Origin : Nicaragua
Format : Robusto
Size : 5 x 50
Wrapper : Nicaragua
Filler : Nicaragua
Binder : USA
Hand-Made
Price : ~$8 each
The long-awaited Illusione Nosotros blend was released in 2009 in a joint venture between Jonathan Drew from Drew Estate and Dion Giolito from Illusione Cigars. These cigars are rolled in Drew Estate’s factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. They come in eight vitolas with the Robusto been the subject of today’s review.
Appearance : Rating: 
The wrapper resembles a colorado maduro with a nice dark brown color. The cigar had some veins running the length of it. It was smooth to the touch and had a nice oily sheen.
Construction : Rating: 
The Nosotros was very firm to the touch with no soft spots. The robusto seemed to be single-capped with a minimalistic band which had the names of its creators (Dion and Drew) written on it.
The cigar had a very good draw, and it produced a long, charcoal grey ash. The ash seemed flaky and a tunnel appeared early during the smoke (see picture below). The two cigars smoked for this review did show evidence of burn issues as a canoe developed early in the smoke. Both cigars had to be re-lighted once.
Flavor : Rating:
The wrapper had a nice dried fruit smell with the foot featuring a hint of vanilla. Bursts of pepper were felt on the tongue during pre-light along with an apple pie taste in the draw.
Immediately after lighting the cigar, a nice touch of raspberry and leather was immediately noticed. During the second half of the cigar, more woody flavors (cedar and oak) were present. This second half was definitely very woody.
The finish was long with notes of nuts (almonds).
Value : Rating:
At about $8.00/stick, this is on the high end for a robusto-shaped cigar. Depending on your cigar budget, this may be more of a specialty rather than a daily smoke.
Overall Rating : Rating:
This is a cigar with a great flavor profile, but with some construction issues. From the appearance perspective, it is a very nice stick. I am a big fan of both Drew Estate cigars (Liga Privada No. 9 and No. 52) and Illusione (MJ12). For the money, I think those three cigars rank ahead of the Nosotros in terms of appearance and construction. In terms of flavors, this is quite an enjoyable cigar which offers a lot to the palate.
