Let’s face it when the weather gets colder the chance to smoke a cigar grows shorter. Not everyone is blessed to be able to smoke in their own house and not everyone has a great cigar lounge near their hometown. So we cigar smokers have to suffer in the frigid weather. Here in New Hampshire it was -2 this morning and at almost 2pm it is a balmy 5 degrees.
Now I know you didn’t come here for a weather report, but when I wanted a quick smoke back in the day I would reach for Illusione 68. The Bombone as it was once called comes from Dion Giolito and it was one of the first boutique cigars I ever had back in 2005 when it was released. So I figured I would end the day with something old as the new year is just days away.
Cigar Review: Illusione Original Document
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 4″
Ring Gauge: 44
Size: 68 (Petit Corona)
The Look: The Illusione 68 comes in cabinet style boxes of 25 cigars. Inside the cigar has a basic black & white band that denotes the size, which in this case is 68 and Illusione off to the sides. The oily Colorado color wrapper has a slight brindle to it and there are some thin veins present as well. In the hand the cigar has a heavy weight to it for its size, it is firm to the touch with a well packed foot.
The Notes: The cold draw has notes of earth and hay, while the nose off the wrapper and foot serves up much of the same however there is also a touch of cedar present. After a quick toast of the foot the initial notes off the cigar remind me of chewy caramel and graham crackers.
The first half of Illusione 68 packs a punch with notes of spice and a subtle sweetness of caramel. The cigar is balanced out with some hints of cedar and earth, with some maple on the retrohale.
In the second half of this quick smoke, the spice continues to dominate the palate along with some cedar notes. In the background is a subtle earthiness and caramel sweetness. The moderate finish is increased with the retrohale which offers up black pepper.
The Finish: Over the years the factory in which Illusione cigars were made changed and while the cigar remains true to the original experience, I find the cigar isn’t as sweet as it was back in the day when I experienced definitive black cherry notes. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a very good cigar, but in the 12 years its been out, it has changed laterally.
Score: 90
Price: $6.90 / $171.99
Illusione 68
Illusione 68 Foot
Illusione 68 Burn
