It’s good to be writing about something so enjoyable for PJM. As many of you know, I am a proud cigar smoker. More to the point, I don’t believe that grown men and women should be ashamed of the legal things they enjoy. I like a good cigar.
I write about cigars often. For Cigars In Review Magazine, I write about culture and politics. On culture, I write about the experience of a good cigar, the enjoyment of new lounges and locales and the people who partake in cigars. On politics, I write on the growing sickness of the nanny state to regulate cigars, the lies told about the industry and the massive differences between premium cigars and cigarettes. I also do a weekly cigar review on my radio show.
On the Tatler, I write about politics, the Tea Party and the disaster of Statism. On the Lifestyle Blog, I will be writing about cigars, scotch and steaks (depending on how many expense reports I can hand in!) I hope you’ll join me.
Today’s Cigar is the Illusione 888 Maduro. Not a normal cigar for me at all. I usually find comfort in the larger ring gauges – 56, 58, 60. But this is a 48. (The ring gauge refers to the diameter of the cigar. A 48 is 48/64 of an inch.) It’s also a good length at 6 3/4″.
This is a Nicaraguan cigar. Cigars come from all over — Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua and, of course, Cuba. I find myself drawn to Nicaraguan cigars. It’s an overall flavor palette that works for me. The Illusione 888 Maduro also really well built. The draw is easy…on its way to effortless. The burn is nice and even, and doesn’t require relighting if somewhat tended to.
But what is working for me on this is the maduro wrapper — a dark, oily wrapper unafraid to show some vein. With the longer, thinner cigars — like a lancero — the flavor of the maduro wrapper has a chance to build in with the rest of the smoke. There is nothing harsh here. However, the maduro is where my comfort zone is, even if the size is not. The ash doesn’t burn a beautiful white, but it produces great smoke, which is something I look for.
If you are just getting into cigar smoking, I don’t recommend this cigar for you. The more you get in to this cigar, the more you feel it — in a wonderful way — but might be too much for someone just starting out. However, if you have a track record of cigars, then this is well worth the smoke. It is more expensive cigar, at $11 a stick (at one of my local shops in LA.) But overall, a great, worthwhile experience.
Nice job reviewing a cigar that is essentially unavailable to anyone. No one has it online, and expecting any of your local smoke shops to carry it is completely unreasonable. Maduros are for experienced smokers, but there are probably a thousand of them that ordinary folk can actually buy. Why not review one of them? In other words, you wrote a completely worthless review.
A good friend of my works at a cigar shop in Orange County. He could probably get this for me. And at employee discount.
Sucks to live in the hinterlands, eh Cliff?
Cliff,
Instead of being combative, why not suggest a cigar for me to review?
– Tony
I didn’t want to be combative, I would have thought you might check availability before a review. At least you could have compared it to the myriad of maduras commonly available, i.e. anything by Montecristo or Romeo y Juliet for example, to see if your esoteric choice is worthy of a 2 1/2 search/drive. If you are going to review oddities, at least make it, say, a Cuban Cohiba Behike. I’d rather read a test of a Ferrari California than a Chinese pickup. I can’t buy either one, but at least one is bemusing to contemplate.
Ugh. Montecristos and R&J, the Miller Lite and Budweiser of cigars. Blah.
I agree with Cigar Chick. Review the boutiques. It’s why I like her site, too. Altadis (the maker of the above 2 brands) is the world’s cigar largest maker, and the only major manufacturer who is not part of the Cigar Rights of America. They can go to hell. They don’t need any help in promoting their dull, readily available and heavily-discounted-to-the-catalog-companies brands.
Not sure where Cliff lives but any major metropolitan area with a decent tobacconist should carry Illusione. It’s not an esoteric brand at all unless you’re a new or clueless smoker. Do a search for the brand online and you’ll find dozens of review from bloggers with a decent palate.
Cliff can start his own site if he wants to review common crap. Keep up the good work, Tony. Ignore the whiners and haters and people who still think Cubans make the best cigars. Your first clue that someone is clueless about cigars is when they prattle on about Cohibas.
You’re still being combative. Tell I writer he’s created a worthless review? In your opinion, sir. Personally, I learned several things from the review, even though I will likely never smoke that particular stick.
Cigar International has them on line (admittedly, box of 25 only).
Great review. It’s readily available where I am. Look into his candela cigar as well if you get a chance. The maduros just started shipping after the trade show in July and is starting to show up at local B&M’s that carry Illusione.
And no, you probably won’t find it on online as Dion, the brand owner is a supporter of brick and mortars. In fact he has a brick and mortar shop in Reno. He doesn’t sell to the discount catalogs and online retailers.
I think it is much better you review a smaller boutique brand Tony. Brands like Macanudo and Punch have been done to death. I like that you chose this.
How about reviewing the top five cigars (in your opinion) for beginners, or just simply a review of cigars to try for beginners or occasional cigar smokers.
As it so happens, I’m going to a church smoker and scotch/bourbon party tonight. I’ll be on the lookout for this, though I’m not normally a maduro guy. Thanks for the tip!
Maduros for experienced smokers only? Rubbish! Just because the wrapper is dark does not mean the cigar is strong. Maduros do give a different flavor, one that I prefer, but there is no relationship between the color of the wrapper and strength.
Having said that, I look forward to trying an Illusione. Thanks for the tip!
Trey
I say, “Good for you.”
I too enjoy a good cigar, scotch, and a steak, I also enjoy a good cigar, beer, and wings. I am not an expert on cigars, I simply enjoy them. In fact, as an active racing sailor and fleet officer in my local yacht club, I host a get together the night before the big regatta and share some pretty good cigars (Nat Sherman’s ), beer and wings with all the skippers and crews. The point is, you would be surprised at the number of people, both men and women, who are not regular cigar smokers, but really enjoy this. I for one am tired of being demonized for enjoying a legal product. Alcohol, tobacco, and red meat… what’s not to like? My brother, who has never smoked, drank, and hasn’t eaten red meat since the ’70s says that I’m killing myself. I tell him that one day, he will be lying in a hospital, dying of NOTHING!
Enjoy in moderation
What scotch would you recommend with this cigar? I like Sobranie Black cigarettes, can’t get them in California. Looking for a cigar to substitute for my beloved Russian smokes.
The Illusione 888 is really not that hard to find. Thanks for the quick evaluation and I agree – keep going with the boutique reviews. I am a big fan of maduros as well and will be sparking up one with my dad this evening – can’t wait! Don’t get to see dad to often and sharing a fine stogie with him on what looks to be a wonderful evening weather-wise will be awesome. Now to home in on the proper accompanying beverage….
You go, Tony. I am a man of modest means, but have always believed that “Life is too short for cheap cigars”. You may quote me. Pat
Ok Pat, I’m quotin: short cigars are too cheap for life. Did I get it? Maybe had one too many sobranie scotches or whatever. On a more sober note, really liked your review Tony. Do you ever review bourbons or brandies? Both go pretty well with the right cigar.
In 1992 while waiting in line for mail call on the USS Stump I made friends with a fellow sailor by asking, “Excuse me, is that a Punch Maduro Rothschild?”
He responded, “Yes it is, and anyone who can identify one, deserves one.” Whereupon he handed me a smoke that led to the forming of a club of cigar smokers onboard the USS Stump.
Short smokes are great, especially when you are on a ship of war and can’t necessarily count on a break long enough for a Churchill or even a Toro without General Quarters being sounded when you are in a hostile fire zone; conditions which my new friend and I spent the next six months enduring. Sometimes life is too short to invest in a long cigar you’re going to have to throw half of away.
Here’s a suggestion: the (non-Cuban, ie legal) Punch double maduro Presidente. I don’t smoke anymore, but one of my mainstays were the Punch dm Robustos. Short and fat, which resulted in a good smoking time frame. For those 1.5+ hour sitdowns, the Presidente was always superb. Other opinionated factS:
How about reviewing an Arturo Fuente Anjeo? This cigar, with its wonderful Connecticut Shade Broad-leaf maduro wrapper aged in cognac barrels is my absolute favorite.
Nice review…
If you’re looking for suggestions, how about reviewing some of the Perdomo cigars? I have read in Cigar.com’s magazine that Perdomo tends to drop its price when the government raises taxes on cigars, so it might be worth looking at.
I for one have greatly enjoyed the Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Champagne. It’s accessible both in terms of where you can get it (if I can get it in the middle of Missouri…) and in terms of strength (not a maduro). And on cigar.com’s website, it’s brand number 666! What’s not to like!
http://www.cigar.com/cigars/viewcigar.asp?brand=666
Work in a smoke shop in Louisville, and we carry the Illusione products. They sell reasonably well for being boutique brand. I’ve worked there three months, and have had a great time enjoying my “homework.” In fact, I have a La Flor Dominicana Airbender (a lancero) I’ll be enjoying later this evening.
While still learning, I’ve found, since I happened to have started with the Arturo Fuente products, I have really found that I like them.
But it was a CAO torpedo, and unfortunatley I forget which one, where I had my epiphany, and I realized, “This is why people smoke cigars.” So good and almost buttery.
Tony,
How about reviewing the JR Cigars Alternative to the Perdomo Reserve No.5? http://www.jrcigars.com/jr/index.cfm/hurl/evt=itemDetail/itemcode=JRPR53/JR%20ALTERNATIVE%20PERDOMO%20RESERVE%20NO.%205.html
You might not have noticed, but the rest of the country is economically screwed. Inexpensive quality sticks like this are what most of us are smoking these days, when we can afford it. For the price of three of those sticks, most of us are buying bundles of good alternatives. When the economy gets back, I might be willing to buy some of the expensive sticks, but for now, Mr. Rothman gets my business.
By the way, 56, 58, and 60 are the largest, not larger, sizes. There is a lot of happiness smaller than 52. For that matter, it might do you some good to try a 32 to see what rollers can do without a dozen different tobaccos in a blend.