Illusione cigars are all rated 90 and above in both Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Insider magazines. This is nearly unprecedented in today's market. Nicaragua was once home to some of the finest tobaccos in the world, though production had slowed after the Sandinistas took over the country in 1979. Illusione cigars set out to recreate a taste profile from these years past. To do that, they were going to need the finest Nicaraguan tobacco available, which they obtain from prized fields in the Jalapa Valley and Esteli reegions. The fields had been neglected for years, but the legendary grower Arcenio Ramos of Cuba recultivated them. He wouldn't do it by himself however, a relative “dream team” of tobacco producers was assembled that included Fernando Chandito and famed agronomist Jacinto of Cuba. Now these famous fields are once more yielding to their fullest potential. The tobacco itself is strong, bold and clean. Illusione cigars are made from first generation Corojo '99, Criollo '98 seeds. They are wrapped with a fine grade one Cafe Colorado wrapper and topped with a traditional triple cap in the permier Raices Cubanas factory. You won't find many cigars on the market today that capture the unique flavor of Illusione. The production continues in small-batches to maintain the highest quality. You will find these cigars have notes of leather, black cherry, earth and finish with a signature olfactory floral sweetness.

Rated 90. Richly hued, this torpedo shows an abundance of spice, leather, cedar and tobacco notes. The finish is nutty with a sweet snap.

Rated 90. Richly hued, this torpedo shows an abundance of spice, leather, cedar and tobacco notes. The finish is nutty with a sweet snap.

Rated 91. This dark, attractive cigar gives off a rich cocoa aroma as it burns. There are significant earth, leather and spice flavors accentuated by very strong tobacco notes.

Rated 91. This dark, attractive cigar gives off a rich cocoa aroma as it burns. There are significant earth, leather and spice flavors accentuated by very strong tobacco notes.

Rated 91. Well made with a chocolately complexion. Although the burn on this cigar is slightly uneven, it shows a rich balance of wood, earth and spice. The finish is nutty.

Rated 91. Well made with a chocolately complexion. Although the burn on this cigar is slightly uneven, it shows a rich balance of wood, earth and spice. The finish is nutty.

Rated 91. Gorgeous and dark with a near perfect draw. It delivers loads of rich coffee, roasted nut and cedar flavors. The wheaty finish carries wisps of leather and caramel.

Rated 91. Gorgeous and dark with a near perfect draw. It delivers loads of rich coffee, roasted nut and cedar flavors. The wheaty finish carries wisps of leather and caramel.

Rated 93. If you don’t read Cigar Insider, CIGAR AFICIONADO’s sister publication, you may have never heard of the brand Illusione. All nine cigars in the line were rated in an August issue of the newsletter, and all but one size scored 90 points or higher, about as impressive a debut as we’ve ever witnessed. The Central American cigars are powerful Nicaraguan puros with quirky names. The cg:4, which measures 5 5/8 inches by 46 ring, has balance as well as strength, with sweet leather, nuts and cocoa on the palate. The cigars are the brainchild of Dion Giolito, owner of the Reno, Nevada, cigar store Fumaré. Giolito doesn’t own his own factory, but the Illusione brand is small enough that he can visit Central America to testsmoke each batch of new tobacco before it is made into his cigars. Production was recently shifted from Nicaragua to Honduras. Consistency is the tough trick to the cigar business, so the real test is ahead for Giolito—maintaining the impeccable quality of these cigars so they live up to the early ratings

Rated 93. If you don’t read Cigar Insider, CIGAR AFICIONADO’s sister publication, you may have never heard of the brand Illusione. All nine cigars in the line were rated in an August issue of the newsletter, and all but one size scored 90 points or higher, about as impressive a debut as we’ve ever witnessed. The Central American cigars are powerful Nicaraguan puros with quirky names. The cg:4, which measures 5 5/8 inches by 46 ring, has balance as well as strength, with sweet leather, nuts and cocoa on the palate. The cigars are the brainchild of Dion Giolito, owner of the Reno, Nevada, cigar store Fumaré. Giolito doesn’t own his own factory, but the Illusione brand is small enough that he can visit Central America to testsmoke each batch of new tobacco before it is made into his cigars. Production was recently shifted from Nicaragua to Honduras. Consistency is the tough trick to the cigar business, so the real test is ahead for Giolito—maintaining the impeccable quality of these cigars so they live up to the early ratings

Rated 90. A dark cigar with an oily wrapper. Its core of profound tobacco flavor is framed by leather, spice and licorice notes. The finish is slightly sweet.

Rated 90. A dark cigar with an oily wrapper. Its core of profound tobacco flavor is framed by leather, spice and licorice notes. The finish is slightly sweet.

Rated 91. The Illusione MJ12 is wrapped in foal, but under it is a thick and dark cigar with consistent color to the wrapper. The cigar draws well, showing rich, sweet cedary notes and coffee and cocoa bean impressions on the palate.

Rated 91. The Illusione MJ12 is wrapped in foal, but under it is a thick and dark cigar with consistent color to the wrapper. The cigar draws well, showing rich, sweet cedary notes and coffee and cocoa bean impressions on the palate.

Rated 89. A dark little cigar that imparts plenty of smoke on the draw, leaving sweet, woody impressions, nougat notes and a cereal-like finish.

Rated 89. A dark little cigar that imparts plenty of smoke on the draw, leaving sweet, woody impressions, nougat notes and a cereal-like finish.

This blend originally debuted in 2008. Illusione Epernay Cigars are made with a combination of Criollo and Corojo tobaccos and finished with a superior grade Café Rosado overleaf. The Illusione Epernay Cigar blend is very complex and perfectly balanced treating the palate to hints of coffee and honey, floral notes, and a creamy finish.

Epernay is named for a town in France that is built upon chalk rock in the heart of the Champagne region, and the line is meant to be lighter and sweeter than the original Illusiones. (It has no ligero in the blend.) When Illusione first appeared in our Top 25 in 2007, we wrote: "Consistency is the tough trick to the cigar business, so the real test is ahead for Giolito-maintaining the impeccable quality of these cigars so they live up to the early ratings." He certainly has.

Rated 92. Beautifully rolled with an oily wrapper and round head. The first puffs have an incense and leather character, then take on spice and Sauternes notes on the finish.

Rated 92. Made with a richly colored wrapper and triple-seam cap. Cocoa and leather flavors turn cedary sweet. Pleasant lavender notes emerge before the long, honeyed finish.

The Le Matin was released in 2010, and was found to be balanced and medium bodied #7 Best Cigar of the Year 2010 scoring a 94. A box-pressed smoke with a perfectly even draw and burn. The smoke is creamy in texture, full of toast, nuts, some pepper and an underlying sweetness.

Dark and oily with a reddish hue to the wrapper. This cigar has a notably uneven burn, though it imparts some caramel notes and spice. Rated 89.

Rated 91. A nearly flawless wrapper covers this cigar, which smacks of nuts and honey once it warms up. Some woody notes also come through, leading to a graham cracker finish