After a three-year hiatus, Villiger decided to return to the PCA trade show, but with a new focus.
“We switched our presence and are now using the PCA and other industry trade shows more as a marketing experience and not with a sales-focused approach,” said Villiger North America president, Rene Castaneda.
This change was obvious as the company’s booth was considerably smaller than previous years, showcasing two cigars that Castaneda and his team have high expectations for. The first cigar is a brand new release, Villiger Miami, that they are calling “exclusive.” The production is limited to only 500 boxes of each size. There are two sizes, lancero (7 ½ x 38) and robusto (5×50), both presented in 10-count boxes. At the end of the trade show, the company estimated that 80 percent of the boxes were already sold.
The Miami features an Ecuador Connecticut Desflorado wrapper with an undisclosed binder and long-filler blend. The tobaccos used in this release date back to 2016 and are said to offer a well-balanced, flavorful smoking experience that is medium in strength. “It has multiple layers of flavors, from oak, walnut and leather to a rich procession of brown sugar and almonds with a creamy, honey finish,” said Castaneda.
While this cigar is available to the open market, retailers who did not attend the PCA trade show may be hard-pressed to get their hands on these with only 10,000 total cigars in circulation and nearly all already sold out. Both the robusto and lancero retail for 15 USD.
The second cigar the company showcased (La Libertad) made its debut back in February at the Tobacco Plus Expo. It is the first cigar made at the company’s factory in Nicaragua, and is offered in three sizes, robusto, corona and gran toro, presented in 20-count boxes. It is dressed in a Nicaraguan criollo wrapper that envelopes a Dominican binder and a Nicaraguan filler blend, including those from Jalapa and Estelí. Castaneda said the company is in its third batch of production of La Libertad after the first two sold out quickly.
