Back in 2022, at the PCA Trade show, Illusione Cigars announced a new core line – the Original Documents Habano. The line started to show up at retailer in 2023. The Habano is now the 5th blend in the Illusione Original Documents portfolio. For this new line, the company did what many companies have done recently, they reached out to A.J. Fernandez and his San Lotano Factory in Nicaragua to create the cigars. This is a slight departure from longtime partner AGANORSA Leaf but it should be noted that the San Lotano factory is now run by Alberto Padilla, who used to work for AGANORSA. So, one big happy cigar family.
The blend of the Original Documents Habano is described as a Nicaraguan puro featuring a A.J. Fernandez sun-grown habano-seed wrapper:
- Wrapper – Nicaraguan sun-grown habano-seed
- Binder – Nicaragua
- Filler – Nicaragua (Estelí, Condega, and Jalapa)
The Original Documents Habano is expressed in 6 different vitolas, each packaged in 25-count boxes:
- Corona Minor (4 x 44) – MSRP $8.35
- Robusto (5 x 52) – MSRP $10.85
- Corona Gorda (5⅝ x 46) – MSRP $11.05
- Churchill (6¾ x 48) – MSRP $11.65
- Lancero (7¼ x 40) – MSRP $11.90
- Gordo (6 x 56) – MSRP $12.30
For this review, I sampled 2 of the Original Documents Habano Gordos that I purchased from my local brick and mortar – Executive Cigar Shop & Lounge in Melbourne, FL.
The packaging of the Original Documents Habano includes a sky blue outer sleeve that covers the whole cigar, so you really can’t see the cigar itself. I have read and heard from some folks, that taking the outer sleeve off is difficult. I will say, I had no problem so long as you open the top and just slide it off. Don’t try to remove the tape that runs along the seam.
Once the sleeve is removed, you are presented with a medium reddish-brown cigar that exhibits a decent oily sheen and a few bumps and veins running through it. The cigar has a solid feel to it with just the right give from head to foot. A well applied cap finishes the construction.
Besides the outer foil wrapper, the cigar is adorned with the new “Original Documents” band design that is now consistent across the 5 different blends. The Habano uses a sky blue, gold, and white color scheme. The “all seeing eye” is centered in the band with the word ILLUSIONE on top and HABANO on the bottom. “ORIGINAL DOUCUMENTS” is printed around the edges on the left and right of the logo.
Running the Original Documents Habano along the nose I picked up chocolate and spice notes along the barrel along with a touch of barnyard aroma off the foot.
Using my double blade cutter, I sliced the cap straight cut across the shoulder of the cigar and gave some cold draw puffs that I found to have an excellent restriction while delivering notes of butter and peppery spice to the palate.
I warmed to foot to an even orange glow with my Xikar fan flame torch and drew in mouth filling puffs of spicy fruit and chocolate notes to begin the journey. Follow along as I burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Mild spice, fruit, and chocolate notes start the journey
- A solid, light grey ash forms on top of a thick and slightly jagged char line
- Ash dropped in a small chunk revealing a decent burn cone
- Delightful cream and coffee notes enter deep in the first third
- Leather notes add to the dimension of the profile
- There is a fine oiling bursting out, above the burn line
- Cinnamon spice entices the palate, midway through the burn
- Flavors are well blended and balanced moving toward the midway point
- With minimal flavor development through the second third the spice increases with a hint of coffee in the final
- Slight off burn develops moving into the final
- Medium Plus in strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 40 minutes
Final Analysis
The Illusione Original Documents Habano Gordo journey begins with a tantalizing blend of mild spice, fruity undertones, and hints of chocolate, setting the stage for a flavorful experience. Deep into the first third, delightful notes of cream and coffee emerge, adding depth to the overall profile, while the subtle presence of leather further enriches the experience. Above the burn line, a fine oiling glistens, enhancing the visual appeal. Midway through the burn, the palate is enticed by the emergence of cinnamon spice, perfectly complementing the well-blended and balanced flavors that evolve towards the midway point. Although the flavor development remains relatively minimal in the second third, the spice intensifies with a subtle hint of coffee remerging towards the final. I would say to grab a fiver of these and check them out for sure. I rate this a 91.
Side note: As much as the outer sleeve is a cool packaging gimmick. I did have one out of three of these that had a cracked wrapper under that sleeve. I could have returned it, but I decided to smoke it for fun. The cigar did ok, even as parts of the wrapper unfurled. But that is the issue with packaging like this. In fact, I think it is more attractive in the box without the sleeve, as the new band catches the eye. (no pun intended).
Point Deductions: (-1) Jagged Burn Line; (-1) Small Frequent Ash Drops; (-1) Slight Off burn in the final; (-1) Little flavor development in the second half
Bonus Points: (+1) Nice Oiling above the burn line
