Illusione Epernay '09 Le Petit Review

5/10/2014

Cigar: Illusione Epernay ’09 Le Petit
Size: Corona, 4.5"x44
MSRP: $6.80
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Habano
Origin: Nicaragua

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Prelight: The Epernay has a fairly smooth rosado wrapper with slight tooth and minimal veins. The wrapper – like other Illusiones – has a floral aroma with a note of cocoa. The foot appears a little under-filled and smells extremely floral. The cold draw is a bit loose and is also extremely floral.

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1/3: The first third is extremely spicy. Lots of white pepper overpower any other flavors that could be hiding. It leaves a tingling sensation on my tongue. The ash is almost brown in color; this is something I’ve seen on other cigars that use aged tobacco. The burn is a bit ragged but corrects itself time and time again. At the end of this short third, wood flavors emerge.

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2/3: The wood dominates the second third, with a backing floral note. There is even a bit of sweet nuttiness at this point. The burn starts to canoe, but it is very windy today. This self-corrects nearly immediately.

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3/3: Cinnamon becomes a player to complement the wood and nuts. The wind may be too much for this cigar, and it is now tunneling. I relight and after a purge, sweet earth is noticeable in the array of flavors. Earth and cinnamon finish up the nub.

Overall: I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this cigar during the first third. It was so spicy, I kept telling myself, “It’s good, but not my cup of tea.” But, after the nuts and even cinnamon evolved into the profile, I really began to like it. I wish the entire cigar had the flavors I found in the final third. I would smoke an Epernay again, but I think I would choose a longer vitola. Not bad, but doesn’t top the 68 in my book.