In the last few years, General Cigars has been doing collaborations with boutique cigar makers to captivate the market that these smaller brands operate in. They worked with the likes of Pete Johnson, Abdel Fernandez and now Dion Giolito from Illusione Cigars. After a year of development the Illusione of Excalibur is ready to be launched.

There will be one size available, a 7¼x50 Double Corona that is made at AGANORSA Leaf’s Agricola Ganadera Norteña S.A. factory, the Nicaraguan factory previously known as TABSA where most Illusiones are produced. The cigar is a Nicaraguab oyro with a Corojo 99 wrapper, a Corojo 2012 binder and Criollo and Corojo fillers. Giolito and Justin Andrews from General Cigars owner STG blended the cigar. Only 4960 boxes of 10 cigars are made.

“When GCC asked me to do a collaboration and offered up Excalibur, I immediately jumped at the opportunity,” says Giolito in a press release. “In college, the Excalibur #1 Maduro was my go-to when I could afford them on a college budget. My buddy George and I would enjoy them after class or band practice. They were a real treat back then, and they still are to this day. For my part, I wanted to make a cigar in the spirit of Excalibur with a bold character and packaging that pays homage to the brand’s origins. I believe this blend really hits the mark.”

“Dion Giolito and Illusione’s success in the premium cigar category has been driven by his rigorous standards for tobacco and his ability to create cigars that wow the market,” said Andrews. “So when it came to developing a blend for Excalibur, Dion was our hands-down first choice. I’m very proud of how this project came together. My only regret is that we couldn’t make this a full-time launch.”