Illusione
‘888’
Necessary and Sufficient 48 x 6 ¾”
Medium to full bodied. Lots of spice, earth, with a long finish.
“Here’s where I delve into my faith a bit more. The name Jesus (IhsouV) adds up to 888 in Hebrew numerology called Gematria.. Each letter is assigned the corresponding number. “Necessary and Sufficient” both describes the balance and profile of this cigar. It also represents to not go wanting, He is all I need, He is necessary and sufficient.”
~ 4/2g ~
Church 49 x 7 ½”
A full bodied cigar with strength and a mature character.
“This was the cigar that got me thinking about brand identity and packaging. “4” stood for 2004, the year I opened my own store, “2g” referred to the style of cigar I wanted it to be. I always liked how RAG’s had “2 gears” in the smoking journey, mild/medium in the first 2/3’s of the cigar then – BAM rich, full and spicy in the last 1/3. Even though it isn’t a Churchill per-se, more a double corona, I decided to put “Church” on the side of the box. It mostly reminded that I am a bad Catholic and that I need to get my ass to Church more often.”
~ 68 ~
Bombone 44 x 4”
Full bodied. Peppery, earthy sweetness.
“This was the year I was born hence, the smallest cigar in my line. It was also an homage to Paul Garmirian – BIG influence in my career as a Tobacconist along with Zino Davidoff. 68 is also a “happy” number.”
~ f9 ~
Finesse 44 x 6 ¼”
Medium to full bodied. A perfectly balanced smoke.
“F stands for “finesse” which I wanted this cigar’s taste profile to be. I told Romai and Arsenio at the Factory that if can perfect the blend for this vitola, it will rule the world. They laughed. 9 also stands for the 9th planet Pluto, well not really a planet since it was demoted to orbiting rock a few years ago by some brainiac in the Astronomy field. What does he know!?”
~ 88 ~
Robust 52 x 5”
Medium to full bodied. Rich with earth, leather and spice.
“No secret here. It harkens back to 1988 when I made that fateful decision to leave Oklahoma to come to Reno for College. “Robust” was just something different than Robusto. It speaks more for the body of the cigar than the nature of its size.”
~ 2/3 ~
tre in uno (culebra) 33 x 6 ½”
Mild to medium in character. A social smoke.
“My Culebra. Here’s the goof. Originally the cliché was to be 3/1. After a long night in front of the computer hacking out the box design, I put 2/3 instead. It kinda worked out okay with me because 23 is always a number I bet on along with 9. 23 is the The "23 Enigma," the Discordian belief that all events are connected to the number 23.”
~ cg:4 ~
White Horse 48 x 5 5/8”
Bold, clean and bright – complete.
“I wanted to associate it with the wine country – French wine country. I called Pete when he just happened to be in Miami celebrating Pepins’ birthday. He handed me off to Pepin and I wished him happy birthday. When Pete got back on the phone, I asked him what the cliché should be on the side of my box. I told him it was Cg:4 Corona Gorda….. He said Cheval Blanc “The white Horse” PERFECT I thought – Corona Gorda, the 4 horsemen of the Apocalypse, The White horse which is the Conquer, the false prophet – Revelation 6:2.”
~ m7 ~
Magdala 58 x 6 ½”
A complex journey of flavors within an ample smoke.
“Woman from Magdal. This may appeal to you Holy Blood, Holy Grail/Davinci Code Types out there. The M7 is a Salomone – shapely and perfect – woman. She is also Pregnant.”
~ 2 ~
And crowned of thorns 52 x 5 ¼”
Bright tannins complemented by sweet, soulful earth.
“No explanation here is really needed. 2 is the son of God doing battle against evil, the enlightened one, the soul-saver, all forgiving.”
~ 1~
Dark Prince 48 x 9 ¼”
Balanced and elegant with progressive strength and complexity.
“Again, no explanation needed. Administered Original sin. Also took lead from The Cuban “Black Prince” Punch as well.”
~ mk ~
The Teaching Machine 42 x 5 1/8”
A classic connoisseurs’ cigar revealing hints of leather, cinnamon and a long finish. A touch of sweetness is brought forward from the high caliber of Viso used in this blend.
“As with my 88, I sampled a few to you in the forums for review when I was re-working on the blend in ’06. I did the same with the mk. There were two versions, the ~MK~ and the MKULTRA. MKULTRA was much stronger than I wanted it to be. I called Paul Palmer which in turn relayed my information to the factory to correct the issue. They have a gold band along with the ~hl~ because they’re more of an artisan blend better represented in those particular sizes. They’re 20% different than regular illusione black and white bands. As some of you know, I let out my stock of MKULTRAS because I just wasn’t pleased with the blend. You guys ate them up! Thanks. Project MKULTRA was a government experiment in creating “zombie soldiers” if you will, through experimentation with LSD and subconscious suggestion when under the influence. MKULTRA was also referred to as the “teaching machine.” The classic corona size is the teaching machine vitola. It is the perfect vehicle for delivery of flavor, if the blend is right.”
~ hl ~
The Holy Lance 40 x 7 ½”
A true lancer exhibiting rich floral, and mild exotic spice notes in the olfactory senses complemented within a medium finish on the palate.
“My Lancero , the lance. Get it? Constantine was the first Christian Emperor to lead Rome. It was fabled that he had possession of the very spear that punctured the side of Jesus while on the cross. He was said to carry this relic into battle and, it was said that it helped him win his many battles. It is an artisan blend and, the mildest of all my cigars.”
~ eccj ~
European Cigar Cult Journal 15th 46 x 5 5/8”
This vitola is a blend tempered for the European palate. It was created under commission of the European Cigar Cult Journal magazine to commemorate its 15th anniversary.
