Cigar: Cruzado
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Criollo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua, Honduras
Vitola: Mareles, the perfecto. About 5.5x44.
Price: Well, this was free from the tasting, but they run about $12 at the shop (CA prices) and about $180 a box online if you can find them

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Setting: Sunroom, about 64 degrees out, 3pm, just voted, and enjoying a Snapple.

Pre-light: This is a very attractive perfecto. Wrapper is very smooth with small veins and a nice ruddy brown. There was little discernable odor from the wrapper or closed foot other than slightly spicy tobacco. The cigar is uniformly firm and has a nice feel to it that lets you know it's a very well made cigar. The cigar clipped easily and the prelight draw and a sweet earthy taste to it and was just a tad on the free side, odd I thought with a pinched foot.

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First third: The cigar lit up very easily on the pinched foot and rewarded with a nice volume of smoke. Initial flavors are a sweet cedar but with a meaty undertone along with some cocoa and coffee. The body is on the light side of medium even with the good smoke production. There is just a hint of spice tickling the left side of the tongue and back of the throat. The ash is loose and flaky, but holding so far. The burn line is wavy but not of concern. As I near the end of the first third the cigar starts to develop a marked leathery flavor.

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Second third: Well, the cigar amazinly held its ash into the second third, which was surprising with how lose it looked. The leathery flavor has taken over the undertone of the cigar, with a slight sweetness over the top. The body is starting to pick up quickly leaving a very pleasant sweet creamy aftertaste. There is a touch of coffee bitterness, but it more adds a pleasant overtone than detracts from the cigar. Burn has remained wavy but nothing needing a touchup so far. I'm trying to learn the whole "retrohale" thing so when I pass the remains of smoke out of my nose it definitely adds some spice to the mix. The smoke and body have really picked up toward the end of the second third into the medium to full range.

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Final third: As I get down to the last couple inches the spice is picking up a bit. One thing you can say about this cigar is that it is not boring. The leathery undertone has remained but it seems to constantly shift in waves of sweetness and spicyness with a really nice coffee flavor too. The draw has firmed up a tad, but everything is still coming along great. The cigar is definitely in the medium full range edging on the full. Funny because it is advertised as a milder cigar than the Illusione, which I don't find this to be at all. As I hit the last inch the cedar flavor is coming back to the fore, though the spice/pepper is just starting to irritate the roof of the mouth a tad.

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Final thoughts: Wow, this a pretty darned good cigar. Total smoke time 1:45. The flavors are great and always changing. As with the first one I had at the tasting event I burned this down till it started to hurt. It's just a shame they are so pricey. I love the size and if they were under $100 a box I would have plenty of these in the humi, but for right now they are just too rich for my working poor salary. But excellent flavors, great construction, Dion really has a winner on his hands with this one. I like the Illusiones but these are truly a notch above in flavor and complexity.

Smoke again: Would love to but don't have any more. :-)
Buy again: Well, I didn't buy these but they are just too spendy for me. I'll definitely pick up a stick here and there from the shops.
Reccommend: Hells yeah.
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Great review, Steve. I got a Cruzado or two for you next time I see you. :-)

Also, I think that size is like $9.
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Well, it was 11 and change on the opening night, or I woulda bought those rather than the Illusiones. :-) And looking forward to seeing you in a couple weeks. :-)
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Hm. Odd, I guess I could be mistaken. Who knows?

Anyway, great sticks a tad spendy. I agree. My 30% discount helps.

Looking forward to seeing you my friend.
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Thank you for the review!
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Excellent review, thanks! Love the original Illusione line so I'm excited about these and look forward to getting my hands on some.
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Great review and photo's on the Marelas Ratters. If you get the chance, have Darrell hook you up with a Dantes the next time you see him in San Jose:-)
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Excellent review Steve!!!

You are spot on with the flavor profile!!!:-)
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Sweet review...thanks for sharing the experience. :-)
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Nice review there!
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Glad you like it.

I smoked a corona gorda and found it unimpressive. The leather and bitterness were just too dominant for me to enjoy the cigar much. I still love the regular Illusiones though.
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Had one of these last night. I didn't have the time to fully appreciate it, as I had to go to a class and cut my smoking time short.

I definitely noticed the peppery beginning. Due to the speed at which I was smoking this one, I didn't get to fully appreciate the flavors of it, but I did notice the slight creaminess and faint (to me) nuttiness to it. The draw was excellent, and burn was spot on (no relites). I did like this cigar, and would definitely like to give it another chance when I have more time to appreciate it. Due to the cost here in MN ($12.35 = sales tax), it's not likely I'll be buying a lot of them, though.
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thanks for the review with the pics. Sounds and looks like a great cigar:-)
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Are YOU KIDDING ME!!!!! Thank God Wisconsin is so close to you Mike...cross the river to the good side to buy your NCs...
Also...I think I pay $8.00/stick...Marios...7x47...here in LV...Take That Minnesotans...
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Holy sh*t bro?! What's the tax there?
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Great review and pictures! Thanks!
:-)
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Great review. Thanks for taking the time.

BlackIrish
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My wife just gave me three more as an early Christmas Present last night!!!:-):-)
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I gave myself a box of toro sized for a pre-schip present.
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Great review. :-) I smoked one of these today gifted to me by Darrell (Skywalker) and have to say it one of the best NC's I've had. Wish they were cheaper...
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