Illusione La Grande Classe

A neat and tidy looking corona with a medium-firm pack and an even roll. The wrapper leaf was fairly attractive with a light sheen, some mottling, and a texture of polished leather. The draw was a touch on the firm side, but well within what I like to have and definitely not stingy on the smoke output. The texture starts off oily, but transitions to a fluffy feel with a little grittiness rather quickly. The fruity brightness of the retrohale was a pleasant contrast to the initial darker flavors of the draw. Later on even the draw takes on more fruit nuances for a nice effect. The coffee cake and hazelnut notes in the middle third were especially outstanding, and the burn and ash from start to finish were both near perfect. Lot's to love with this one and very little to criticize. The flavor strength, body and nicotine level are all in the medium-full category. Coffee of any kind, brown ales, stout, bourbon and even a nice Isla Scotch are all great candidates for pairings. A must try!

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano/ Binder: Nicaragua / Filler: Nicaragua

Vitola: Rex  / Size: 4.625 x 40

Factory: Agricola Ganadera Nortena S.A. / Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Blue cheese and barnyard funk, cocoa

Dried cherry, sweet natural tobacco, faint cinnamon

Sweet natural tobacco, fig newtons, cedar

Initial notes of mocha java, dark chocolate, espresso bean, spicy oak, black pepper, followed up by brighter notes of pear, cherry candy, and grape jelly

Retrohale: dried fruit, cinnamon spice, citrus zest

Kettle corn sweetness, medium roast ground coffee, sweet and yeasty coffee cake, dried blueberry, hazelnut, light tannins in the last part of this third particularly on the finish.

Retrohale: more citrus zest, florals, cedar, sweet baking spices.

Robust espresso, cocoa powder, over ripe banana, dark chocolate, with a salty and tannic finish.

Retrohale: walnut, lime zest, white pepper.

The reviewing process at Cigar Public ensures that each cigar is reviewed blindly. This cigar was sent without any bands and without any information about the cigar. Cigar Public does not attempt to influence or alter any scores given by any of our reviewers.

 

Joe Kenney

I am a Certified Consumer Tobacconist, have enjoyed cigars for over 10 years, and I run the Jonose Cigars cigar review channel on YouTube. My primary goal is to spread cigar lifetsyle to as many as possible while discovering as much as possible about the craft of cigars along the way.