Buy the Illusione Epernay at Famous Smoke Shop
- Size: 6″ x 46 “Le Grande” (Corona Gorda)
- MSRP: $450.00 (box of 50); $9.00 for a single
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Wrapper: Corojo Cafe Rosado
- Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo ’99
- Filler: Nicaraguan
- Body: Mild
- Strength: Mild
- Humidor Time Prior to Review: 3 months
- Cigars Smoked Prior to Review: 2
- Source: Purchased with Personal Funds
- Date Smoked: December 24, 2018
Today we are checking out the Illusione Epernay. My good friend and cigar smoking podna Zack turned me on to this stick. It’s Christmas Eve day and I’m feeling nostalgic. Plus I may want to have another cigar later today, so starting things off with this milder Epernay seems like a good idea.
What can I say about this cigar? Here is a link to the manufacturer’s website, which is a little sparse on detail, but that’s OK. Apparently it was blended for the more delicate European palate. It’s a staple in many humidors and a much loved blend. I wanted to make sure I tried it out and reviewed it.
As usual I sorta got a deal on this cigar. I paid a little less than $7 a stick, which isn’t a crazy discount, but a couple bucks off retail. So I want my money’s worth here. Lets see what the Epernay is all about.
Appearance and Pre-Light Aromas
Illusion assigned some European sounding names to each vitola. This is the “Le Grande” which is basically a Corona Gorda. It’s a handsome caramel colored stick, but if I look closely I can see light green spots on part of the wrapper. Tight seams, visible veins, and a light tooth. The cigar feels a little light for its size. Rounding things off is a neatly applied triple cap.
Sniffing the wrapper of the cigar delivers aromas of hay, bread, and sweet tobacco. From the foot I get a more pungent hay and barnyard aroma.
I clip the cap and take a test draw. It’s free and easy, delivering cold draw flavors of honey and light cedar.
I start toasting and light up. Start time is 12:55 P.M.
First Third
Oddly enough the first flavors are pepper. Not what I’m expecting from a delicate stick for European sensibilities. Not that I know what a European palate prefers, or what sort of delicate sensibilities they may or may not have. I’ve probably alienated half my audience in the first paragraph of this review.
After a couple puffs the pepper begins to give way and a creaminess comes in. Still a good amount of pepper though.
A few puffs later and the pepper continues to dial back slowly. In its place I’m beginning to get some toasty flavors. Toasted bread, toasted nuts, and light graham cracker. Not bad. The aroma from the resting cigar wafts across my nose, perfuming me with a sweet smoke laced with baking spices. The retrohale remains peppery, and the finish is also slightly spicy. The pepper lingers with a cedar aftertaste.
There is a nice creaminess to the cigar. Not super strong at this point, but it’s present. After the first 10 minutes the creaminess begins to build in intensity.
So far the cigar is smoking well. The burn is even, but not razor sharp. The draw is perfect, and plenty of smoke is being produced with each puff. A tight white ash is forming. Imagine that.
It’s an absolutely beautiful day in Southwest Florida. Temperature is at a perfect 70 degrees. It’s sunny with small scattered clouds, and a light breeze stirs the air. Days like this are why I love Florida. Sure the summer heat is nice, but to sit in your back yard on Christmas Eve in shorts and sandals. That’s something else.
The flavors in our Epernay are transitioning. The most notable change is the addition of cedar. It is replacing much of the pepper on the retrohale. It’s aromatic and opens the sinuses. I’m also getting some light baking spices as well. Hints of cinnamon and clove weave in and out with each puff.
I’d peg the body on the mild side of medium. Actually, there is quite a bit of flavor going on here. I love a Rosado wrapper because I find it delivers wonderful baking flavors, and the Epernay is not disappointing in that respect. Strength is mild so far, but I do feel relaxed. Hopefully I won’t have a Warped Masetro del Tiempo experience and have to lie down on the couch two thirds of the way through. No me gusta.
Another thing I like about this cigar is that you can set it down for a minute. That’s especially helpful when you are pecking away at a keyboard, jabbering on with a stream of conscious monologue of a cigar review. The Warped I had yesterday was overpacked and tended to tunnel if you didn’t puff on it like an Olympic swimmer. That’s probably why I eventually passed out. The Epernay is more of an independent woman in that respect. It doesn’t need that constant coddling.
20 minutes in and I’m getting plenty of cream, baking spices, cedar, graham cracker, light nuttiness, and a hint of citrus. Very smooth and easy to smoke. A peppery cedar laced finish sticks with you in between puffs. The burn has evened out to razor sharp and I can find little to gripe about. So far the Le Grande is tres bien in my book.
Second Third
Smoke time is 30 minutes. For a cigar that felt a little light for its size, it’s burning slow and cool.
I decide to ash the cigar and it pops off in a solid chunk. Another small win for the Epernay. So far the entire experience has been trouble free and relaxing. While flavor is arguably the most important aspect of a cigar, these other qualities all enhance the experience, and are an absolute must if I’m going to give a cigar top honors.
Flavors have more or less remained consistent, but I sense another transition on the horizon. Woody notes are building.
Strength has also built slightly. Nothing overwhelming, but I’m feeling relaxed. A wind chime rings softly in the distance.
I finished reading the Black Dahlia last night. What a mindfuck of a book. Odd and haunting. The story takes place in the late 40s, but was written in the 80s. Kind of an odd juxtaposition of style and setting when you consider those two time periods. Not sure exactly what I will read next. Maybe This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff. Gotta bone up on the American classics.
I think we are due for a flavor update as we are approaching the half way point: Cream, wood, cedar, light coffee, light black pepper, and a hint of something fruity. Maybe raisin? Hard to say at the moment. It could simply be a fast transition.
This year we are having Christmas dinner at our house. We are hosting my parents and my girlfriend’s parents. I’ve never hosted a holiday dinner, but didn’t feel like driving around this year. Should be interesting. A ribeye roast is on the menu and I bought a digital oven thermometer for the occasion. I’m envisioning thick slices of prime rib roast along with garlic mashed potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts. Hopefully I don’t dick it up.
An inch or so of ash falls into the ash tray as I rest the cigar. The planets must be in full alignment.
Creamy wood best describes the flavors at present. That fruit flavor came and went in the space of a couple puffs. Mild coffee lingers as a secondary flavor with graham crackers. The sun breaks free from the trees and warms my back and neck. We are at the final third.
The Final Third
Smoke time is about an hour.
I find as I get older I haven’t discovered as much new music. When you are young music defines you, and I recall spending a lot of time in high school and college seeking out new stuff. As I get older I find it less important to find new bands and artists. I have old standbys that I’ve been listening to for a couple decades now. That hunger to seek out new stuff wanes, or maybe I’ve simply been prioritizing other things.
But I stumbled across the NPR Tiny Desk YouTube channel they other day and have found some cool stuff. Most notably the band Khraugbin. It’s a modernized play on Dick Dale’s classic surf guitar, and they give an excellent three track performance on Tiny Desk. The GZA and Soul Rebels performance is also watching, but I’ve been a long time fan of Liquid Swords.
The Epernay continues to be an excellent smoke. The flavors are transitioning again, and taking on a darker tone as we slowly burn this cigar down. Notes of leather are coming in, supported by cream, coffee, and cedar. Still getting some graham cracker and bready notes too. Not much sweetness, but then again I haven’t noticed much sweetness in this stick to begin with.
Smoke output continues to be great, and the construction has been excellent. Smoke swirls about with each puff. An expertly rolled cigar.
We are down to the band. It pulls off cleanly. It’s a simple band and I like the understated approach Illusione took when designing it.
We are down to the final inch or so. Baking spices have returned. Coffee, cream, and cedar continue to vie for center stage. A bevy of baked goods support it. That core of cream, cedar, and baked stuff has remained a constant through the stick. The cigar is smoking cool, but the nub is growing slightly spongy between my fingers.
As I finish out the cigar toasty notes return. Light leather and coffee tease the palate. Bread, cedar, and baking spices continue to the end. And enjoyable cigar down to the nub.
Illusione Epernay Review – Final Thoughts
The Epernay is a delightful cigar. It doesn’t assault you with flavors, but it’s still a flavorful cigar. It’s a peaceful and relaxing smoke. The kind of cigar that leaves you in a good mood. Nice milder flavors combined with exceptional construction show you that a good cigar doesn’t necessarily need to be a full bodied flavor bomb to hold your attention. There is nuance and complexity to the stick. Transitions and tricks. Some strength too. But it’s all in a smooth easy going package.
At the end of the cigar I’m left satisfied. Satisfied by the flavors and the construction. A great cigar experience. Recommended for novices and experienced smokers alike.
Final Score: 4.25 / 5 or a “2” on my 0-2 scale. Certainly worth revisiting and potentially a box worthy blend.
Final Smoke time: 1 hour 35 minutes.
I recommend purchasing the Illusione Epernay at Famous Smoke Shop. Please consider that purchasing things through any of the links on this website, including Amazon.com, helps support the website and keeps it going. Any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.
Leave a Reply