Illusione 4/2g Review

5/11/2014

Cigar: Illusione 4/2g
Size: Churchill, 7.5"x49
MSRP: $9.65
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Habano
Origin: Nicaragua

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...0382B712AE.jpg

Prelight: A smooth wrapper, which appears darker than the other “Original Documents” that I’ve had encases this long vitola. The wrapper has some slight cracks at the foot and near the band, which I noticed when it arrived some time ago from a popular cigar auction site. (I actually received this one instead of a different cigar, but I wanted this one anyways, so it worked out.) The aroma of the wrapper is mostly floral. The foot reminds me of wet soil. The cold draw is good, and the flavor reminds me of chicken fajitas; a sweet-spicy combination of sautéed bell peppers.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...F8390BFDE3.jpg

1/3: The first flavor I get is earth and pepper, but quickly, the earth evolves into more of a leathery taste. The winds have died down and the burn is straight with a medium-grey ash that has a slight brown tint to it. But, the burn becomes uneven…then corrects itself. The long first third stays predominately leather and pepper, but there is a slight cocoa taste.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...B96790C756.jpg

2/3: During the second third, the leather and pepper is joined by cedar, and at the halfway point, the cocoa is more prevalent. The burn becomes askew again, and this time I don’t think it will fix itself, so I touch it up. It burns straight again. But, for how long?

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...3B1ABB7560.jpg

3/3: The pepper fades and this cigar is now mostly leather and cedar. The smoke output really switched gears and is much more impressive. Mint begins to become part of the flavor profile as the leather diminishes. It leaves a tingling sensation on my tongue. Again, the burn goes awry so I knock off the ash for a touch-up and I notice not only is the cigar canoeing, it’s tunneling. I fix it, and the cigar finishes as all wood to the nub.

Overall: An OK cigar, but that’s it. For the price point (and after comparing it to its brethren) I was underwhelmed. There are a lot of cheaper smokes out there with a pretty identical (monotone) profile. I am still an Illusione fan after this round of reviews – I even added them to my list of favorite brands on my Puff profile – but I think I will stick to the smaller vitolas which offer a lot more complexity in their flavor profiles. The touch-and-go burn was also disheartening. I would smoke this cigar again, but only if it was offered to me and another kind of Illusione wasn’t available.