r3db4r0n
BoM Jan '11
Here I am in the garage with a lager in hand ready to review a Illusione at the request of Justin(25) when I get the bright idea to be “traditional” and remove the cap of my cigar with my teeth, low and be hold I took off all three parts, but on positive side I’ll have no problems draw at any point during this smoking experience.
Aside from the now absent cap, the rest of the cigar seems to be in okay condition. The wrapper is milky brown with highlights similar to burl wood, there are some water marks on the wrapper but no real stand out imperfections. There is a nice give to the filler, not to spongy or firm, the kind of consistency that makes you think “this is going to smoke well”. What seems like a million tiny veins run in all directions, with some larger ones running up and down the body, but nothing that looks major enough to warrant a problem with the burn.
Pre light draw: I accidentally neglected to do this, but I suppose there is a first for everything, please forgive me.
Lighting: After putting a jet flame to the foot and toasting for about 30 seconds, a nice cherry begins to show which gives way to an effortless light with an easy draw. The flavours are much milder than I had expected for a cigar with Nicaraguan tobacco. The initial draw leaves a toasted oak flavour on the palette, with some semi-sweet undertones; this is exceptionally smooth, more akin to a glass of wine than a cigar.
First third: After the cigar has settled in some, toasted oak and sweet notes continue to come in waves on swaths of creamy smoke, now with the addition of cedar and a hint of spice. The retro-hale is mainly composed of an almond-cedar-sweet tone; the ambient burn shares notes with the retro-hale, mainly of almond, cedar and sweet fragrances, but, is more pungent and resembles a somewhat chemical like smell, odd, by still enjoyable none the less. The burn is nothing but exceptional, razor sharp from the light on down, dropping neat bits of ash at three quarter and one inch intervals.
Second Third: Transitioning from the first to the second, the flavour profile maintains but begins to deepen. Oak is still present with very toasty undertones, perhaps a hint of almond; cedar is still present but the sweet nuances have dropped from the draw and the spice has become heavier with a very leathery finish. The retro-hale is also developing nicely; as I exhale and take smoke into the nose, fragrances of toasted oak join the already present almond, cedar and sweet nuances. The ambient burn has lightened somewhat to a sweeter cedar-floral bouquet. The burn is superb, continuing along evenly and dropping ash now in shorter half inch nuggets as the ash progresses, over all a lovely experience.
Final Third: Coming into the finale, this cigar has turned into a nice spice bomb; toasted oak and almond are still present with the leather on the finish but the spice has intensified greatly, though keeping a relatively cool draw through till the last inch or so. The retro-hale has dropped most of its finer fragrances, still maintaining some floral notes, but mainly keeping to almond, cedar and spice, a wonderful finish to a great cigar. The burn continues its excellence as it has throughout, the draw becoming just a tad hot on the finish, though still dropping ash in what seems like measured intervals, this time at about a half inch.
Final Thoughts: This is a cigar that played to all my preferences; it stated out of the gate with a wonderful plethora of flavours, developed steadily and intensified towards a telltale Nicaraguan finish, great for all you spice lovers. I haven’t smoked much of the Illusione line before now but you can bet I’ll be sure to check out the rest of it and of course, I recommend the same to reader.
Total smoking time was about an hour and a half.
Cheers,
Shawn
Aside from the now absent cap, the rest of the cigar seems to be in okay condition. The wrapper is milky brown with highlights similar to burl wood, there are some water marks on the wrapper but no real stand out imperfections. There is a nice give to the filler, not to spongy or firm, the kind of consistency that makes you think “this is going to smoke well”. What seems like a million tiny veins run in all directions, with some larger ones running up and down the body, but nothing that looks major enough to warrant a problem with the burn.
Pre light draw: I accidentally neglected to do this, but I suppose there is a first for everything, please forgive me.
Lighting: After putting a jet flame to the foot and toasting for about 30 seconds, a nice cherry begins to show which gives way to an effortless light with an easy draw. The flavours are much milder than I had expected for a cigar with Nicaraguan tobacco. The initial draw leaves a toasted oak flavour on the palette, with some semi-sweet undertones; this is exceptionally smooth, more akin to a glass of wine than a cigar.
First third: After the cigar has settled in some, toasted oak and sweet notes continue to come in waves on swaths of creamy smoke, now with the addition of cedar and a hint of spice. The retro-hale is mainly composed of an almond-cedar-sweet tone; the ambient burn shares notes with the retro-hale, mainly of almond, cedar and sweet fragrances, but, is more pungent and resembles a somewhat chemical like smell, odd, by still enjoyable none the less. The burn is nothing but exceptional, razor sharp from the light on down, dropping neat bits of ash at three quarter and one inch intervals.
Second Third: Transitioning from the first to the second, the flavour profile maintains but begins to deepen. Oak is still present with very toasty undertones, perhaps a hint of almond; cedar is still present but the sweet nuances have dropped from the draw and the spice has become heavier with a very leathery finish. The retro-hale is also developing nicely; as I exhale and take smoke into the nose, fragrances of toasted oak join the already present almond, cedar and sweet nuances. The ambient burn has lightened somewhat to a sweeter cedar-floral bouquet. The burn is superb, continuing along evenly and dropping ash now in shorter half inch nuggets as the ash progresses, over all a lovely experience.
Final Third: Coming into the finale, this cigar has turned into a nice spice bomb; toasted oak and almond are still present with the leather on the finish but the spice has intensified greatly, though keeping a relatively cool draw through till the last inch or so. The retro-hale has dropped most of its finer fragrances, still maintaining some floral notes, but mainly keeping to almond, cedar and spice, a wonderful finish to a great cigar. The burn continues its excellence as it has throughout, the draw becoming just a tad hot on the finish, though still dropping ash in what seems like measured intervals, this time at about a half inch.
Final Thoughts: This is a cigar that played to all my preferences; it stated out of the gate with a wonderful plethora of flavours, developed steadily and intensified towards a telltale Nicaraguan finish, great for all you spice lovers. I haven’t smoked much of the Illusione line before now but you can bet I’ll be sure to check out the rest of it and of course, I recommend the same to reader.
Total smoking time was about an hour and a half.
Cheers,
Shawn
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and thanks for the positive comments all!
