Frankly, I find the names and marketing weird.

Name the frickin wrapper and origins, jack, and drop the stupid BS.

Yeah, they're Nicaraguan ... wonderful, I love Nic smokes, but I don't feel the need to wade through the horsefeathers to decide which of the bunch is an actual good smoke.

So then .. which Illusione should I buy?

Wait a sec ... are they all the same wrapper etc just different vitolas? That would make my life simple, I prefer corona/PC/lancero sized smokes.
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If you like lanceros, the hl "Holy Lance" is a damn fine stick.

From the New Havana website:

"Dion Giolito blended these cigars using tobacco from first generation Corojo '99 and Criollo '98 seeds. They are beautifully constructed, featuring a Cafe Colorado wrapper and a cuban style triple cap.

Made at the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras from 100% Nicaraguan tobacco."
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They are the same blend.

Try the MK and the CG:4.
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CG:4 is best ratio of wrapper to filler for the blend IMO.:-)


EDIT: OK you talked me into lighting up a CG:4!
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The cg:4 is fantastic.
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smaller ring gauges in the Illusione are by far better. mk, cg;4 etc... the larger ring gauges loose focus/flavor.

ps. the marketing with death cult imagery is garbage - agreed.
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I personally love the ~4/2g~ Double Corona and the '888' Churchill. The ~cg:4~ is a phenomenal introduction to the brand for sure. It has a little bit almost sweeter edge than the larger sizes. If you want the full on full-bodied ass kicking that Illusiones can sometimes provide...~m7~ Diadema....WAY WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY! :-)
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I just picked up a box of the 68s as those are my favs. Second favorite is the hl; I just can't say no to a good lancero.
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Now they have a new blend, the Cruzado. Mostly criollo. You're almost getting me so smoke my ~mk~, but I have work to do....:-)
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I would vote for the Holy Lance and the MK. Those are the best Illusione's I have had so far.
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:-)

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What can I say? I love all of the Illusione line!!!
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CG4 and the F9 are both excellent introductions to the line.
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After the use of the Jim Jones images in their marketing I suggest finding another brand to try. That said, all those I've smoked have been pretty good.
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i've been a really big fan of the tatuaje angeles and had smoked those on an almost daily basis while grilling. i've slowly started to shift over to the 68's just because i wanted something different and so far they have all been great.
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I've thought about that as well, but I have chalked that up as the owner of the brand being immature (cf. stupid marketing/naming), which I can handle.
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Dion is a good guy, I'm sure if you met him you would agree. The point of marketing is to show your product, generate hype, etc. The fact that you're talking about the JJ thing, means the marketing is working. :-)
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I ... 2nd this
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there is such a thing as BAD publicity.... I have spoken to Dion numerous times.... still I can't support that JJ ad... myself and many others have cut down, or stopped buying Illusione all together. so much for ''hype'...

too bad, it's a great blend
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I love the 88 (Im a robusto fan and mostly smoke that and torps though) it is a great smooth cigar that leaves me with a clean pallet almost every time. Great cigar.
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I prefer the Illusione 68. Below is my review on Feb 2008. Enjoy :-)

Illusione 68 a.k.a Bombone

Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 4 x 44
Strength: Full bodied

This cigar is tiny, yet powerful. Do not be fooled by the size of this cigar. Luckily I ate a full meal before smoking this bad boy.

The wrapper is very oily, dark, rich, triple capped and has no blemishes. Smooth to the touch with a minute resistance when squeezed. I used a punch instead of my Palio because it seemed like the right size for this cigar. The pre-draw was a little deceiving because I did not taste any peppery spice.

Upon lighting the foot of this cigar; the solid construction held together very well. Moderately impressed, I kept torching the foot for about two minutes. The foot glowed red and the burn was even so I decided to take a snork and the first thing that hit me was the peppery spice. Like a Fuente, but a little less intense. This lasted for about 1/3 of the cigar and got stronger after each puff/snork.

At 2/3 of the cigar there was a mellowness that made it more enjoyable. Lots of gray and white smoke. The ash was unmovable as I tried to tap it off at the 1/3 mark. The transition between flavors was gradual and the leathery taste was pronounce with a minute hint of cocoa.

The ash fell of halfway and the burn was a little off. After a quick retouch it was perfect once again.

At the beginning of the 3/3 mark I noticed the flavor of earth. It was subtle yet very smooth and creamy. All the flavors at this point began to mix and marry but with individual characteristics still shining through. Near the end of the cigar I began to notice a cedar flavor and that was an added delight.

Overall I was very impressed with the buttery oil and the smoothness of this cigar.

Appearance: 9
Construction: 9
Flavor: 10
Value: 10
Overall Experience: 9
Overall Grade: 9.4
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