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Illyrian Cigars

CigarStone said:
Monti sent me a nice wooden ILLYRIAN box with five toros inside. These are a $15 cigar on his site.

Since I just got them yesterday I will review them in a couple different segments.

THESE NUMBERS REPRESENT CIGARS IN GENERAL (IMHO) AS OPPOSED TO OTHER NON-CUBAN CIGARS.
  1. Appearance = 5 I love the white and gold band colors. The quality of the artwork is poor as has been previously mentioned. The wrappers had a few veins but not bad. The unique cap is eye appealing (the pic doesn't do it justice), the poorly applied scotch tape on the gold foot band is not.
  2. Construction = 6 One thing I look for as a possible indication of taste and depth is mottling, these have a nice amount of it. As I mentioned, there are a few veins but they look okay. All five are solid and firm, a soft cigar will usually lead to draw inconsistencies, and a sloppy head (nobody likes sloppy head), which turn into foul tastes. The bunching at the foot looks pretty good, consistent.
  3. Pre-light smell = 7 These have a very pleasant, pure tobacco, pre-light smell. I expect a sweeter flavor when I finally do get a chance to smoke one.
  4. Burn = TBD
  5. Flavor = TBD
  6. Depth = TBD
Conclusion (at this point) I always loved Fuente cigars, also from the Dominican, and there are a lot of Fuente cigars, which are less than $15 per stick. Using a Fuente Don Carlos as a comparison, the entire line of Don Carlos is less expensive and I seriously doubt that these cigars are going to step up to make them worth the $15 price tag. I am 100% certain they will not surpass the likes of anything in the Anejo line which is still less expensive.

I doubt that the TBD categories are going to push these cigars to a "justified" price but I look forward to trying.

Thank you Monti for the cigars and your efforts to become part of our family!

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Are those all the same blend/wrapper? It might just be the lighting, but there seems to be a rather large shade variation amongst the five. Now, that's not a deal breaker; many brands (especially CCs) can vary like that amongst the same box. It's just an observation.

I know I'm not taking part in this, Monti, but thanks for doing what you are doing and being open to the honest feedback.
 
kann said:
Are those all the same blend/wrapper? It might just be the lighting, but there seems to be a rather large shade variation amongst the five. Now, that's not a deal breaker; many brands (especially CCs) can vary like that amongst the same box. It's just an observation.

I know I'm not taking part in this, Monti, but thanks for doing what you are doing and being open to the honest feedback.
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Absolutely
And I encourage and appreciate everyone's input
I really truly want to improve this brand, thank you for your observation , The same goes for anyone please don't hesitate to provide input ,
 
kann said:
Are those all the same blend/wrapper? It might just be the lighting, but there seems to be a rather large shade variation amongst the five. Now, that's not a deal breaker; many brands (especially CCs) can vary like that amongst the same box. It's just an observation.

I know I'm not taking part in this, Monti, but thanks for doing what you are doing and being open to the honest feedback.
Click to expand...
I'm glad you asked Nick, I meant to state it and forgot. It's the lighting, I played with it a bit to enhance the cap and it changed the wrapper color a bit. It also made the caps look ragged but they were not.
 
Agreed. No color variation in my 5. Regarding the foot ribbon, a lot of places use the simple piece of scotch tape. I didn't even think to mention it as mine just slipped right off the foot as is with a gentle tug.

It's also been my experience that anytime I've had to wrestle a foot ribbon, it's because the stick got too wet and plumped up. I'll get that sometimes when smoking right from a B&M... which I try not to do. The worst is a paper band at the foot.

Diesel does this.. especially on the Unlimited line.. drives me bonkers.
 
CigarStone said:
Monti sent me a nice wooden ILLYRIAN box with five toros inside. These are a $15 cigar on his site.

Since I just got them yesterday I will review them in a couple different segments.

THESE NUMBERS REPRESENT CIGARS IN GENERAL (IMHO) AS OPPOSED TO OTHER NON-CUBAN CIGARS.
  1. Appearance = 5 I love the white and gold band colors. The quality of the artwork is poor as has been previously mentioned. The wrappers had a few veins but not bad. The unique cap is eye appealing (the pic doesn't do it justice), the poorly applied scotch tape on the gold foot band is not.
  2. Construction = 6 One thing I look for as a possible indication of taste and depth is mottling, these have a nice amount of it. As I mentioned, there are a few veins but they look okay. All five are solid and firm, a soft cigar will usually lead to draw inconsistencies, and a sloppy head (nobody likes sloppy head), which turn into foul tastes. The bunching at the foot looks pretty good, consistent.
  3. Pre-light smell = 7 These have a very pleasant, pure tobacco, pre-light smell. I expect a sweeter flavor when I finally do get a chance to smoke one.
  4. Burn = TBD
  5. Flavor = TBD
  6. Depth = TBD
Conclusion (at this point) I always loved Fuente cigars, also from the Dominican, and there are a lot of Fuente cigars, which are less than $15 per stick. Using a Fuente Don Carlos as a comparison, the entire line of Don Carlos is less expensive and I seriously doubt that these cigars are going to step up to make them worth the $15 price tag. I am 100% certain they will not surpass the likes of anything in the Anejo line which is still less expensive.

I doubt that the TBD categories are going to push these cigars to a "justified" price but I look forward to trying.

Thank you Monti for the cigars and your efforts to become part of our family!

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You gonna try one this weekend Jeff? I just took one out at 67%.. gonna try one in the 62-65% range Fri nite at a little Xmas gathering.

And @TexasTraveler, I'm lookin' at you Aaron.. I just noticed on Illyrian's homepage that they have a new addition to their lineup:

Home - Illyrian Cigars

Premium Hand Made Albanian Cigars Made in the Dominican Republic with the Best Tobaccos Hearvested in the Cibao Valley.
illyriancigarsinc.com illyriancigarsinc.com

A Box Press Illyrian (San Andrés, Maduro).. "Comming" Soon! (I already let Monti know about the extra 'm'). Maybe a box split utilizing Monti's very generous coupon code? 🤔

See if we can't summon him for a little more info on this new addition. Any details to share yet @ILLYRIANCIGARS-USA, AKA, Monti?
 
Also, I had a delightful conversation with Monti on the phone.. for those wondering, Illyrian is pronounced "Uh-Leery-Un".. but said fast. We had a great discussion and his passion for the brand is right up there, if not more, with most brandowners I've met.

For a young man who just turned all of 34, I see a very bright future for Monti and Illyrian Cigars.. what's the next line.. I gotta wear shades? 😎👍🤔🙌

Some rolling clips:

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7290913614716833057
 
I finally got the chance to smoke one of the cigars Monti @ILLYRIANCIGARS-USA sent me. I reviewed it from purely a construction and appearance standpoint in post #39.

I was pleased to see the cigar light well, burn well, and maintain it's solid feel. No soft spots, no hard spots, it drew and smoked very well.

  1. Flavor ...... The cigar had a good flavor and plenty of it without being harsh. No real sweetness which I expected after smelling the foot. Flint, leather, mild pepper, etc.
  2. Depth of character ................... Not a ton of depth, but like a lot of Cuban cigars, it had full flavor and depth without harshness.
  3. Strength .................. The cigar never got strong but it did built a bit more depth as I got to the beginning of the third third.
  4. Power ...... The cigar was not in any way over-powering.
  5. Overall ......... I enjoyed this cigar and I would buy it at the $9-$11price range.

Thank you for sending these to me Monti!

1703716323624.png
 
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CigarStone said:
I finally got the chance to smoke one of the cigars Monti @ILLYRIANCIGARS-USA sent me. I reviewed it from purely a construction and appearance standpoint in post #39.

I was pleased to see the cigar light well, burn well, and maintain it's solid feel. No soft spots, no hard spots, it drew and smoked very well.

  1. Flavor ...... The cigar had a good flavor and plenty of it without being harsh. No real sweetness which I expected after smelling the foot. Flint, leather, mild pepper, etc.
  2. Depth of character ................... Not a ton of depth, but like a lot of Cuban cigars, it had full flavor and depth without harshness.
  3. Strength .................. The cigar never got strong but it did built a bit more depth as I got to the beginning of the third third.
  4. Power ...... The cigar was not in any way over-powering.
  5. Overall ......... I enjoyed this cigar and I would buy it at the $9-$11price range.

Thank you for sending these to me Monti!

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Excellent! Thanks for the review much appreciated!!

We will be introducing some new styles and flavors in 2024 , Stay tuned...
 
I wonder how a robusto would be. Saw mostly reviewed Churchills. I think at least.
 
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