Illusione Crusado Domenicos Extra

19 Sep 2013 • Posted by Jack • Illusione • 3810 views

I have said a lot about Illusione over the past year. Terrific cigars, terrific presentation, mysterious quality to the brand....Every one of Dion Giolito's cigars have impressed me - making the brand one of my top five favorites. After a couple of trips around the walk-in at The Market here in Dayton, I snagged a totally gold wrapped cigar that looks like a Christmas present - it just needs a bow. Needless to say, I am stoked to put this cigar to the flame. Let's see how she smokes....

Construction: One again, Illusione doesn't disappoint. With the entire cigar being covered with gold foiled paper this time around, the presentation is stellar. Once unwrapped, the cigar itself is another beautiful creation. A nice milk chocolate wrapper leaf with very mild veins and a soft oily sheen. The band is beautifully done as well. Gold, silver, and black sporting the name " Crusado" , which roughly translates " to bear a cross" . Thanks to Seth at Seth's Humidor for that tidbit of data.

Pre-light Aroma and Draw: Cedar, rich chocolate, slight spice and some barnyard aromas hit the nose out of the gold paper. The draw is spot on perfect.

Light and Burn: Lighting took three matches and the burn, like the Marelas Supremas, starts off a little off kilter at first. Almost exactly as the Marelas Supremas, the Domenicos evens out perfectly in the first third.

Tasting: The start of this beautiful cigar is silky smooth with touches of pepper and cedar spice. The first third gives off a nice leathery core with a delicious orange peel note that is simply excellent. There is a nice coffee and rich roasted nut tone in there as well. I do note some of the cinnamon that was prevalent in the Marelas Supremas but much softer.

As the second third starts I notice the flavors are a bit deeper and richer. The leather increases, which is always fine by me. The spice drops off and a sweetness creeps in with a creamy character. I get hints of chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, orange peel, and more nutty goodness.

The final third continues the massive complexity and creamy smooth delivery. It's an amazing cigar. The spice does come back a little but that overall sweetness and leather still win out as the core flavor set.

Value: At around $10 the Domenicos is well priced. The depth and richness of the flavors as well as being a larger format make it worth every cent.

Final Thoughts: I enjoyed every single puff of this cigar. It's a lock for my list of top cigars of the year so far - so much that it could even be a contender for the top three. Compared to the Marelas Supremas, I found the Domenicos Extra to be smoother and even more complex. You know you have a great cigar in hand when you look at it after every puff and say " wow" . Thank you once again, Mr. Giolito. Highly recommended.

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Criollo Rosado
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan

Strength: Medium-Full

Size: 6 x 56