Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo Rosado
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo ’99
Filler: Nicaraguan Criollo ’98
Size: 7.5 x 49 Double Corona ~ Box Pressed
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $14.00

My cigars have 2 years of box aging.
The Illusione 4/2g Slam received a rating of 91 from Cigar Aficionado in 2023.
I reviewed this Illusione 4/2g in 2013.

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
This is a fine-looking cigar. The press is crisp without being severe. The wrapper is a consistent burnt umber in hue, with zero cosmetic disputes. Despite the Nicaraguan puro stats, the aroma from the capa is very light without the usual barnyard stink.

The size of this cigar demands dedication on your part. Two and a half hours easily.

I am unable to get airflow. My PerfecDraw steps in and the issue is resolved peacefully.

Moments before lighting up, as the cigar rests between my lips, I get the unexpected taste of raisins and ginger. A flavorful sign.

Beautiful immediacy once lit. Rich notes of caramel, espresso, raisins, spicy ginger, and almonds. Often reported flavors that prove consistency of design from the blender.

I settle in as this long flight begins.

Strength is an easy-going good morning medium.

There are notes of lemon tartness that is sometimes the result of insufficient humidor time. I’ve had these cigars for exactly one month. Sophisticated smokers agree that prolonged rest is the cure for whatever ails a slightly green blend. Box aging is good but exposed cigars hurries the process exponentially.

At one inch in, the blend goes into exploration mode. An undemanding complexity finds solid footing. The flavor spectrum widens giving the previously named components some room to stretch. I can feel the impact as there are reactive neurons firing and honing my attention.

The Illusione 4/2g Slam has been in circulation for more than a decade. The constant bombardment of new blends in the 2020’s has produced an ill-fitting desire to play catch-up. The marketing strategy by the cigar industry is brilliant. That smoky expensive carrot is immovable. And as a result, we begin to overlook the solid blends of yesteryear that are still obtainable if we can only cast aside our blinders.

The next movement of this concerto brings an unsolicited perfumy quality to both aroma and taste. This is wonderful.

Two inches in and strength is upped to medium/full.

I am about to type the word ‘incredible.’ But I stop.

Rarely does the wrapper exhibit lush aromata and flavors. A joyful experience that must be savored. The length and breadth of this big cigar makes each passing minute an irrefutable tease.

Notes of raisin, ginger, caramel, and espresso are not up for a confab. While nuances of freshly toasted rye bread, brown sugar, crispy russet potato skins, and orange zest feel like flavor wheel assumptions that are left to the discretion of the smoker in perpetuity.

The spiciness of the black pepper lay in the background giving the blend some oomph. Never dominating the conversation but rather injecting pearls of wisdom that receive crowd approval.

It is a fact that our best years of creativity are disbursed in our 20’s and 30’s. We chase that era as we are embroiled in the art of aging…getting only flickers which keep us going while we fine tune. We reassure ourselves. And it works most of the time…

The halfway point is reached at the prediction of more than an hour. Sweet caramel has its corners shaved scattering like children hearing their mother calling them for dinner. Creaminess is rapid fire. The potent black raisins shift into milk chocolate matinee treats. Solidification of the blender’s intent is in play.

Sometimes we smoke to pass time. The cigar is merely an afterthought. Infrequently that distraction takes on a second life. The naïve brain identifies an experience we hadn’t expected. Who doesn’t welcome finding a cheap thrill. I use the word ‘cheap’ sarcastically.

The Illusione 4/2g Slam is a killer blend by any standard. Opinions may vary on content, but the complexity is unquestionable. And so far, nicotine is in abeyance. Hallucinations be damned.

While your herf is permeated by cigars running out of steam, there is valor in a blend that never gives up. Moments of conversation are interrupted by the attention seeking curated, twisted, dried shrubbery in your mouth. You just don’t care what direction the discussion is taking. Your brain is in recognition mode and feel-good hormones kick in. The chemical messenger is hale and hearty. In this hectic digital world, total relaxation is a vagrant. How do you explain that cigar smoking is the fundamental invitation. You are laughed at. You are seen as a lesser being. We protect our club. We know things.

Flavors were canonized early. They are extrapolated as the burning ember consumes this beast. My morning swirl begins as the strength hits he-man status. The intensity of what began as a morning tryst has become nearly all consuming. Vision narrows. Insects appear out of nowhere. What is going on? Am I having a good time…hell, yeah.

If you’re a weak stick, this is not the blend for you. I would advise that this becomes an after-dinner smoke. Coffee alone will not tame this creature’s comfort. Food in the stomach will allay any disquiet your brain signals. A cocktail remedies all.

A stunning blend. The Xanadu of literate choices. If I were you…

Cigar Page sells the Illusione 4/2g Slam. They still have boxes that have 2 years of age on them. But not for the $14 everyone else sells it for. $9.28 each in a fiver. And $8.60 each in a 25-count box purchase.

Alex came through for me once again with a 10% additional discount if you use promo code ILL24. Includes free shipping. It brings the single price of the Illusione 4/2g Slam to only $7.74. Go to Cigar Page.

RATING: 97

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: cigar reviews, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, Illusione 4/2g Slam 2024 | Cigar Reviews by the Katman, illusione cigars, katman, phil kohn