Today we are checking out the Illusione Epernay. My good friend and cigar smoking podna Zack turned me on to this stick. 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? Apparently it was blended for the more delicate European palate. I wanted to make sure I tried it out and reviewed it. As usual I sorta got a deal on this cigar. Lets see what the Epernay is all about.
Illusion assigned some European sounding names to each vitola. 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. Oddly enough the first flavors are pepper. Not that I know what a European palate prefers, or what sort of delicate sensibilities they may or may not have.
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. 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.
