Nosotros Corona Larga

This week's review is of the newest offering from Dion Giolito (Illlusione), the Nosotros. I did a review of the pre-release last year, and based on that cigar, I was anxious for them to be released. Six long months later, and they started hitting shelves!  As I mentioned in the pre-release review, this cigar is a collaboration between Dion and Jonathan Drew from Drew Estate cigars. The Nosotros is made in the Drew Estate factory in Nicaragua, but being distributed by Dion.  This cigar is being made in 7 different sizes, but to my knowledge not all of the sizes have hit shelves at this point. I am reviewing the Corona Larga today, which measures in at 6 X 46. 

The Nosotros has a rustic brown wrapper with little oil present and a few prominent veins, but is still an attractive looking cigar. The band, like the rest of Dion's bands on his cigars, is fantastic. It is simple and effective, almost like an old punk rock logo. This feels like a well rolled cigar, firm without any soft spots, and a nicely applied cap. 

The predraw on this particular Corona Gorda is firm with a sweet flavor. (I have smoked a handful of these and this was the first one that had a firm draw like this) The Nosotros starts out with plenty of dark woody flavors and a sweet flavor that reminds me of a graham crackers. It has that nice mix of cinnamon and  toasted bread flavor bringing me to the graham cracker description.  There is also a nice leather flavor mixed in here as well.  The white ash holds on for about an inch, and the burn has been nice and even, but the draw is still a little firm for my liking. I am still able to pull plenty of smoke through the Nosotros, but i just wish it was a touch more open. This is a very smooth cigar and I am loving that graham cracker flavor. 

At the halfway point a dried fruit/apricot flavor joins in with the flavors described already, adding to the complexity of the Nosotros. This is a slow burning cigar and seems to be settling into a solid medium bodied smoke. From here the flavor remains consistent, but never boring, right up until the end. 

Overall, I enjoy the Nosotros line. Besides the Corona Larga, I have smoked the Robusto, Churchill and Toro. I think the Corona Larga and Robusto have been my favorite of the vitolas I have smoked at this point. There has been a lot of chatter about the Nosotros around the internet/cigar shops since its release. A lot of people feel that they still need some humidor time before they are ready to smoke. My personal feeling is that they arrived at the shops just a little wet, and with a few weeks in a humidor to settle down, are just fine to smoke. I do see these getting even better with some down time on them, but knowing me I won't be able to keep my hands off of them long enough to see how they age. The Corona Larga cost me $9.50, so they are on the pricey side. It is definitely a different breed of cigar compared to Dion's other offerings, and is a nice change of pace. There is something unique about the Nosotros, and I will be keeping a few around. I recommend picking a few up to try in several vitolas to see what they do for you. One thing about Dion's cigars I really like is that they are blended for a specific vitola, so trying the different sizes is a must.

Nosotros sneak preview

Today's review is a treat, especially for me! The Nosotros, made by Dion from Illusione in collaboration with Drew Estates (first time team up with those companies) and will be hitting the market sometime in the next few months. I mentioned this cigar in my write up of the Illusione event I went to. This is the one I got from Dion himself, and it is from a batch he had made when he finalized the blend before they went into production. The sample I got is the Churchill size, which measures in at 7 x 48. These will come with a banded when they are released. After searching around online a bit ,and confirming with Dion, I found out the blend consists of a Nicaraguan Corojo 99 for the wrapper, a Nicaraguan Filler, and a Connecticut Habano binder. These are made in the Drew Estates factory in Nicaragua.

The sample I received has a slightly rough looking wrapper, but is solidly constructed with a great oily feel to it. The predraw has a very nice toasty characteristic with some definite barnyard dry hay flavors. After lighting this big cigar up, there is a definite sweetness with a crisp, spicey finish. This is going to be one of those cigars that will be hard to really pinpoint distinct flavors, as already there is a vast medley of flavors coming out of this cigar. There is a definite woody characteristic, with something else...this is a very unique cigar. This is a solid medium/full bodied smoke.

Talking with Dion, I got a little more info on this cigar. I asked him how he came to team up with Drew Estates, a company known for flavored cigars (ick). They do make a few other decent cigars though, besides their flavored crap. He was visiting their factory, and liked what he saw, so he asked them to bring him a list of their best tobaccos. After going through the list and finding a few things that he hadn't had before, and a few that he knew and loved, he had them bring the individual components for him to smoke. After trying out a bunch of their tobaccos, and liking what he saw, he started working on the Nosotros. (Nosotros means "us")

Overall, the Nosotros is a cigar to keep an eye out for. They were supposed to be released in October, but apparently they need just a little more time before they will be out, so hopefully within the next month or two. These have a very unique flavor profile that really brings something different to the table when it comes to Nicaraguan cigars. These are super smooth, with a really nice sweet and spicy flavor, but really clean tasting, not muddled at all. Smoking a cigar handed to you from the owner of the company makes it that much more fun too! Dion told me this sample is the final blend, and if that's the case i can't wait to get my hands on more of them and try the different sizes coming out.