interesting flavors here that develop over the course of 75 minutes. Even the cracking of the wrapper in the final third didn’t take away from smoking experience. All I ask is that a cigar doesn’t bore me and this stogie isn’t boring by a long shot. The lesson - don’t judge a book by its cover folks." -Matt Cade (CADE)
