Making great cigars comes down this - passion, great tobacco, and amazing craftsmanship. It sound simple enough, but few companies actually pull it off as successfully as Illusione. Dion Giolito has led his brand to greatness, and it shows - the brand delivers consistently tasty cigars - I mean, it's kind of hard to ignore a handful of top 25 appearances and a healthy collection of 90+ ratings. Through the years, Illusione has released some limited edition cigars that flew off the shelves, and we thought we'd never see them again - not the case with Epernay 2009. Lucky for us, this cigar is making a comeback as a regular production, and we couldn't be happier. 
This mellow beauty is love at first sight with its Cafe Rosado wrapper which hugs Nicaraguan Criollo '98 and Corojo '99 long fillers. This is a truly classic Nicaraguan cigar with notes of toasted nuts, a slight spice, and cream. Good to the last puff and totally fulfilling, once you try this cigar, there is no looking back.
Epernay 2009 received Top 25 Cigar of the Year honors and received an impressive 94-rating, noting "Solidly rolled and topped with a three-seam cap, this dark brown cigar has an opulent draw that shows an earthy, leathery smoke with polished layers of gingerbread, cinnamon and orange peel, all building to a beautifully long, caramel finish. A sophisticated and balanced cigar."