Illusione ~eccj~

[Don Fernando]

When I first heard the name Illusione ~eccj~ I thought "isn't that confusing" because of the European Cigar Cult Journal uses that acronym but then I read that this corona gorda was created to commemorate the 15 year anniversary of the magazine. ECCJ commisioned Illusione to make a cigar blended for the European palate, and Illusione tried to do that with 100% Nicaraguan tobacco, including a corojo wrapper leaf from Rosado claro shade that gives the cigar a reddish glow. Even though the cigars are Nicaraguan puros, they were made in Honduras. The ~eccj~ is a limited production, only 300 boxes of 15 were made.



As I said, the cigar has a reddish glow due to the rosado leaf. The band is just like the other Illusione bands, small and white with golden letters. There are lots of small and thin veins on the wrapper. The construction feels good, although the cigar feels a bit oval instead of round or box-pressed. The predraw is on the loose side and I taste some wood.



I taste a quite strong earth flavor with a pleasant metallic feel too it and a hint of chocolate. After half an inch the metallic flavor is gone and I taste earth and toast. The earth becomes less strong while the chocolate gains some power.



Halfway the chocolate becomes dominant with earth and herbs on the background. After ⅔ the chocolate loses some of its strength and makes a nice mix with the herbal and earth flavors.



The smoke time of this cigar is a bit disappointing, only 75 minutes. I got a reasonable amount of thick white smoke. The draw is on the loose side, but it's not so loose that it bothers me. The ash is quite firm and has a salt & pepper color. This cigar is full flavored and medium bodied. I only got a small flame when I purged the cigar.



Would I buy this cigar again? I wish, this was a limited edition and sold out everywhere

Appearance: 7 / 10
Construction: 7 / 10
Draw: 7 / 10
Burn: 8 / 10
Smoke & ash: 8 / 10
Aroma first part: 8 / 10
Aroma second part: 8 / 10
Aroma third part: 7 / 10