Illusione ECCJ Prelight
Illusione is the poster child for boutique cigar brands. Dion Giolito is the founder, and mad scientist behind Illusione. Dion originally owned a retail cigar shop in Reno, Nevada. He eventually started selling his own house blends under the name Illusione, and grew that into a successful global brand. Illusione was the brand that got me into boutique cigars, and really opened my eyes to what was available outside of the giants in the industry. I have a lot of admiration for Dion’s work, and if you somehow stumble across this, thank you for putting out some of my favorite blends!
The ECCJ was originally blended in 2008 as a limited release to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the “European Cigar Cult Journal” (now known as “Cigar Journal”). It was then rereleased as another limited edition in 2014 for the ECCJ 20th anniversary, and again in 2016 as a regular production cigar. This is the ECCJ regular production blend that was released back in 2016. The story is that the ECCJ blend was the precursor to the legendary Epernay. This cigar is in the Corona Gorda vitola at 5 5/8″ x 46. The blend is made up of Nicaraguan Criollo ’98 and Corojo ’99 filler leaves, Nicaraguan binder, and a Nicaraguan Cafe Rosado Corojo wrapper. A punch cut reveals a perfect draw, with notes of cinnamon and a touch of coffee bean on the cold draw.
Illusione ECCJ First Third
There are a lot of flavors here, similarly to the Epernay, they meld really well with each other, but they’re a bit easier to single out on this blend. Notes on the palate are toasted wheat, crackers, and some cayenne powder. The retrohale is showing a woody vanilla, toasted marshmallow, and white pepper. About an inch in the white pepper has almost entirely calmed down, but the cayenne is gradually ramping up. I’m starting to pick up on notes of toasted almond, cedar, and cream taking the place of the white pepper. The cayenne seems a bit out of place in the mix, it’s noticeably spicy on the back of the throat and on the nose. Smoke output is very strong, and has a creamy texture. The construction is top notch so far.
Illusione ECCJ Second Third
The cayenne note had a very aggressive ramp up at the end of the first third, and calmed down right to the sweet spot here in the second. I was really about to write this blend off based on how prevalent that cayenne was, but it really works where it’s at now. The palate is full of wheat crackers, toast, musty cedar, almond, and a touch of cinnamon. The retrohale is vanilla, marshmallow, cream, and that lingering cayenne spice. There’s a lightly roasted coffee bean note appearing towards the end of the second third. Construction is still perfect!
Illusione ECCJ Final Third
The final third is leaning more towards roastey flavors, especially with the appearance of that toasted coffee bean note. The palate is remaining very consist with the wheat crackers, toast, musty cedar, and cinnamon. The retrohale tones are vanilla, toasted oak, marshmallow sweetness, coffee bean, cream. and a touch of cayenne. The cayenne is still present, but it’s just a mouth warming sensation now. The blend is still perfectly balanced still in the final third, which is very impressive considering the flavors and complexity in this cigar. After the band the sweetness begins to fall off, but still a very enjoyable smoke. I rode this one all the way down to the nub.
Illusione ECCJ Conclusions
So it’s no secret that I’m a massive fan of the Epernay. Whenever I talk about Illusione, and the Epernay to more seasoned cigar smokers they always ask if I’ve had the ECCJ yet. I can finally see why. I have to say I was very surprised by how cayenne forward that first third was, but once this blend settled in it was perfectly balanced and very enjoyable. I’m always impressed on the flavors Dion can pull out of Nicaraguan tobacco, especially as a puro this is unlike almost everything else I’ve had out of Nicaragua. The flavors, balance, and construction on this example were top tier. While the Epernay is smooth, and refined, the ECCJ takes you for a wild ride. Pick some up if you’re looking for something special. You won’t regret it!
