Before we even get started I have to note that this is one of my all time favorite cigars. This was one of those sticks that opened my eyes to the flavor potential of high quality tobacco and high quality blending. I remember the text I sent a friend of mine after smoking this “you need to try it”. So with my biases disclosed, let’s get right into it.
There’s an immediate hit of of nutty sweetness on the first puff. I get old fashioned yeasty donuts, tea crackers, and some grassiness. There are tinges of white pepper, and spicy vanilla on the retrohale. Some oak, and cedar. Also, a really awesome bready finish on the palate. The flavors are all subtle, but very very rich. There’s lots of pastry flavors here, but it’s not overwhelmingly sweet. There are layers of subtlety here to unpack.
The second third continues with more of the same flavors, but ramps up the yeasty donut flavor a bit, and incorporates some cappuccino notes as well. The milky coffee and donut flavors are going really well together here. There’s still a lot of complexity going on in the background. I find myself getting lost trying to figure this cigar out. The ash hangs until for a solid 2.5″.
The final third leans more heavily into the woody flavors. The oak, and cedar are at the forefront. Milky coffee is there, and the donut flavor has lost some sweetness, and it tastes more like a brioche now. I’m getting some nutmeg spice and more vanilla on the retrohale. There was a slow and steady ramp up of the woody notes until the very end of the cigar.
This cigar is such a treat. The blend is captivating, and the construction is superb. It really pulls you in an effort to figure out the flavors, and it sinks it’s teeth into you. The notes are complex, and subtle, but nowhere near boring. Every time I smoke it, I kick myself for not smoking it more often. I always have some on hand, and I really can’t recommend it highly enough. I don’t do ratings for my reviews, but the Epernay by Illusione is top tier.
