888, 6.75" x 48 ring gauge, $8.85
I first visited Dion Giolito's Illusione line of cigars in late summer last year when I reviewed the MJ12. I enjoyed it enough to give it a 9.5/10. The only problem I had with it was the $12 price tag which puts it out of reach as a "daily smoker." The 888 beats that price by about $3, putting it in the middle-to-upper-end of my price comfort zone. Like all Illusione cigars, this stick is a Nicaraguan puro. Also like all Illusione sticks, Giolito could not be satisfied with a regular vitola name (Churchill, in this instance) and provided us a cigar with a story: In Hebrew numerology, the letters forming the name of Jesus adds up to 888. In a tribute to his faith, Giolito calls this cigar "Necessary and Sufficient" and says this describes the cigar's taste and balance as well as his Lord and Savior. Time to find out if this cigar is truly a spiritual experience.
The wrapper was medium-brown with some darker mottling. The leaf was smooth, oily and slightly velvety to the touch and there were no large veins to speak of. The aroma from the wrapper was muted tobacco and barnyard--muted because of the lack of a cello sheath. The aroma from the foot was stronger barnyard with just a touch of sweet cocoa mixed in. My Xikar MTX scissors made a clean cut on the cap and revealed a flawless draw. Prelight there were flavors of sweet tobacco, wood and chili pepper, as well as just a touch of cocoa.
Initial puffs had a lot of cedar as well as a pronounced spiciness on the retrohale. The sweetness of tobacco and bitterness of cocoa powder was there but very much underneath the other flavors. The abundance of cedar flavors continued through the first third along with a considerable amount of pepper spice. Every now and then some other flavors would creep in, too--a little autumn spice, a little cocoa, a little coffee. It made for a very interesting and complex beginning to the 888. The burn line was very even and the draw was great. To this point, the body was medium-to-full, but edging toward being completely full-bodied.
The cedar toned down a bit during the second third and so did the spice. Rising to take their place were notes of earth and coffee, along with more cocoa, which imparted both bitter and sweet components.
The cedar flavor came back in the last third and there was a continuation of the coffee and cocoa, but they were diminished from the second third. All in all, the 888 was very good but I did not find it as flavorful as the MJ12. For whatever reason, this vitola just did not work as well for me. I did like enough, though, to feel that it completely justifies the price. It may not be the best stick in the Illusione line, but I can definitely recommend it to any cigar enthusiast.
Body: 8/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 8/10
AFP Scale:
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
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