Cigar Facts:

Vitola: Churchill (7.5×49)
Price: ~$9-10 (the one reviewed was gifted via bomb)
Wrapper: Cafe Colorado
Binder: Corojo ’99 and Criollo ’98?
Filler: Corojo ’99 and Criollo ’98?

The Illusione 4/2g is a beautiful cigar with a fairly smooth wrapper. For the length of this cigar, I find the weight of this cigar to be fairly light. The cigar seems firmly packed with tobacco, and the only imperfection I can find is near the foot of the cigar (likely due to shipping). After using my punch cutter on the Illusione, I get a perfect draw but not much in the flavor department. Aroma on the wrapper/foot is also just a very mild tobacco.

Initial puffs of this cigar leave a woody/slightly spicy flavor profile, which lingers in the mouth longer than normal. Body starts off medium, with a fair amount of aromatic resting smoke.

First Third:

Flavor profile remains consistent, with a woody profile up front that finishes with a moderate amount of spice. Body is in the upper spectrum of medium, but something worth mentioning is that the mouth-feel seems to be fairly dry. Into the first 2 inches and I am already reaching for my second glass of water. Burn line is straight, but the ash doesn’t seem to want to stay on much longer than an inch to an inch and a half. The scattered ashes on the floor can vouch for that! So far, this isn’t a very complex cigar but the flavors up to this point are enjoyable.

Second Third:

Flavors shift from a woody/spicy to a more prominent nuttiness. I also pick up what reminds me of roasted barley in the finish. Body is a bit stronger, but still not what I would consider full. Ash keeps falling off every inch or so, but I’ve learned from this and just tap it to avoid any further mess on the carpeting.

Final Third:

Flavor profile is pretty much what I was getting in the second third, with maybe a bit more spice in the retrohale. The finish is also much smoother than it was initially, which is a big relief because I’ve had 4 glasses of water so far! The body remains medium to borderline full. I’ve had to touch this cigar up a few times now, but I am more inclined in blaming the cold outside than the cigar itself.

Final Impressions:

Overall, I was only moderately impressed with this cigar. For a smoke that took me more than 2 hours, I wish there was a bit more complexity in the smoke. The loose ash was also a minor annoyance, but only because I wasn’t expecting it. Would I buy this cigar in the future? Probably not, but only because all the other stuff from Illusione I’ve had has been much better than this. I would still recommend trying this out, because I have been known to have a big difference in opinion compared to a lot of other members in the SRFF.