Illusione f9
So far I’ve basically enjoyed every Illusione cigar I’ve ever had. Whenever I run across them, I tend to pick a few up. Such was the case with tonight’s review, called the f9. There is a story behind the name, but I am too lazy to write about it. Why reinvent the wheel? You can get the scoop from the Illusione website. As always, I paired up with water and sparked it up.
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder & Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 6.25 x 44
Price: Around $7.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The dark brown wrapper had a few medium sized veins, and was a little rugged looking. I could smell cedar when sniffing the wrapper and foot. The pre-light draw had an earthy, cedary taste. The cigar was pretty firm when pinched, but still produced a draw that was free.
The ash held for around an inch, and I did a couple minor burn corrections.
Flavor:
The first third had a decent amount of smoke volume. It bordered on having a creamy feel. Despite the smoke feel, a dry woody flavor was the most noticeable. I got a good spicy pepper when passing the smoke through the nose.
The smoke feel became creamy, and kept the large smoke volume I spoke of before. The pepper became very smooth but kept that Nicaraguan bite. The woodiness remained but seemed to have a more rich complexity that I can’t describe. There was a sweet tinge along with a unique flavor that once again I couldn’t pin down. The flavors were thick and coated the inside of the mouth. Lip smacking good.
The last third might have crept into the full bodied range. The smoke volume didn’t change, nor did the creaminess. It just coated the inside of the mouth and the aftertaste lingered. The pepper really mellowed out. It became very smooth and didn’t have quite as much bite. That rich woody flavor remained and became very sweet. The sweetness left a slight tingle on the lips. I am stretching here, but I think I picked up some salty notes as well.
Conclusion:
This was a very good medium to full bodied cigar. I think my review doesn’t do it justice. There were other things going on that I just can’t describe. The bottom line is, I really enjoyed this and have to suggest you pick some up.
