Cigar Details: Illusione Haut 10 Gordo
- Vitola: Toro Extra
- Length: 6″
- Ring Gauge: 56
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Factory: TABSA
- Blender: Dion Giolito
- Price: $17.95
- Release Date: April 2018
- Source: Developing Palates
Pre-light Experience
The Illusione Haut 10 Gordo is firm throughout and is finished with a lovely triple cap and fantail. It has a nice darkened clay coloring to it, really dark red and brown and it is a beautiful Colorado wrapper. The foot of the cigar is giving off an aroma of chocolate, rich earth and fruit yard while the wrapper is showing some barnyard and rich earth notes.
Second Third
I find the second third shows a lot of transitioning, but at the same time lost some of the great flavors present in the first third. I am getting a meaty profile now and it has that leather, wood and dry earth profile as well. There is some soft spiciness present also, and it is a big transition.
Seth | |
Pre Light | Very Good |
First Third | Very Good |
Second Third | Good |
Final Third | Average |
Burn | Subpar |
Draw | Very Good |
Overall | Subpar |
Draw
The draw was great throughout the cigar. The first and second third had a perfect draw for the size and the final third delivered well also. It got a little soft in the final third, which messed with the draw, but it was not major.
Overall
I was a huge fan of the Haut 10 when it was released as a limited release. When they announced new vitolas, I was eager to smoke those as well. I have not smoked the Churchill, which I hear is phenomenal, but the Gordo is not what the original was and I am sure not what the Churchill is. The flavor profile really declines past the first third, you could make the case for the second third and it just lacked an enjoyable smoking experience. It is a medium to medium-full smoke in terms of body and strength and I would say the flavors start at that level and go down to a medium in the end. I smoked quite a few samples for this review and found it to be consistently disappointing. To say I was incredibly disappointed would be accurate and for an Illusione release, I would say it is a bust.
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