Initial Thoughts:
At first glance, the Illusione ECCJ Corona Gorda looks very tasty. The medium brown wrapper has veins that are thin and look to be well dehydrated. The end cap is a little off-center, but that might not cause any issues.
After punching the cigar just once, the draw was great and I could fully taste what the cigar had to offer. The burn started off a little uneven, but it's still early.
CigarScore:
Brand: Illusione
Line: ECCJ
Size: 5 3/5 x 48
Cut: Punch Guillotine V-Cut
Light: Matches Torch
Price: $12
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo Rosado
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua Criollo '98 and Corojo '99
Final Thoughts:
The Illusione ECCJ Corona Gorda is an extremely well-made cigar with decent flavors. The burn that started off uneven never really got much better, and it was only “alright.” And, the great draw stayed great throughout the entire smoke.
However, those decent flavors were only okay. Additionally, one factor that weighs heavily on my score today is the $12 price point on this cigar. The flavors were good, but they weren't rich and complex like I'd expect from a $12 cigar.
Because I think there are better cigars for the money and ones which might offer more value for the price, the Illusione ECCJ Corona Gorda gets a CigarScore 3. I'd be happy to smoke one with you if you really wanted to try this one, but I'd also try to steer you toward something else in the $12 price range.
