IPCPR 2016: Illusione

Unless you read our pre-show coverage of Illusione, there’s no way you could have seen this coming. Illusione has more new products than it has had at the least three, if not four, trade shows–combined.

Gone is the Cruzado you know. Gone are Illusione limited editions. Gone is shared booth spaces. It’s also Illusione’s 10th anniversary, though that seems overshadowed by the sheer amount of new product.

While all new products are shipping now, retailers are not getting everything at once. At the moment, Illusione has only limited amounts of many of the new SKUs so it’s being spread out across orders.

Illusione Cigares Prive Corojo

Cigars Prive, the name once given to Illusione’s single store limited edition releases is now a regular production line in three sizes with two wrapper choices.

• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Illusione Cigares Prive Corojo Robusto (5 x 52) — $7.90 (Boxes of 25, $197.50)
• Illusione Cigares Prive Corojo Prensado Suave (5 1/2 x 56) — $8.55, Boxes of 25, $213.75)
• Illusione Cigares Prive Corojo Prensado 660 (6 x 60) — $8.90 (Boxes of 25, $223.75)

Launch Date: Shipping Now

Production: Regular Production

Illusione Cigares Prive Maduro

• Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Illusione Cigares Prive Maduro Robusto (5 x 52) — $7.90 (Boxes of 25, $197.50)
• Illusione Cigares Prive Maduro Prensado Suave (5 1/2 x 56) — $8.55, Boxes of 25, $213.75)
• Illusione Cigares Prive Maduro Prensado 660 (6 x 60) — $8.90 (Boxes of 25, $223.75)

Launch Date: Shipping Now

Production: Regular Production

Illusione Cruzado

What’s old is new again has been a theme of the trade show, but in this case, what’s old really is new. Cruzado is now a four-vitola line with updated packaging. It’s also now being produced solely at Tabacos Valle de Jalapa (TABSA).

• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo Rosado
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Illusione Cruzado Short Robusto (4 1/2 x 48) — $8.35 (Boxes of 20, $167)
• Illusione Cruzado Robusto (5 1/4 x 50) — $9.20 (Boxes of 20, $184)
• Illusione Cruzado Gordo (6 x 56) — $10.85 (Boxes of 20, $217)
• Illusione Cruzado Churchill (6 3/4 x 48) — $11.35 (Boxes of 20, $227)

Launch Date: Shipping Now

Production: Regular Production

Illusione ~eccj~

The famed ~eccj~ is now a regular production item with three sizes.

• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo Rosado
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Illusione ~eccj~ Robusto (5 1/2 x 50) — $11.80 (Boxes of 15, $177)
• Illusione ~eccj~ Corona Gorda (5 5/8 x 46) — $12.55 (Boxes of 15, $188.25)
• Illusione ~eccj~ Churchill (6 1/2 x 48) — $13.20 (Boxes of 15, $198)

Launch Date: Shipping Now

Production: Regular Production

Illusione Fume d’Amour Concepcions

One new size for Fume d’Amour.

• Wrapper: Nicaragua
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Illusione Fume d’Amour Concepcions (5 1/2 x 56) — $9.05 (Boxes of 25, $226.25)

Launch Date: Shipping Now

Production: Regular Production

Illusione Garagiste

The one entirely new regular production line from Illusione. Of note, Ecuadorian habano wrapper.

• Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Illusione Garagiste Short Robusto (4 1/4 x 50) — $8.35 (Boxes of 20, $167)
• Illusione Garagiste Robusto (5 x 50) — $8.95 (Boxes of 20, $179)
• Illusione Garagiste Gordo (6 x 56) — $10.80 (Boxes of 20, $216)
• Illusione Garagiste Toro (6 x 52) — $9.85 (Boxes of 20, $197)

Launch Date: Shipping Now

Production: Regular Production

Illusione Gigantes CT

Gigantes and Rotchildes get new Connecticut-wrapped versions. Oddly, the two original sizes will keep their respective bands while the Gigantes CT and Rothchildes CT will feature the same color band. Both are the same price as the regular versions.

• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Illusione Gigantes CT (6 1/2 x 56) — $8.75 (Boxes of 50, $437.50)

Launch Date: Shipping Now

Production: Regular Production

Illusione Rotchildes CT

• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Illusione Rothchildes CT (4 1/2 x 50) — $5.50 (Boxes of 50, $275)

Launch Date: Shipping Now

Production: Regular Production

Illusione Haut 10

As mentioned above, it’s the 10th anniversary of Illusione, so here’s a new cigar.

• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Illusione Haut 10 (5 1/2 x 52) — $15.95 (Boxes of 12, $191.40)

Illusione Singularé Kadosh

In addition to a new size for Singularé, three popular sizes will return as regular production offerings: Anunnaki (5 1/2 x 54), Phantom (6 x 50) and Misererre (6 3/4 x 48)

• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Illusione Singularé 2016 Kadosh (4 1/4 x 48) — $8.80 (Boxes of 30, $264)

Launch Date: Shipping Now

Production: Regular Production

Illusione Ultra Extensions

Ultra gets two new sizes, there are also roughly 300 special 48-count boxes for the new No. 3 sizes.

• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Illusione Ultra Op No. 3 (4 1/4 x 50) — $8.35 (Boxes of 20, $167)
• Illusione Ultra Op No. 8 (6 3/4 x 48) — $13 (Boxes of 20, $240)

Launch Date: Shipping Now

Production: Regular Production

Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.