Illusione hl Maduro

Last month I reviewed the Illusione hl Candela, which was part one of a special release of the Holy Lance. The second part is todays review, the maduro version. This cigar has the same binder/filler as the classic hl and the candela, but has the maduro capa. Again, the hl measures in at 7.5 X 40.

This lancero has a very attractive dark wrapper without any visible flaws or major veins. The triple cap is neatly applied with a small pigtail. The roll seems even along the length of the cigar, without any hard or soft spots.  Once clipped, the draw is perfect for a lancero, not too tight. The predraw brings flavors of earth and cedar. After lighting, the hl maduro starts out with great flavors of cedar, earth and a great balance of sweet and spicy characteristics. The further I get into this cigar, the more the flavors continue to evolve, with the addition of some roasty espresso and deep leather. This cigar reminds me of why I really enjoy lanceros. The burn is dead even and slow burning.

The ash holds on for between 1/2-3/4 inch, which in my experience is pretty typical for a lancero. At the halfway point I would mark this down as a medium bodied cigar with a ton of rich, complex flavors. During the final third a slight crack shows up in the wrapper, but I am able to smoke through it without any issues. Surprisingly, this version of the holy lance has less spice to me than the Candela version. I would have expected the opposite. 

The Illusione hl Maduro is a great cigar! There is a ton of rich, complex flavor to this cigar. I had no problems taking this lancero all the way down to the point where I could barely hold onto it anymore. I didn't want to put it down! Like the Candela, this is a small run, so they won't be around for long. My local shop still has them in stock, as well as a few online vendors, so If you really want them you shouldn't have too much trouble. I know I will be picking more of these up while I can.