Illusione Allegria Lonsdale

Illusione

• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Agricola Ganadera Norteña S.A.
• Wrapper: Nicaragua
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 6 1/4 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 44
• Vitola: Lonsdale
• MSRP: $10.60 (Box of 25, $265)
• Release Date: July 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Original Score: 91

Illusione is no stranger to the halfwheel Top 25; in fact, the company founded by Dion Giolito has had more than 10 cigars win awards since 2012, including the number one and number four spots in 2016.

So while it is no great surprise that a release from the Reno, Nev.-based cigar company would end up on the list this year, the specific creation that came in 18th place has quite the backstory.

Originally founded by Andrea Molinari in 2004, Allegria—which translates to Joy from Italian—is a sister brand to the OneOff line, which Molinari created three years earlier in 2001. Both brands were purchased by Giolito in 2017, and he subsequently began shipping a reblended version of OneOff to retailers the next year.

However, it would take until mid-2022 before Allegria would be reintroduced as a five-vitola regular production line. According to Giolito, the blend of the newest incarnation of the Allegria brand is a Nicaraguan puro that incorporates specific farm lots of corojo 99 and criollo 98 tobaccos and the cigars are being made at Agricola Ganadera Norteña S.A., the factory formerly known as TABSA.

The resulting cigar is a unique specimen, not only compared to OneOff but also when contrasted against any other Illusione blend. Highlights include creamy almond and cinnamon flavors combined with a fondant sweetness and some obvious white pepper on the retrohale all in a profile that eventually hits a point just above the medium mark.

Over the years I have loved just about every cigar that Giolito has released and the Allegria is no exception. While it does not come close to the upper echelon of Illusione blends, the Allegria has more than enough nuance, complexity and balance to endear itself to lovers of full-flavored blends. — Brooks Whittington.