Cigar Geeks - Illusione Original Documents MJ12

Cigar Geeks Geek Critique

Illusione Original Documents MJ12
Written by Cigar Geeks Member: Ken Kelley (Ken Kelley)

94
Cigar Geeks Rating

Welcome to another member sponsored Cigar Geeks Critique. This one is sponsored by Dennis (mountedshriner). Up for review this time is the Illusione MJ 12. Thanks to Dennis for sponsoring this one!

Illusione Original Documents MJ12

Brand:: Illusione
Name:: Original Documents MJ12
Length:: 6
Ring Gauge:: 56
Country of Origin:: Honduras
Filler:: Corojo
Criollo
Nicaragua
Binder:: Nicaragua
Wrapper:: Corojo
Nicaragua
Color:: Colorado Maduro
Strength:: Medium-Full
Shape:: Toro Gordo
Average Member Purchase Price:: $6.86
Average Member Rating:: (15 Review(s))
Notes:: https://www.illusionecigars.com/product/illusione-mj12-plan-mj-1949-6-x-56-box-20/

This cigar was enjoyed with ice water

Pre-Light: 20 Points of 10 Possible

The first thing you notice about an mj12 is that it's wrapped in shiny silver foil. The legend is this stick is named after the Majestic 12, a group of experts formed to investigate UFO's. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majestic_12 However, if you read the story behind the other cigar numbers in the Illusione line there is a heavy religious component so a case could be made that it stands for the 12 Apostles. If you're an adherent of the Roswell connection then the foil is a veiled reference either to the pieces of the UFO found at Roswell or the tin foil hat you should wear when UFO's are in the neighborhood. Whether either story comes close to the truth or not I don't know. What I DO know is that the silver foil covers a rare treat! Once defoiled, the cigar exhibits a warm, dark reddish brown hue reminiscent of antique leather. The wrapper has a slightly oily sheen and is marked with a network of veins, none prominent. It was slightly lumpy in the nature of many Nicaraguan puros. Weighing in at 6x54 the stick is hefty in the hand and quite firm with no soft spots evident. The triple cap is expertly applied and gave no problems when clipping. The aroma is not strong but is a mixture of chocolate bar, sweet aged tobacco, and barnyard. The package is set off by a simple, narrow black and white band which I much prefer over an ornate band covering half the stick. The band doesn't interfere with the enjoyment of the smoke and presents no threat to the integrity of the wrapper if you choose to remove it.

Lighting and Burn: 13 Points of 15 Possible

The foot toasted easily and lit readily. The burn line wavered slightly throughout the smoke but didn't require correction until the last third. The ash was light gray and firm, becoming slightly flaky after the initial ash drop. The first ash dropped at the inch and a half point with no warning leaving a perfectly centered cone. Subsequent ash drops occurred when the ash was about an inch long. The burn lagged a bit on one side after the first drop but corrected itself. The burn began lagging badly at the beginning of the last third so I had to touch it up twice. Smoke production was outstanding! From the first puff this stick produced billowing clouds of fragrant white smoke. It just didn't give up!

Construction: 28 Points of 30 Possible

The construction of this cigar is top notch. The triple cap was expertly and firmly applied. When I clipped the cap with my Xikar MTX Multi-Tool the cap was thick and supple, showing no evidence of cracking and the wrapper stayed in place with no tendency to unravel. The draw was a bit on the loose side of my preference which surprised me given that this stick is so well packed. The head was firm and would allow those inclined to gnaw on their cigars a firm bite with no danger of falling apart.

Flavor and Aroma: 33 Points of 45 Possible

Once all the preliminaries were past and the serious business of smoking this stick began it really started shining. In addition to the rich flavors, the mouth feel of the smoke was superb. It was almost thick enough to chew. Now on to the experience...The first third started with an initial burst of pepper which almost immediately faded into a mellow sweet tobacco taste with mild leather overtones. Tones of dark chocolate made an appearance and faded in and out throughout the smoke. The sweetness established itself early and lasted the duration of the smoke in varying intensity. Midway through the first third a nutty note appeared which was quite pleasant and complemented the mellow sweetness very nicely. The leather note grew more intense about this time and a subtle citrus note made an appearance. At the beginning of the second third the flavors became more rounded and richer. The sweetness took on a honeyed tone which made the occasional nutty flavor more intense. The body had climbed to the full side of medium full at this point. There was a peppery note which returned about this time and stayed until the end. The pepper was quite noticeable when it hit the sinuses. A warm spicy note appended the base flavors and was most evident in the long finish. The pepper intensified at the beginning of the last third. The sweetness, which had mellowed in the second third, intensified and the leathery note became more pronounced. The flavors grew bolder and the body, which had steadily increased in the second third, climbed to full. At the end of the smoke the pepper became stronger and a harsh note appeared. This may have been related to the burn problems mentioned earlier. However, this problem obligingly waited until the very last to make its appearance. One last thing to mention is that the resting aroma of this cigar is very pleasant.

Summary

First of all, many thanks to Dennis (mountedshriner) for contributing the Illusione mj12's for this review. Your generosity is much appreciated!

This cigar was a fantastic experience and my favorite of the Geek Critiques I have participated in to date. It exemplified the best qualities of Nicaraguan premiums and has earned a place in my small pantheon of all-time favorite cigars. The richness of the smoke, the full bodied flavor, and strength of the stick make this one to enjoy while comfortably sitting down after a notable meal. Definitely one you need to devote your entire attention to so every subtle and not so subtle element can be fully enjoyed. The first thing I'm going to do when I finish this critique is get on the phone and order some mj12's and cg:4's to put away in the humidor for a nice long rest.