Illusione Epernay Le Grande 2021 (YCPRW)

[99call]

Continuing to dip my foot in the NC world, some it enjoyable, some of it, really underwhelming.

My surrounding?? I've just moved into my new house, and I am in cigar heaven, I'm my big back garden listening to Hamlet lay out his expertise on the FOH nudies uploaded video.   My new neighbours are awesome lovely people (and really talented musicians)  Birds manically making nests, local cats plotting their death.  I feel like I have turned a massive corner in life.  much more peace, and calm. 

Just got this box of Le Grande recently and have been seriously impressed.

Aroma cold Smells like oily Nori seaweed paper, which I love, but very unusual to me in terms of what to expect from a cigar smell. It has some cross over with what someone might consider a classic barnyard funkiness, but definitely sushi paper, almost exactly

Draw  Given a punch, and it's a little bit of a wind tunnel.   Flavour is sweeter than the wrapper aroma, bit of astringency, and walnut, which seems to be quite typical in the NC that I have bought thus far. 

1st 3rd Straight in with a slight white wine sourness (which many have stated is a thing with the Epernay line) , tart walnut skin. I nice light woodiness. Draw slightly too easy, but doesn't seem to be negatively affecting flavour or anything else. Slight bright virginia pipe tobacco astringency.

Reminding me of a cuban cigar, but struggling to put my finger on it. Like a much lighter sweeter Por Larranaga caramel.  Definitely in the Picadores zone.  Toasty sort of green sweetness.    It’s like a PL picadores, with a white wine sourness over the top.

2nd 3rd I can’t help but feel, as much as If the Picadors is an ‘ok’ perfectly respectable cigar, this is far more interesting, far better balanced. The white wine thing is quite addictive, and draws you back to the cigar, a bit like the juicy fruitness does with Punch, not that it tastes like a Punch in anyway. . 

The walnut thing, and the wine wine thing are the two notes that stand out as not present in the cuban world, but the creaminess and texture feels very opulent and cubanesque.  This is the 1st NC cigar that I would happily smoke in rotation with cubans, I don’t see a quality difference.

3rd 3rd Marzipan sweetness, tasting very similar to a old SP molino at this point, those who know, know that means pretty bloody spectacular. 

That’s it, I’m buying another box, too good, genuinely impressive.  Apart from a bit of missing salt, my mouth is flooded with molino aftertaste. Which I need in my life

Score 90-91 Awesome.  very happy

@JohnS I think if you are continuing your NC odyssey, I think you will be nicely surprised by the Eperney line, or at least the Le Grande. I intend to branch out in this line. 

 

[djrey]

Nice review. Smoked these occasionally before jumping headfirst into CC's. Just ordered a box of these a few days ago to smoke in rotation with my CC as I cannot replace what I am smoking anymore. The Le Petit is a great size in this blend too. 

[99call]

  On 2/17/2023 at 4:46 PM, djrey said:

The Le Petit is a great size in this blend too. 

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Cheers, I will have a look at that.   Currently considering the Le Matin, and the Le Elegance

[JohnS]

Nice review and thank you for the recommendation! 👍

[westg]

Nice review,👍🏻

[Lamboinee]

I like your review. It's a shorter format than the one's I have been doing and I think it is better in many ways. I also like Epernays.  I found your comparison to the Picadores interesting.

 

[SCgarman]

I'm on my first box of these but certainly not my last. Definitely one of the most satisfying all Nicaraguan blends out there. And at $200usd/box nothing Cuban can even match the price. 

[MrBirdman]

  On 2/18/2023 at 4:09 PM, SCgarman said:

And at $200usd/box nothing Cuban can even match the price. 

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Very sad and very true. Maybe they’ll throw us a bone with the new RG. Not holding my breath. 

[SCgarman]

  On 2/18/2023 at 5:40 PM, MrBirdman said:

Very sad and very true. Maybe they’ll throw us a bone with the new RG. Not holding my breath. 

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I stocked up on the Rafael Gonzalez PC's while they were about 175/box. They were UBM17 box codes, so already nicely aged. Bought 4 or 5 boxes. Should have bought 10. Cuban pricing now is outta my wheel house. I'll enjoy my stockpile and add some good NC's like the Epernays.

[KCCubano]

  On 2/18/2023 at 6:02 PM, SCgarman said:

I stocked up on the Rafael Gonzalez PC's while they were about 175/box. They were UBM17 box codes, so already nicely aged. Bought 4 or 5 boxes. Should have bought 10. Cuban pricing now is outta my wheel house. I'll enjoy my stockpile and add some good NC's like the Epernay's.

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RGPC in Cuba is best value PC out there. $119

[david9985]

Thanks for the review.. I also am a big SP Molinos fan.