Zen & the Art of the Cigar

Size:  5 ¼” x 52

Vitola:  Torpedo

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Café Colorado

Origin: Nicaragua

Sweet!  My local store, Capital City Cigars,  received a huge shipment of Illusione cigars!  And after my ~mk~ review, I get to do a follow-up with one in their regular line, the ~2~, which is a stubby little torpedo.

This little feller looks feisty.  Short and stubby but a deep brown that exudes power and as I turn it to peer down the foot, I see a dense weave of ligero throughout the bunch.

As I light it, I find myself a bit surprised.  At first it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be as spicy as I thought and certainly not as spicy as the ~mk~ (which is a limited release with an extra oomph thrown in).

Maybe this is like the Bolivar Belicoso Fino from Cuba?  The BBF is a thick torpedo that sub-delivers on purpose and gives you a nice mellow mild smoke.

As I smoke further I realize this is not going to be a BBF, but it will not be as strong as the little firecracker known as the ~mk~.  This cigar actually has some sweetness, but there is also a mesquite meatiness to the flavor (maybe I should back away from the grill).  But really, this is a sweet, meaty smoke, with just a touch of pepper and cedar.

The smoke is voluminous and the ash is very flaky which is typical of a lot of Nicaraguan tobacco.  The burn is mostly even though it does partially canoe in a few places.

The really cool thing is that this cigar is so different from the ~mk~, which hopefully means this is the case throughout the whole line. 

As I smoke thru the halfway point, the cigar gets even sweeter and woodier.  I am enjoying this cigar referred to “and crowned of thorns” from the Illusione website.

The finish is nice and long and I pick up the standard licorice/anise notes at the end (this is pretty common as the cigar heats up, tar is produced which often gives off a licorice taste).

I like this quite a bit more than the ~mk~, as I prefer refined to power.  Great cigar!

Rating: 90 (A)