Illusione Epernay Le Grande
📌 Brand: Illusione
📌 Line: Epernay
📌 Size: Le Grande (6 x 46) - Corona Gorda
📌 Weight: 12.7g
📌 Age: 9 years
📌 Origin: Honduras
Tasting Notes
Almond & Cream – Delicate, nutty base with buttery smoothness
Floral Honey – Sweet and aromatic through the mid-section
Citrus & White Pepper – Bright accents adding finesse
Cedar & Toasted Bread – Clean, refined finish
First Impressions
With its silky, light-tan Nicaraguan Café Rosado wrapper, the Le Grande is visually flawless. The cigar feels perfectly rolled with minimal veins. Pre-light aromas are delicate—dried fruit, hay, and a whisper of honey—hinting at elegance rather than power.
Smoking Experience
First Third – Opens softly with cream, almond, and honey sweetness. Draw is smooth with excellent smoke volume. Strength sits firmly in the mild-to-medium range.
Second Third – The profile blossoms with floral notes, citrus brightness, and a refined white pepper spice. Balanced and layered, this stage showcases Illusione’s signature finesse.
Final Third – Cedar, toasted bread, and gentle spice round out the experience, maintaining harmony to the end. No harshness, just a graceful fade-out.
Pairings
Alcohol: Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Champagne – its crisp citrus, brioche, and minerality elevate the cigar’s delicate floral and creamy profile.
Non-Alcohol: Taiwanese High Mountain Oolong (Ali Shan) – buttery smooth with floral undertones, a mirror to the cigar’s elegance.
Music Pairing
Awake – Tycho. Dreamy, modern ambient textures pair with the cigar’s meditative quality, making the smoke feel timeless yet contemporary
Final Thoughts
The Illusione Epernay Le Grande is a masterclass in balance and sophistication. Mild-to-medium yet complex, it rewards patience and a quiet setting. A cigar for connoisseurs who value nuance over strength.
Final Score: 8/10
Why not a 10?
Relight it once and touch up once in the last third
Only cigars that deliver flawless draw, balance, flavour evolution, construction and satisfaction get a 10.