Illuminati Mondo Nuovo
Monday, March 28th, 2011My pal Joel from Illuminati Cigars donated a few cigars to review when I ran into him at a St. Pete Cigar event not too long ago. Illuminati Cigars is a new company that started in 2010. As of now, they offer 3 different blends. They are made in Esteli, Nicaragua at Rocky Patel’s newest factory in Tavicusa. For more information, you can find them on their website. As always, I paired this cigar with water.
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Robusto 5 x 50
Price: $7.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The tan wrapper had a smooth sheen to it and a few small to medium sized veins. The wrapper had an ever so slight sweet odor, and the foot had the same smell, just a tad stronger. The cigar was evenly packed and slightly spongy. The pre-light draw was very free, and had an earthy, natural tobacco flavor.
The ash held for about an inch, and the burn required a couple minor corrections.
Flavor:
The first third had a core flavor of earthiness and a toasty sweet tobacco. Through the nose, I picked up a nice, easy toasty pepper. As I made my way to the end of this third, the smoke became thick and creamy.
The second continued with that creamy, toasty smoke feel. Like before, there was a slight punch of pepper when passing smoke through the nose. The earthiness was still there but was more of a background flavor. A little tingle was left on the tongue and lips on the aftertaste.
The last third kept pace with the second third. The only difference was – occasionally the earthy flavor stood out. For the most part it remained a background note.
Conclusion:
This was a good mild to lower medium bodied cigar. While there isn’t anything groundbreaking, I think it lived up to what I expect from a Connecticut wrapped cigar. This is a morning smoke with coffee to me. My only complaint is the price, it seems a little high. But price aside, this is a good milder smoke. I think it is worth a try. Thanks again to Joel for letting me give it a try.
