Illusione The Group of Five RB

From its founding, drawing on themes of mystery and secrecy has been one of Illusione’s hallmarks. Its earliest cigars used abbreviations and numerology for their names, while numerous forms of imagery associated with hidden meanings and conspiracy theories have been used both on cigars and in the company’s advertisements.

For its newest line, The Group of Five, brand owner Dion Giolito is keeping things mysterious.

“There is just as much mystery surrounding the tobacco as there is about The Group of Five namesake,” said the company in a press release when the cigars were announced in March. What the company has said is that the blend is the same across the five cigars in the group, with a high-priming viso of a tobacco varietal that Illusione says hasn’t been grown in Nicaragua until recently. The company has confirmed that there is Nicaraguan criollo 98 and corojo 99 in the blend, but where those leaves appear and what else is in the blend remains under wraps.

The first cigar in the line is RB, a 5 x 52 robusto that comes with an MSRP of $16.95 per cigar and $254.25 for a box of 15 cigars. The sizes of the remaining four cigars have yet to be announced.

The Group of Five is a regular production line made by AGANORSA in Nicaragua. The sizes of the other four cigars, as fitting, remain a mystery.

• Cigar Reviewed: Illusione The Group of Five RB
• Country of Origin: Nicaragaua
• Factory: Aganorsa
• Wrapper: Undisclosed
• Binder: Undisclosed
• Filler: Nicaragua & Undisclosed
• Length: 5 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Shape: Round
• MSRP: $16 (Box of 15, $240)
• Release Date: June 2024
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

The Illusione The Group of Five RB is a very good-looking cigar, with a slightly shiny wrapper that has some mottling but overall is pretty evenly colored. A network of thin veins is visible but not distracting, while my fingers find some fine grit texture. All three cigars are rolled to a very firm density, not quite rock hard but with very little give. The three cigars all look good, though for some reason, each of the three caps appears a bit off center or cut in a way that one side hangs lower than it should. The foot has an aroma that is light and creamy at the onset before wood and a bit of pepper blossom on my next exhale. The second cigar is noticeably sweeter, reminding me of caramel corn or a candy bar that uses toffee or caramel. The third cigar is a combination of the three and is easily the most complex and engaging, blending the aroma from the other two cigars into a layered sensation of aromas and air textures. The cold draw is firm on all three cigars, which, given their density, doesn’t surprise me. The flavor is mild and creamy with a nutty spin that continues on as the finish my taste buds as it dissipates.

The Illusione The Group of Five RB starts with a pleasantly vibrant profile, hitting my taste buds with flavors that remind me of pencil wood along with some nuttiness and black pepper. Through the nose, there is lots of pepper, as well as a brisk peppermint sensation from time to time, making for a lively sensation in the nostrils that can grab the reins of the cigar if given the chance. There’s a bit of sharpness from the flavor, though I can’t quite attribute it to a flavor; my best attribution is to the graham cracker flavor that seems to take on a slightly metallic flavor. It’s an opening that is close to feeling like a bit too much at times, especially if I take too many retrohales, so while I have to practice some moderation, but the result is worth it. In the nostrils, the lingering peppermint is making a strong case for itself to be one of the most memorable aspects of this cigar. Some thicker creaminess joins the profile after the first clump of ash comes off, while a subtle, nuanced pepper rises out of it. Flavor is medium-plus but retrohales kick it up to a medium-full sensation. Body is medium-plus and strength is medium-minus. Construction is very good with good performance in all the key departments, though I certainly would object to the draw being a bit more open.

As much as I find myself knowing I need to space out the retrohales, I can’t resist seeing where they’re at as the second third of the Illusione The Group of Five RB gets underway, and I’m greeted by a really peppery, pointed sensation. I also begin to sense that the combustion is beginning to struggle, as it feels like draws produce less smoke. In the case of the third cigar, it just goes out and requires a relight. As for the other two cigars, combustion slows noticeably around the midpoint but neither go out, though I find myself needing to work to get the smoke production back up to a respectable level. As for the flavor, it has picked up a light, building earthiness that is dry and serves as the base for the black pepper, a role previously served by the creaminess of the first third. The pepper picks up a bit of spice, and there are some puffs that remind me of smoking fumas of criollo 98 and corojo 99 at the Aganorsa factory during Puro Sabor a few years ago. After a hiatus for a chunk of this section, some very enjoyable creaminess comes along as the burn line approaches the secondary band. From there, I get the taste of a handful of dry Frosted Flakes. The flavor has dialed back to medium for most of this section but retrohales are ready to add some pepper to intensify the sensations, while body is medium and strength is medium. Combustion has become an issue for all three cigars, and with the draw of the third cigar, keeping the cigar burning is becoming a Sisyphean task. The burn line remains even, but the construction seems to be hindering the cigar from showing its best self and is certainly impeding my enjoyment of it.

When the Illusione The Group of Five RB is burning as it should, the start of the final third brings about some impressive complexity and layering of flavors and sensations. The puffs start creamy, add some hazelnut and earth, and then finish with pepper both on the taste buds and through the nose. When the draw is labored and combustion struggles, the profile shows a duller, less nuanced version of those flavors, shifting earth and pepper forward and giving my taste buds a blunter version of those core flavors. All three cigars show combustion issues, with the third cigar becoming almost unshakable. Retrohales still pack a bright punch, now leading with a spicy sensation as opposed to the pepper of the first two thirds. Even with the combustion struggles, there are moments where the cigar shows that the blend is quite good and that the final third could well be the best the cigar offers thanks to the layering of flavors. Flavor is medium-plus, body is medium-plus and strength is medium. The draw and combustion on the first cigar feel a bit more labored in the final inches, with the burn slowing to an absolute crawl at times. The second performs the best, while the third continues to dig in its heels when it comes to combustion. To their credit, the burn lines on all three cigars are even, and smoke production can be good when the cigar is burning.

Final Notes

• The logo of the brand says, “whispering tongues are treachery” in both English and Latin.
• In late June, the Group of Five RB shipped alongside the OneOff Black, which Brooks Whittington reviewed.
• That cigar also uses a tobacco that Illusione says had not been grown in Nicaragua in quite some time. It’s unclear if these are the same varietals.
• The cellophane that is used on these cigars feels much more crispy and crinkly and looks older than what I would say is typical, as it has started to yellow. The OneOff Blacks we purchased also had similar cellophane.
• While the band features a beetle, whenever I look at it from arm’s length, I see a mask in the central image, with the space in between the insects looking like darkened-out eyes.
• The combustion on the third cigar was some of the worst I’ve had recently, as the cigar required multiple relights and had a draw that simply never improved to a point where it wasn’t an adversary to the goal of an enjoyable experience.
• None of the three cigars hit me with much nicotine strength, though the third cigar had me fatigued from an extended smoking time and labored draws.

• The company lists these as a 5 x 52 robusto. The numbers above are the measurements we found for the three cigars used for this review.
• Final smoking time was two hours and 30 minutes on average.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co. and Smokingpipes carry the Illusione The Group of Five RB.