Break at last with 1492 Minuto from Villiger

In 1492, Columbus and his sailors discovered the New World. I discovered the Villiger Minuto 1492 cigar on 03.02.2021. It wasn't on my radar before that. I have just spent over 5 hours on worked on the first episode of Cigars ZEN. One hour of that was recording the show and then it was post-production. I need the coffee break now. There's no time for a big cigar. That's why I chose this small cigar. It is hand-rolled and not machine-made, as is sometimes falsely claimed.

Warning - spoiler alert: this quality cigar and I are not going to be friends. Please read the conclusion to find out why. In the following, I will give you some interesting insights into the cigar and the handling of cigars in general. I hope you enjoy this article and this little cigar from Villiger.

Fact Sheet

• Format: Minutos (length: 138 / ring size: 28 or 30, depending on the dealer)
• Tobacco:
  • Wrapper leaf: Ecuador Connecticut
  • Wrapper: Indonesia Java Besuki
  • Filler: Seco Piloto, Ligero Piloto, Seco Olor (Santo Domingo)
• Price: CHF 24.60 (box of 8)
• Buy cigar: Google Search >

What is "retronasal"?

Retronasal cigar enjoyment enhances the taste. What it is and, why it works and how to do it please read here. Especially look at the ZiZo vacuum technology. Incredible increase in the enjoyment of the cigar!

What is the "R+ ZiZo vacuum technology"?

This is the consummate pleasure of a cigar. Hard to describe. I'll try. Here's an example: a baby sucking on a pacifier. Try this technique with a cigar. Very little smoke enters the mouth. But this passes over the tongue and goes right through the nose. I tried it on about 10 cigars before I mastered it. Please be very careful with this technique when practicing: the smoke got to the back of my larynx several times when I did this. It was really bad. But now that I can do it, it's an accomplished technique for enjoying a cigar.

What is umami?

This means "savory", "spicy", "essence", "meaty". This blending of taste sensations is perceived in the middle of the tongue. You can find a good article about it on Wikipedia. 

Acclimatization recommendation: With box 1 week in the humidor.

Non Cuba cigars and the important acclimatization

The fact is: You don't know when the cigar was imported and how long its resting period was at the importer. You also do not know how long the resting phase was at the dealer. The cigars have a shock after their transport from the tropics to us in Europe. They have to acclimatize first. The industry is sales-oriented. The cigars have to get to the retail market quickly. Therefore, they may not taste as they should. I recommend a general acclimation in your humidor of at least 2 weeks after purchase. Depending on the brand and series, even longer, which I highlight in this article.

If you buy single copies

Place the cigar with the cellophane in the humidor. If your cigar does not have cellophane: Put them in tubos and then in the humidor. Or you can put the single cigar in a Zippo bag and put a small Boveda in it. Then you put it closed in the humidor. Cigars that are stored open without cellophane or a box lose their flavor very quickly. This is proven in this article with experiments.

Conclusion of the Villiger 1492 Minuto

I had tasted three of them during my break during those days. I had the same impression with all of them: I'm not becoming a friend of this cigar. Or it just doesn't like me, that could also be the case 😉

The finish was bitter-sour and I didn't like it. Retronasally, it was quite spicy. When tasted on the middle of the tongue (= umami), it was juicy and slightly spicy.

The quality of the rolling was excellent for all three specimens. The wrapper leaf is also of a very high quality: it is fine-veined and smooth. The wrapper leaf comes from Ecuador. This country has become very well known in recent years for its excellent Connecticut wrapper leaves.

I personally don't like Connecticut wrapper leaves. They have a low sugar content and a good portion of ammonia. That's why they taste bitter and sour. However, the Connecticut wrapper leaves from Ecuador are somewhat different. They are not as bitter. If the tobacco blend takes the typical Connecticut flavor into account, the result is always very balanced cigars.

With this 1492 Minuto from Villiger, it may be that this wrapper is simply too much for the small cigar. It may therefore be that it tasted too bitter in the finish.

But of course everyone has to find out for themselves. Just buy an 8-gauge rifle and form your own opinion. You are welcome to leave your impressions in the comments; I would be very happy and interested to hear them.