I used to take you on my California trips with me…virtually, anyway. I would describe where I went and what I tried…spice it up with plenty of pics. This year I was in the Golden State for a total of about 20 hours. I ate In n Out, worked, and hung out with friends. And picked up a few cigars, including this Allegria, an Illusione OneOff release.
The Allegria is made for Illusione by Aganorsa Leaf and is a Nicaraguan puro, with their Corojo 98 and Corojo 99 prominent in the blend. The medium brown wrapper leaf had notes of leather and hay, along with a touch of citrus, I swear. The foot smelled of earth, cedar, and buttered popcorn…it’s that Corojo leaf!
I paired it with some standard Maker’s Mark, one of my favorite bourbons. Why is it one of my favorites? To start off…it’s damn good! It also is available in just about every liquor store in the country. And because it isn’t made by Buffalo Trace, idiots haven’t hoarded it and driven up the prices to stupid levels.
The Allegria started off medium-plus in body and with a lot of pepper spice…on the palate, on the nose, on the finish. I picked up on slight popcorn notes and an undercurrent of cedar, as well. The spice settled down a bit as I smoked into the second third, but overall it was a very pleasant, complex cigar. I would definitely buy this one again.
