Staff Review: Illusione Epernay Serie 2009 L’Excellence
Introduction:
With today’s staff review, we will be taking a look at Illusione’s Epernay Serie 2009 L’Excellence. Over the years, Dion Giolito and Illusione have become synonymous with quality and consistency, and with Epernay Serie 2009, it’s easy to see why.
Feel free to skim the quick hits for an overview or jump into any section below to find the full details of Epernay Serie 2009. And we’re off!
The Quick Hits:
- Released in 2009 as an extension to their ~eccj~ line
- Main tasting notes of earth, cinnamon, and pistachios
- Recommended for: fans of Warped Cloud Hopper, Caldwell The King is Dead, Tatuaje Havana VI
- Priced around $11.50 per cigar, this seems like a bargain considering the quality of tobaccos used in this blend
The Story:
I am going to do my best to keep the backstory of Dion Giolito and Illusione short (I can’t promise this will happen, but I will try). For those not familiar with Dion Giolito and his massive portfolio of wildly successful projects, just know that he is one of the most highly respected individuals in the industry and has been a leader of change in the market for decades now.
The Illusione brand made its debut in 2006 as the brainchild of long-time cigar retailer Dion Giolito. From its inception, Illusione was dedicated to the creation of complex blends, pushing market boundaries through a kind of vivid imagination, and above all else, providing the highest quality of cigars possible. Giolito has been a disruptor in the industry in the best way possible, and his wide range of influence is evident in the work of Jon Huber of Crowned Heads, Nick Melillo of Foundation, and Pete Johnson of Tatuaje.
As its name suggests, Epernay Serie 2009 was released in 2009 as a line extension to the popular ~eccj~ line that was released the year prior. With the intent to introduce a more mellow version of ~eccj~ to their portfolio, Illusione released Epernay Serie 2009 as a regular production line (~eccj~ was limited production at the time) and it was a hit right out of the gates.
The Build:
Epernay Serie 2009 is a Nicaraguan puro at its finest – a seamless Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper sits atop a Nicaraguan Rosado binder and is finished by a rich and sweet blend of Nicaraguan Corojo and Criollo fillers. Epernay Serie 2009 is blended entirely of lower priming tobaccos (no ligero whatsoever), which results in an uber flavorful cigar that isn’t overly strong – something to note as the use of a lot of ligero in blends seems to be trending.
The Look:
There isn’t too much to say about the look of Epernay Serie 2009, as it is far from the most luxurious looking cigar in terms of its design, but where it lacks in elevated packaging, it makes it up for in the quality of its tobaccos. But I digress – the Epernay Serie 2009 box has a really Cuban-esque feel to it, and aside from the large “Illusione Epernay” closing seal that emblazons the top and side of the box, looks just like a box of Trinidad’s that have been sitting at the bottom of my humidor for the last eight years.
As we move to the inside of the box, a gold ribbon lays across the cigars – a minor touch, but nonetheless something that I think goes a long way when it comes to the presentation of a box of cigars.
The thin “Epernay” band is very simple, but eye catching at the same time - the gold “Epernay”, and gold borders of the band contrast really nicely with the white background. For the most part, I tend to find that gold and white color palates are used more regularly on Connecticut wrappers, but I think that in the case of Epernay Serie 2009, these colors have a bit more pop when they sit on top of a darker wrapper (Nicaraguan Corojo in this case).
In my opinion, it is pretty evident that focus of Epernay Serie 2009 is given more to the cigar’s tobacco as opposed to the packaging (something that is definitely a theme in the entirety of Illusione’s portfolio), and I think it does a good job of staying consistent and true to the brand.
The Experience:
Before I get into the details of my experience, I am going to be upfront with everyone – I am a sucker for medium-bodied, Nicaraguan Corojo blends like Epernay Serie 2009. I say this as a fair warning as I may be a little biased in my opinions of this blend.
The first third of Epernay Serie 2009 started off with a good amount of cedar and earth that was followed by a rich, sweetness that had my mouth watering from the first draw (something that I always expect from a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper). Through the first third, Epernay Serie 2009 sat at medium-bodied and at times, flirted with the medium to full-bodied mark. The draw and burn were perfect – something that I have become accustomed to with anything that Illusione puts to market.
As I transitioned into the second third, Epernay Serie 2009 moved back into a true medium-bodied profile where it stayed for the rest of my time smoking it. The cedar that I found prevalent in the first third seemed to dissipate and gave way to a noticeable nuttiness that tasted like salted pistachios - something that intertwined nicely with the earthy sweetness that I have been experiencing since the initial light.
To me, the final third of Epernay Serie 2009 is where this blend really shined. The earthy sweetness that has been consistent throughout has transitioned into more of a sugar cookie-like sweetness with a distinct vanilla note on the retrohale, that is accompanied by rich notes of cinnamon. The nuttiness is still prevalent, and notes of sourdough bread make their way into the fold.
Epernay Serie 2009, at its worst, is a shining star of complexity and presents a flavor profile good enough to warrant a spot in my weekly rotation. I have to mention again, that the construction quality of this cigar is almost unmatched – it is definitely up there in the same league as the Fuente’s and Davidoff’s of world when considering consistency and quality.
The Value:
This L’Excellence size of Epernay Serie 2009 comes in at around $11.50 per cigar (an absolute steal in my opinion), but the fact that you can find a couple of sizes including the Le Ferme robusto for under $10, is a bit puzzling to me – if I didn’t know better, I would happily pay $15 or more for this cigar. Considering the quality and amount of flavor you get from Epernay Serie 2009; I would highly encourage everyone to try out this blend. I think you’ll agree that this blend is much better than a lot of cigars that are twice the price of Epernay Serie 2009.
Final Thoughts:
I have smoked most of Illusione’s offerings over the past eight years or so (some of which have become some of my all-time favorite cigars), and Epernay Serie 2009 is right up towards the top of Illusione’s best blends in my opinion. For anyone unfamiliar with Illusione, this blend is a perfect introduction to the brand – Epernay Serie 2009 highlights everything that Illusione stands for and I have no doubt that you will become a lifelong fan of the brand after smoking it.
