4 x Illusione Fume d'Amour Conceptions

Illusione Fume d'Amour Conceptions is an insider tip. This cigar was not on my radar until now. I am all the more grateful that I was able to discover this cigar. It is elegant with its Corona Gorda format. You know what? This cigar contains no ligero tobacco (strong and aromatic). Really? Get me the devil! This cigar is very aromatic and has a strength of 3/5. What a fantastic blend is that? I've tasted four so far and I think this cigar is excellent. Almost grandiose. Almost? Please read on (there's more in the conclusion section...).

Sepulto?

On the back of the box you can see a rarity for a non-Cuban cigar box. Is this a boxing date? Sepulto means something similar to „grave“ or „buried“. I'm just going to interpret it out loud: the cigars were placed in the box in November 2017. Feel free to slap me if I'm wrong with this interpretation.

I normally describe a cigar in technical terms. Consequently, it is not a pleasure smoke, but a technical smoke. The differences are huge. The pleasure smoke is self-explanatory. The technical smoke, on the other hand, is characterised by a focus on different directions. I check many different aspects of the cigar using the Zigarren.Zone Tasting Tool. You can download this tool free of charge:

About the Illusione Fume d'Amour Conceptions

Fume d'Amour, which translates as „smoke of love“. An illusion? A cigar without ligero tobaccos! The result is a truly delicious cigar with balance and style, bursting with a rich, nutty „cashew“ flavour, a hint of nougat sweetness and baking spice. This is the official text.

I couldn't recognise any cashew nuts. But it is nutty - and how!

Today a pleasure smoke with this really great Fume d'Amour Conceptións

Fact Sheet Illusione Fume d'Amour Conceptions

• Format: Corona Gorda (length: 143 mm / ring gauge: 46)
• Tobacco:
  • Wrapper leaf: Nicaragua
  • Leaf: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaragua
• Price: CHF 12.70 (as at January 2021)
• Buy a cigar: Google Search >

What is „retronasal“? With the Illusione Fume d'Amour Conceptions, a wonderfully pleasurable enhancement

Retronasal cigar enjoyment enhances the flavour. What it is, why it works and how to do it please read here. Take a look at the ZiZo vacuum technology in particular. Incredible enhancement of cigar enjoyment!

What is the „R+ ZiZo vacuum technology“?

With this technique, the Illusione Fume d'Amour Conceptions achieves wonderful flavour aromas: pepper (just the right amount) and burning wood are the two impressions that immediately struck me. This is the consummate pleasure of a cigar. How do you do the R+ technique? Difficult to describe. I'll give it a try. Here's an example: a baby sucking on a dummy.

Try this technique with a cigar. Very little smoke enters the mouth. But it passes over the tongue and goes straight through the nose. I tried it with about 10 cigars before I mastered it. Please be very careful with this technique when practising: the smoke hit the back of my larynx several times. That was really bad. But now that I can do it, it's a perfect technique for enjoying a cigar.

What is umami?

This means „savouriness“, „spicy“, „essence“, „meaty“. This mixture of taste sensations is perceived on the centre of the tongue. You can find a good article about this on Wikipedia. The Illusione Fume d'Amour Conceptions has a hint of pepper and light roasted flavours of well roasted meat as well as juicy... yes, that describes it quite accurately.

Acclimatisation recommendation: 1 week in the humidor with cellophane.

Non Cuba cigars and the important acclimatisation process

The Illusione Fume d'Amour Conceptions can be enjoyed immediately after purchase. Nevertheless, my tip: The fact is that you don't know when the cigar was imported and how long it rested with the importer. You also don't know how long the resting period was at the retailer. The cigars have a shock after being transported from the tropics to us in Europe. They have to acclimatise first. The industry is sales-orientated. The cigars have to be sold quickly. Therefore, they may not taste as they should. I recommend a general acclimatisation period in your humidor of at least 2 weeks after purchase. Depending on the brand and series, even longer, which I emphasise in this article.

If you buy single copies

Buy at least 3 individual copies of Illusione Fume d'Amour Conceptions. But preferably the whole box. Nevertheless, my tip: put the cigar with the cellophane in the humidor. If your cigar does not have cellophane: Put them in tubos and then in the humidor. Or you can put the individual cigars in a Zippo bag and put a small Boveda inside. You then seal it and place it in the humidor. Cigars that are stored open without cellophane or a box lose their flavour very quickly. This is demonstrated in this article with experiments.

Conclusion of the Illusione Fume d'Amour Conceptions

I really enjoyed my smoke. All the more so because I didn't technically test the cigar. I sat in front of the big screen in my Zigarren.Zone lounge. Netflix's „The Bridge“ was on. The character of the lead actress is refreshingly different. Holy cow! I sipped my black lungo. And yes - this cigar made the experience really nice.

I have tasted four samples since December 2020. I noticed that all of them were burnt at an angle. I had to correct this with the flame. The slowly smouldering tobacco has been rolled outwards. This is a rolling defect. However, this didn't affect the flavour: I enjoyed all of them very much.

The balance: nutty (very much so!), wood (cedar?) and almonds (?). Retronasal and R+ ZiZo vacuum technology: Pepper (just the right dosage) and burning wood are the two impressions that immediately struck me. What R+ means is described above. Really no ligero in it? Man, man, man - great! Strength 3/5, finish 4/5.

The smoke developed excellently in all specimens. Permanent increase. From the second half, a lot of wood, perhaps even a little earthy, bittersweet and sour, a lot more nut and perhaps a pinch of sweetness. Really great balance. Recommendation to buy: No, definitely not. Because if everyone buys them, I won't be able to buy any more!

😉

Of course you have my blessing to buy this cigar.