Today’s reviews cover the popular Illusione brand of cigars and its recent Singulare 2011 and Singulare 2012 releases.

Illusione Singulare 2011

Dion Giolito, owner of Illusione Cigars, did not release a follow-up to his popular Singulare 2010 line last year. It had nothing to do with a lack of demand, but instead a lack of supply. Giolito supposedly had trouble producing enough quantities of his core selection of cigars to customers, so he decided to hold off on a limited Singulare 2011 release until his company could get up to speed with distribution. Illusione finally got back on track, and with that comes the simultaneous release this year of the Singulare 2011 and the Singulare 2012. I will begin by sampling the Singulare 2011 first.

The Illusione Singulare 2011 measures 6 x 52. It is the only size produced for the limited release, and Dion Giolito dubbed the format the Vimana, which is the Sanskrit term for a U.F.O. Giolito often uses meaningful monikers behind his releases, so the Vimana selection is no real surprise. The cigar's filler and binder are both Nicaraguan. The wrapper is Nicaraguan as well, but of the Corojo variety. The Singulare 2011 and 2012 are both produced in Nicaragua, unlike other Illusione smokes that come out of Honduras. In terms of strength, the Singulare 2011 is considered to be medium-bodied.

The Singulare 2011’s Corojo wrapper has an inviting chocolate hue with some reddish tint. It's also somewhat oily. There are a few medium-sized veins, but no huge imperfections. The decorative band near the head is elegant, yet simple. It displays the Singulare name over a white and silver color scheme. The cigar feels firm to the touch with no soft spots. Prior to lighting, I am picking up an earthy flavor and a scent of cedar.

The Illusione Singulare 2011 lights with ease and exhibits a steady burn from beginning to end. The draw is good and there's plenty of thick smoke. No touch-ups or re-lights are needed. The ash is solid and light in color. Burn time is well over an hour.