Photo
Thanks to Joe, siriusstoogie, I got to try the new Illusione Epernay.
It was the Le Petite size (I think).
I decided to put it back to back with the OR ECCJs I happen to have a dwindling box of.
Both were scored with my Xicar Multi-tool and torched with my Blazer PB-207.
Both were smoked with iced Oolong Tea by my roof pool.
Photo
Illusione Epernay La Petit
Beautiful stick with almost no flaws.
Pre-light- chocolatey, Padrony, perfect draw.
1st third
Photo
Strong, nuts, coffee, slight fruit, long finish
fruit flavors, dark sweetness, more fruit
slight bitterness.
What is this fruit flavor???
Plentiful smoke.
I can easily nose it.
Nice white ash, holding strong
A bit of spice developing on the palate.
Photo
Ash drops on my lap.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/roh....jpg"Photo
Ash is white with a dark grey interior light and flaky.
2nd
Photo
Fruit really shining here
Slight chocolate.
Black raspberry?
Dry
Sweet again
Dark chocolate and coffee on the finish.
Super even burn.
Zero touch-ups.
Last 3rd
Flipping still between a dry flavor and the sweetness.
Chocolate is much more prevalent on the finish and perhaps some nuts.
The flavors are really start to concentrate and some bitterness is re-developing.
Burn gets slightly crooked.
First touch up by just before the band.
Chocolate coming through nicely now with a finish of dry fruit.
Band releases effortlessly.
And the fruit comes back yet again.
Bitter coffee with a fruit finish now.
I put it down with an inch left on it.
Photo
Photo
Only because I will be smoking the ECCJ next.
If this was going to be the only cigar I smoked today I would have smoked it til my fingers got burnt.
Excellent and complex cigar!
Original Release European Cigar Cult Journal Illusione- ECCJ
Photo
Beautifully constructed with a few sunspots on the wrapper.
Tiny veins.
Pre-light – slight fruit and a almost imperceivable mustiness
Perfect draw.
1st third
Photo
Mellow smoke.
Fruit develops immediately.
Slight strawberry flavor.
Slight pistachio.
Milk chocolate.
Sweet
Not as brash as the Epernay.
Dry finish to the smoke.
Black tea with milk and a touch of sugar?
Fruit with that strawberry finish.
Strawberries in milk.
Sweet!
Burn is slightly off but I hope it will self-correct.
Creamy.
Long dry finish.
Whitish grey ash is holding.
Dry fruit.
Photo
A crack in the ash makes it look like it will fall soon.
Photo
And there it goes!
2nd
Photo
Fruit and a slight bitterness.
Very dry finish.
Subdued fruit.
Draw is effortless.
Creamy.
Strawberry.
Dry.
Burn is off, first touch-up.
Coffee and nuts on the finish.
Nuts and coffee on the front taste now.
3rd
Dry creamy smoke with a touch of sweetness.
Dry fruit finish.
Band peels off easily.
Fruit and chocolate with a dry finish.
Put down with a inch and a half left.
Photo
Another fine cigar!
It didn't shine as much as it usually does due to smoking it right after the Epernay...
But still damn good!
Post-smoking thoughts
I enjoyed these both!
I think if I had the ECCJ first I might have enjoyed it a bit more.
But the similiarties between the smokes made me grow bored towards the end.
I found it interesting that they both kept repeating these flavor profile combinations at me.
What I tasted on the finish would come to the front, the front would move to the finish and it would repeat over and over again!
If they aren't the same blend then they are very close!
I would chalk up the flavor differences due to the age difference and the wrapper/binder ratio.
The winner here IMO is the Epernay but perhaps only due to order of smoking!
Thanks again Joe!
-Rob
PS. Sorry about linking the pics but for some reason I couldn't link a dynamic IMG or something like that...
Thanks to Joe, siriusstoogie, I got to try the new Illusione Epernay.
It was the Le Petite size (I think).
I decided to put it back to back with the OR ECCJs I happen to have a dwindling box of.
Both were scored with my Xicar Multi-tool and torched with my Blazer PB-207.
Both were smoked with iced Oolong Tea by my roof pool.
Photo
Illusione Epernay La Petit
Beautiful stick with almost no flaws.
Pre-light- chocolatey, Padrony, perfect draw.
1st third
Photo
Strong, nuts, coffee, slight fruit, long finish
fruit flavors, dark sweetness, more fruit
slight bitterness.
What is this fruit flavor???
Plentiful smoke.
I can easily nose it.
Nice white ash, holding strong
A bit of spice developing on the palate.
Photo
Ash drops on my lap.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/roh....jpg"Photo
Ash is white with a dark grey interior light and flaky.
2nd
Photo
Fruit really shining here
Slight chocolate.
Black raspberry?
Dry
Sweet again
Dark chocolate and coffee on the finish.
Super even burn.
Zero touch-ups.
Last 3rd
Flipping still between a dry flavor and the sweetness.
Chocolate is much more prevalent on the finish and perhaps some nuts.
The flavors are really start to concentrate and some bitterness is re-developing.
Burn gets slightly crooked.
First touch up by just before the band.
Chocolate coming through nicely now with a finish of dry fruit.
Band releases effortlessly.
And the fruit comes back yet again.
Bitter coffee with a fruit finish now.
I put it down with an inch left on it.
Photo
Photo
Only because I will be smoking the ECCJ next.
If this was going to be the only cigar I smoked today I would have smoked it til my fingers got burnt.
Excellent and complex cigar!
Original Release European Cigar Cult Journal Illusione- ECCJ
Photo
Beautifully constructed with a few sunspots on the wrapper.
Tiny veins.
Pre-light – slight fruit and a almost imperceivable mustiness
Perfect draw.
1st third
Photo
Mellow smoke.
Fruit develops immediately.
Slight strawberry flavor.
Slight pistachio.
Milk chocolate.
Sweet
Not as brash as the Epernay.
Dry finish to the smoke.
Black tea with milk and a touch of sugar?
Fruit with that strawberry finish.
Strawberries in milk.
Sweet!
Burn is slightly off but I hope it will self-correct.
Creamy.
Long dry finish.
Whitish grey ash is holding.
Dry fruit.
Photo
A crack in the ash makes it look like it will fall soon.
Photo
And there it goes!
2nd
Photo
Fruit and a slight bitterness.
Very dry finish.
Subdued fruit.
Draw is effortless.
Creamy.
Strawberry.
Dry.
Burn is off, first touch-up.
Coffee and nuts on the finish.
Nuts and coffee on the front taste now.
3rd
Dry creamy smoke with a touch of sweetness.
Dry fruit finish.
Band peels off easily.
Fruit and chocolate with a dry finish.
Put down with a inch and a half left.
Photo
Another fine cigar!
It didn't shine as much as it usually does due to smoking it right after the Epernay...
But still damn good!
Post-smoking thoughts
I enjoyed these both!
I think if I had the ECCJ first I might have enjoyed it a bit more.
But the similiarties between the smokes made me grow bored towards the end.
I found it interesting that they both kept repeating these flavor profile combinations at me.
What I tasted on the finish would come to the front, the front would move to the finish and it would repeat over and over again!
If they aren't the same blend then they are very close!
I would chalk up the flavor differences due to the age difference and the wrapper/binder ratio.
The winner here IMO is the Epernay but perhaps only due to order of smoking!
Thanks again Joe!
-Rob
PS. Sorry about linking the pics but for some reason I couldn't link a dynamic IMG or something like that...
