Villiger 1888 Dominican Republic

The Swiss-German tobacco company of Heinrich Villiger began a grand celebration at the beginning of September 2008: for its 120th anniversary, the first proprietary premium cigar named Villiger 1888 was launched by the traditional house.

The composition of the tobacco blend for each format extended over several months. A bit more Seco? Or perhaps a bit more Ligero? Then the question arose whether the tobaccos should be fermented a bit longer to achieve a better balance. Particularly Heinrich Villiger himself, dedicated to tobacco for over 50 years, repeatedly provided crucial insights and ultimately set the direction in which the respective formats were to evolve, ultimately ensuring a both top-notch and relaxed smoking experience.

The Villiger 1888 cigars are crafted by the Cuban exile Matias Maragoto with his Abam S.A. Artistry seems to run in his blood, as his mother is a recognized painter in Cuba, while his father is part of the cultural-political establishment responsible for ballet, classical music, and theater in the island nation.

Ensuring the top-quality tobacco is Matias Maragoto's partner: His uncle Adalberto Ruiz Calderón belongs to the esteemed and universally accepted group of raw tobacco experts in the Latin American region. As a senior executive at ASP Enterprises, he can provide Abam S.A. with absolutely first-rate wrappers; after all, ASP Enterprises operates the world's largest wrapper tobacco plantation at the foot of the Ecuadorian Andes – and these wrappers are among the finest that the international cigar world has to offer.

Adalberto Ruiz Calderón, Matias Maragoto, Heinrich Villiger – these men are indeed the fathers of the new Villiger 1888, which commemorates the founding year of the renowned cigar factory. In this year, Jean Villiger, Heinrich Villiger's grandfather, laid the foundation for the present-day company in Pfeffikon, a place in Wynental, located in the northern part of the canton of Lucerne, with a small cigar factory set up in his residence. This company wouldn't be conceivable without Heinrich Villiger.

Thus, this new cigar is primarily his work, an experiential expression of comprehensive tobacco knowledge. Apart from the wrappers from Ecuador and the binder from Mexico, the other tobaccos for the 'Villiger 1888' come from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. After careful fermentation and aging, they have reached that stage necessary to unleash their unique flavors when smoked. The result is medium-bodied cigars that impress with their rich bouquet.

In early 2016, we purchased the entire remaining stock of the "old" yellow 1888. As a result, retail prices for, say, the Robusto (-36%) have already been significantly lowered. Currently, only the Corona (-30%) and the Short Robusto (-37%) are available – once they're gone, they're gone!