Cigar of the Month Club
December 2011
 

Illusione "88" Natural

Dion Giolito created the Illusione cigars to re-construct a taste profile from Nicaraguans past. Before the Sandinistas took over in 1979, Nicaragua was growing some of the best tobaccos in the world. The cigars made from these prized fields in the Jalapa Valley and Esteli region were strong, bold and clean. After years of neglect, these old Somoza fields have been re-cultiviated by the legendary master grower Arcenio Ramos of Cuba.

Illusione cigars are made with a blend of first generation Corojo and Criollo seed tobaccos that are topped off with a gorgeous and oily, grade A Cafe Colorado wrapper. All of the Illusione "Original Document" cigars are finished with a triple cap and are medium to full bodied with lots of spice, earth flavors and a long finish.

 

Illusione "88" Candela

Strength: Medium      Origin:  Nicaragua     Wrapper:  Candela
Filler:  Nicaraguan         Binder: Nicaraguan

Expect toasty notes of cedar, coffee and cream in a complex smoke that finishes with notes of green tea and peppery spice. The smoke is rich and plentiful from beginning to end. These cigars are made from first generation Corojo ’99, Criollo ’98 seeds, wrapped with a grade one Café Colorado wrapper, and finished with a traditional triple cap in the premier Raices Cubanas factory.

 

Illusione "88" Maduro

Dark, deep flavors of earth, leather, pepper, chocolate, cedar and spice make this a perfect holiday smoke. The Illusione "Holy Lance" made an appearance last year as a short run, to rave reviews. That original HL Maduro used a Corojo wrapper. When contemplating a release of multiple sizes, Dion revisited the wrapper and found the San Andreas Maduro more to his liking for the Illusione blend. So these Illusione Maduro vitolas are the original HL blend, with a San Andreas Maduro wrapper.

 

Two of the greatest minds in the cigar industry, Manuel Quesada and Nestor Plascencia have come together to create the Casa Magna. Highly rated, this Nicaraguan puro is a medium-full bodied joy to smoke. Casa Magna is rolled in Nestor Plascencia's Segovia factory in Esteli, Nicaragua.