News: Illusione Singularé Origen Robusto

Phantoms. Anunnaki. Rose Croix. Kadosh. Sevin Horns. These are only a handful of colorful names given to Illusione’s prized Singularé series over the years. First debuting in 2010 with the Phantoms cigar, the Singularé series continued on a near-annual basis in the years to follow, with Illusione showcasing custom-tailored blends in singular sizes with each release.

After a long run of limited/annual releases, the Singularé series saw its biggest change ever in 2022, where Illusione announced a restructuring of the line at the 2022 PCA trade show. Gone are the annual releases; gone are the custom-tailored blends for individual sizes; and, perhaps most notably, gone are the thin-style bands that have surrounded every Singularé release for over a decade.

This is all to say that the company announced the Illusione Singularé Origen cigar as the new direction for the line in 2022 (later shipping in Jan. 2023). With Singularé Origen, the cigars are rolled in four sizes, drawing cues from former Singularé releases on the blend, which will be offered on a regular basis.

Illusione Singularé Origen Robusto Breakdown

The Illusione Singularé Origen makes use of Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 and Criollo ’98 leaves throughout the binder and filler, being finalized with a “AAA Grade Corojo Cafe Rosado [wrapper].” This blend is said to focus on lower-priming tobaccos specific to a single farm in Nicaragua.

Appearance

Here’s the part that will catch most hobbyists’ attention, especially those that go back a few years with Illusione. Yes, the company’s signature thin bands have been replaced with more colorful imagery (and colorful… colors), with the Singularé and Original Documents lines being the two most noticeable changes throughout Illusione’s lineup so far. The Singularé Origen begins with a shoebox-like box that features the cigar’s owl emblemSaid to be the owl of Ramses II, who took revenge on the formerly-respected bird after being slapped in the face by an owl’s wing. on a deep purple lid.

The underside of the lid and the band itself each feature the same owl design, being joined by other symbolic imagery such as a moon, stars, pyramids, and what looks to be a dollar sign (you know, your standard illuminati fundamentals). The band is probably four times taller than the original Singularé, having a nice, thick matte-paper feel and plenty of die-cut curves that make for an attractive look. In terms of tobacco, the wrapper is a bit darker than I’m used to with the Singularé series. It begins with a triple cap and shows plenty of fine veins from head to toe. The seams have a wrinkle or two, though there’s nothing to suggest a negative impact on the experience. The robusto seems medium-plus in density, having a consistent and sturdy feel throughout.

On the wrapper, there are light notes of tangy musk with a clean finish. The foot brings nuts and barnyard characteristics into the fold.

Smoking Experience

As the cigar focuses on lower tobacco primings, it’s not surprising that it kicks off with a tame demeanor, not looking to slap you in the face with fiery spice. There’s a stale graham cracker core to the profile, not showing much sweetness, but more of a steady balance. Tart creaminess is the next noticeable factor, leaning towards buttermilk. There really isn’t much spice in the profile for close to an inch, eventually creeping in through the retrohale with your standard cabinet spice (or perhaps white pepper). No single flavor seems ready to lead, being nicely rounded and hitting the palate on nearly all fronts. It’s just a tick under medium in flavor, being mild to medium in strength and body.

Construction-wise, we’re looking at a solid and maintenance-free experience. Sure, I’d describe the draw as a hair too firm, and the medium-gray ash is somewhat flaky, but these are small gripes that are hardly a distraction (some may even prefer such a draw resistance). The smoke output is medium-light, building on the creaminess with a subtle flavor along the lines of buttery oaked Chardonnay. Any former spice seems to have backed off, being fully retrohalable on each draw. This makes for a doughy vibe, not being yeast-like, but more potato dough or pancake batter.

Up through the halfway mark, the Singularé Origen condenses in profile as it burns. It has the effect of settling where it lands on the palate, bringing differing levels of sweetness, bitterness, or acidity within surprisingly short periods of time. As the profile darkens, there’s a bit of dry hickory or mesquite wood detectable, being backed by a malty sweetness (oddly reminding me of rolled oats that have sat too long and started to ferment). This serves to transition the profile into roasted flavors in the cigar’s second half, including sappy, fresh-cut wood (slightly pine-like and bitter) and bread crust, which seems to hold through the cigar’s conclusion. It’s medium-light in flavor and medium in both strength and body.

Would I Smoke This Cigar Again?

Short answer: yes. Less short answer: it’s a bit milder than anticipated, and there wasn’t exactly a signature flavor to keep me coming back for more. However, the Illusione Singularé Origen Robusto was very nicely balanced, and pairs well with a wide variety of beverages. It’s certainly no contender to the original Phantoms cigar (my personal favorite Singularé), but I’ll be interested to try some of the other sizes in the line.

Illusione had previously made some of the fan-favorite releases in the Singularé series semi-regular production in 2016, with the Phantoms, Anunnaki, and Misererre coming out of retirement.
In an interview with Illusione’s Fred Rewey on May 12, he intimated that past Singularé releases may be re-released from time to time in the future.
I’m torn on whether or not I like the new look. On the one hand, it’s nice to have the cigar’s “Origen” name actually listed on the band and a look to differentiate the cigar in humidors; on the other, there’s just something classic about an understated, thin band, alluding to all efforts going towards the tobacco and the experience.
The Illusione Singularé Origen cigar currently ranks in the lower 46% of cigars on Dojoverse (out of ~4,700 cigars), having a “92% Smokable” rating.

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Originally posted on May 26, 2023 @ 6:18 am