Illusione f9 Short Cigar Review
Wrapper: Nicaragua | Binder: Nicaragua | Filler: Nicaragua | Box of 25: $158.00 | Single: $7.50 | Lonsdale | 6 ¼″ x 44
0/3: This one is known as the f9 Finesse, which can lead to some lame joke making like “this cigar looks like it was made with a lot of finesse” or “there’s a real finesse to these flavors.” But you’ll get none of that here!
The cigar looks adroitly made by someone with a skillful hand. It’s oily, dark brown wrapper conceals filler and binder tobacco that is less densely packed than most cigars. A webwork of veins crisscrosses the wrapper.
And a big thanks to JJ for gifting me this cigar.
1/3: Yes, there is a reason why most other cigar smokers like these cigars. Salty leather, cherry and graham cracker. It’s a medium-full bodied cigar with very forceful flavors.
2/3: With flavors much like the first half the second half is continuing on in its goodness.
3/3: More of the same during this third. The only difference is a faint sweetness on the retrohale but it isn’t much.
4/3: I liked this cigar because of the leather and graham cracker flavors. The burn was pretty even but the draw at times just disappeared because it was too loose. That probably hurt this cigar more than I realized at the time. When it was going well it is definitely a very good cigar.
4 points
Tatuaje Avion 11 Cigar Review
The Tatuaje Avion 11 is a perfecto shaped cigar, which means it’s tapered on both ends. Chances are if you are looking for the Tatuaje Avion 11 in a search and happened upon this review you already know that, but I just wanted to make sure.
As the special edition Tatuaje Fausto for 2011, this cigar is a looker. And it tastes really good too, even better than the normal Fausto line, which still managed to place very well in my recently (and tardily) published Top 10 Cigars 2011 list.
Solidly and evenly packed. It does look like it got a little smashed (don’t look at me, Tatuaje did this on purpose since it is a box pressed cigar after all) but no bother, it’s not like it’s smashed like a pancake. The wrapper is a dark mahogany brown color webbed with insignificant veins. While it’s oily to the touch what really gets to me is the smell. It’s one of those cigar smells that is the equivalent to that Dirty Harry (paraphrased) line: “Do you feel lucky, punk?” Just the smell of it is aggressive.
Cigar Stats
Length: 6 ¾″
Ring Gauge: 48/52
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $45.00/Box of 5 | $180.00/Box of 20
Game of Thrones Flame!
I’ve smoked a number of these so far and the only reason I have yet to do a review for one is because I just enjoy smoking them too much. This one is no different.
Sure, it’s a very strong cigar; definitely in the upper echelon of strong cigars. But that isn’t what I’m getting from it. To me, the Avion 11 is this full throttle study in spice, leather, oak, mesquite and very old tobacco flavors. It’s like a flamethrower of flavor enveloping my tongue’s taste buds. The retrohale is also very enjoyable.
During the second third the flavor profile transitions into being more of an oak and dry earth mix. Sure, spice and leather are still strong flavors but, with this cigar, they are relegated to being merely excellent backup flavors.
Besides the flavors being truly amazing this cigar’s smoking characteristics are exceptional. Every one of these I’ve smoked (this one is the seventh) has had an absolutely perfect draw and the burn line progress at a steady and even pace.
A couple of days ago I was watching Clubhouse Confidential, which is a baseball show that focuses on statistical analysis, and a question was posed. The gist of this question was, “What if there’s a player who was near the top for statistical ratings for eight or so years but since he played for twenty years his average statistics weren’t all that brilliant, should this player merit consideration for the Hall of Fame?” This question popped into my head again as I was progressing through the final third of the Avion 11.
It’s not as if the final third is bad. No, it’s much better than that, but it just is not quite as good as the first two thirds. The flavors have turned towards singed hay, earth and spice, which has come on exceptionally strong during this third.
From my point of view, the final third doesn’t mitigate my enjoyment of this cigar. I don’t think, in this situation at least, that what is a truly exceptional cigar should receive any demerits for lasting too long. What is the alternative? If they had made this cigar shorter the flavors during the first two thirds would be different and probably not for the better. It’s just that by itself the final third would not be Hall of Fame worthy. However, taken in its totality, this cigar is definitely Hall of Fame worthy. If anything, the final third should be considered as a highly deserved victory lap for an excellent cigar.
So, what am I to do? This cigar is not perfect and since I have been lauding this cigar from the beginning you would be right to surmise that I think this cigar is one of the best that I have ever had the pleasure of smoking. At the risk of being overly enthusiastic about this cigar I cannot do anything other than give this cigar an extremely high, and well deserved, rating.
98 points
PS: I feel I need to elaborate a little on why I did not weigh the final third as much as I did the first two thirds. If I had stopped smoking this cigar after the first two thirds, to be honest, it was a little bit into the final third when I noticed the differences in the flavors most fully, this cigar would have earned 99 points. It’s not a perfect cigar in my mind, the strength is a bit too much, even during the first two thirds, and can have the effect of lessening the impact of the flavors if you aren’t completely concentrating on the cigar.
During the throes of the final third the strength overpowers the flavors a little bit more. In my opinion, if the final third were to be segregated and given its own rating, that would make this a 94-95 point cigar. Still excellent but just not as excellent as the whole cigar is.
The reason why I am treating this cigar differently than other cigars is because the first two thirds were so extraordinarily good and it is those first two thirds (probably more like three quarters or four fifths) that has lead me to downplay the ending. It may sound trivial but I think there is a world of difference between a 98 point cigar and a 97 point cigar, which is what I’d given this cigar if I simply averaged the scores out.
Well, that’s enough babbling on for me. If you want a more sober review of this cigar head on over to Tiki Bar’s excellent review.
PPS: The picture on the band is a flying cigar.
CroMagnon Cigar Review
A few months back I ordered some cigars that a Twitter buddy makes. Probably every cigar smoker on Twitter knows who I am talking about: Skip Martin. Anyways, the cigar is named CroMagnon because, I guess, it sounds menacing and harkens back to a more primeval existence where men were men and cigars… I think you get the picture.
ROTT I smoked one of their Knuckle Draggers (4×52) and it was insanely powerful and very flavorful. Honestly, I liked the extra kick in the cigar but many others probably wouldn’t have. Fortunately, or, depending on how you look at it, unfortunately, every other cigar I smoked from my sampler of all the different vitolas never matched the raw power of that first cigar. They were all still powerful cigars but the main thing was that the flavors were better than I experienced during the first one.
For this review I am smoking a CroMagnon Anthropology. It’s extremely oily and has an almost velvety feel to it. Dark brown wrapper with some minor veins on the wrapper. The shape is spot on and there are no obviously hard or soft spots.
Cigar Stats
Length: 5 ¾″
Ring Gauge: 46
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $37.50/5 Pack | $236.25/Cube of 35
Pyongyang Flame!
After some months resting in my humidor it has lost that audacious amount of strength that nearly made me sick when I first smoked one of these cigars. However, it does still retain all of its flavor. There’s this dark sweetness that lingers on the tongue that is a nice counterpoint to the bright spice notes and there are also raisin and leather flavors as well.
The second third is a more well rounded experience. The sweetness has morphed into being more floral and the spice and leather are working together better now. Basically, it’s a savory sweetness in the mouth and a simmering spiciness on the retrohale. Very nice.
Nearing the end of the final third and, while it’s not as good as the first two thirds, it’s still a very good cigar. The flavors are just muted somewhat. It’s a full bodied cigar with a great draw and and burn. Overall, I really have liked this line of cigars and will go back to them frequently.
92 points
Illusione Cigar Review
Conspiracy theories are as abundant nowadays as Wiemar currency before WWII. There are conspiracy theories about the Bilderburgers, the Trilateral Commission, Area 51 and even conspiracy theories about the names of Illusione cigars. Without trying to give too much credence to the cretins who traffic in such insanity let it suffice that the conspiracy theory has something to do with the Occult. Not true.
Illusione cigars are boutique cigars, which means they are made in limited quantities. There are other boutiques and other companies claiming that their brands are boutiques. Words are wind and the claim of being a boutique means little and less to me. What matters is how well the cigar tastes, how well it smokes and other things like that. I am not going to deny that there is something psychologically intriguing about smoking a limited production cigar but that psychosomatic high quickly wears off if the cigar is substandard.
That whole diatribe is not directed at Illusione though. They’re great cigars and every size, according to their website, has received scores of 90 or more from Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Insider. But the score that really matters is the one at the bottom of this post, so let’s get to it.
The Illusione 2 is a 5.25″ by 52 ring gauge torpedo. Personally, I like torpedoes and that is the major reason I picked this vitola while I was perusing the offerings at a local tobacconist. This is the third one I have smoked recently and it looks decent for a cigar. It’s not smooth – there are ripples, a minor stretching in the wrapper by one vein and the veins are slightly pronounced – and it’s not very oily to the touch. Actually, it’s pretty dry. Solidly packed though and I do appreciate their humble cigar band, which bears no resemblance to the usually more ostentatious bands found on ever other cigar.
Cigar Stats
Length: 5 ¼″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $9.50/Single | $205.00/Box of 25
$1.5M Cups Torch!
Also known as Crowned of Thorns (I’m pretty sure that is a reference to Christ and his crucifixion – the explanation behind the numbers is on their website) it starts out with a smattering of bold flavors ranging from leather, steak and a light spice.
During the transition from the first to the second third spice becomes more prominent. It is the kind of spice that tastes good and doesn’t overpower the other flavors around with the other flavors being a dusty earthiness and some more leather.
The final third sees the spice fading a little. Leather still remains and there is this thin sweetness in the background.
In the end, this is a very solid cigar. The flavors keep your interest from beginning to end. The draw is good and the burn is pretty even. It’s a medium bodied cigar that does not scrimp on flavor.
91 points
Oliva Serie V Cigar Review
Very good looking cigar. The mottled near-black finish of the wrapper has veins running every which way but not in enough quantity to scare me. Oily? Yes, but not very. Consistently packed from cap to foot with enough tobacco to give just the slightest amount when I check for soft spots.
I forgot to mention a medium sized, oblong hole that appears three inches from the foot of the cigar. It runs 1/8th of an inch long by 1/16th of an inch wide at its widest point. Shouldn’t be too much of a problem as far as the flavor is concerned but I am keeping it in mind for the overall score (in other words, not a huge deal). Actually, now that I think of it, I cannot remember seeing a hole in any other of the Oliva Serie V wrappers that I have had.
The pre-light draw is reminiscent of the last Serie V I had. This one has a better draw and the mix of spice and chocolate is inverted with spice being a much more prominent factor in the flavor profile. It has been at least two minutes since I took the pre-light draw and I can still feel the spiciness on my tongue. My anticipation grows.
Cigar Stats
Length: 7″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Nicaragua – Habano Sun Grown
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua – Jalapa Valley Ligero
Price: $8.50/Single | $175.00/Box of 24
Bar Rescue Torch!
Bitter chocolate and a certain amount of earthiness greet my palate first. Then comes a bitter spiciness, which is something that is good in an interesting sort of way. It’s an interesting flavor combination but I am going to withhold judgment for now. Shortly after the first rush of bitterness it gracefully fades into the background leaving a mixture of spice and earthiness to take the lead.
The aroma for this vitola is identical to the previous one; rich chocolate cake. The pre-light draw was not a misnomer because the draw is just as good now as it was before the cigar took the flame.
Strength is something that I am acutely aware of early on in the cigar’s progression. Unlike with some of the smaller vitolas in the V line the strength apparent here is much more serious. I am less than a half inch into the cigar and if it progresses much further in the strength category I may go into convulsions and start talking in tongues! That, of course, is pure hyperbole – I love the strength of this cigar – the more the better!
Before getting into the second third of this cigar the flavor profile has imperceptibly shifted away from that chocolate flavor. Spice and a grassy earthiness have now completely taken over. The spice is more temperate now – the strength has undergone no such change. All of this has taken place over the first third of the stick.
Walking away from a cigar for more than a couple of minutes usually leads to it dying – not so in this case. Doing so has given my palate some time to normalize and refresh itself and the cigar has ever so slightly changed. Now, at the halfway point, it is spice, grass and a hint of chocolate. All three work together in harmony. The spice is, and has been, a warm spice of varying strengths; each version a joy.
Time is not something I really think of in terms of cigars. But this one is an extremely slow burning cigar. It’s been over an hour since I first lit it and I am only halfway through it now. I have been sipping it, enjoying all its nuances, which is why it is taking so long. There really is no other way to go at this cigar though. If you don’t have the time to truly enjoy this cigar then you are better off leaving it in its humidified lair until a large enough chunk of time produces itself.
The remainder of the cigar is consistently great. Breaking into the final third is a saltiness accompanied by a decent helping of meat. A hint of leather creeps its way into the final bits. The burn is also good; it has been fairly even throughout. Give yourself up to three hours to smoke it, though. You will not be disappointed.
94 points
