Today’s reviews will focus on the Illusione Cruzado Domenicos Extra and the La Aurora Escogidos Maduro Robusto. Are they worthy of a purchase? There’s only one way to find out…

Illusione Cruzado Domenicos Extra

The Illusione Cruzado line was originally released by company founder Dion Giolito in 2008. This Nicaraguan puro is supposedly a slight variation on Illusione’s original core line, with the main difference being that it employs more Criollo tobacco than Corojo. In order to keep up with the demand for cigars with larger ring gauges, Giolito expanded the line in 2010 with the release of the Domenicos Extra format, which just so happens to be the exact stogie that I will be sampling for this review.

The Illusione Cruzado Domenicos Extra measures 6 x 56. The line also comes in the following sizes: the 4 x 46 Avalitos, 4 x 48 Dantes, 5 5/8 x 46 Marelas, 5 5/8 x 56 Domenicos, and the 7 x 47 Marios. As I mentioned in the intro, this is a Nicaraguan puro, which means the cigar is made completely from Nicaraguan tobaccos. This includes Criollo ’98 and Corojo 2006 tobaccos, as well as a Criollo Rosado wrapper. As far as strength is concerned, the Cruzado appears to fall somewhere in between the medium and full-bodied categories.

I definitely give Dion Giolito and the crew at Illusione an A-plus for the presentation of the Cruzado Domenicos Extra. This begins with its gold foil wrapping. Once the foil is removed, you have yourself a very attractive cigar. The decorative band near the head showcases the Illusione Cruzado name along with some silver crosses and swords over a silver, black, and gold color scheme. The cigar itself has an oily wrapper with a few veins here and there. Its slight reddish tint is easy on the eyes. The construction is superb and free of any significant defects. The cigar feels very firm to the touch. Right before lighting, I give the cigar a closer look and notice a cedar scent and flavors that are sweet and spicy.

The solid construction and appearance of the Illusione Cruzado Domenicos Extra translates into a satisfactory burn. The draw is just right. The ash is light gray in color and solid in its form. The burn is even from start to finish and corrects itself whenever it appears to have the desire to stray. The cigar also manages to stay lit on its own to the very end. The burn is nice and slow, and plenty of thick, aromatic smoke fills the air.