Illusione/Drew Estate - Nosotros

Illusione/Drew Estate - Nosotros - In today's world of technology, blogging, tweeting and instant exchanges of information - news spreads fast and early.  The cigar industry embraces this and uses it to every marketing advantage.  The Nosotros Cigar is a perfect example of how information travels and how it can be valuable for cigar manufacturers.  It seems that from the moment Jonathon Drew and Dion Giolito decided to collaborate on a cigar, people were at attention; awaiting a chance to smoke - what was/is expected to be - an amazing cigar.

Illusione has been a quick success and Drew Estate's Liga Privada line has given the company some cred amongst true smokers.  In the eyes and expectations of smokers, the combination of the two could only mean a great smoke. 
The band bears the Illusione name and style, but Jonathan Drew had a hand in the blending and preparation of this cigar.  The wrapper is a Corojo '99 leaf, with a Connecticut Habano binder.  The filler is Nicaraguan, no doubt picked in Esteli.
The hype monster only grew when Dion Giolito decided to delay the release to allow the cigar to rest a bit longer.  So.....finally, after a long wait - the Nosotros is available to smoke.....lets check it out.

Prelight - The cigar has a nice look.  The wrapper looks rugged but neat, with some veins showing along the light-milk chocolate hued leaf.  There is a little oil sheen on the wrapper, but it feels a tad dry.  The cigar smells sweet, with hints of honey and tobacco.  The triple cap is a little shaggy, but I don't really care - it clips cleanly and I find the draw to be a little tighter than I prefer. 

Sparking it -  The cigar lights easy and the resistance on the draw is kind of a pain.  Each puff leaves me wanting a little more smoke than I get. (I experienced this with a few of these cigars)  It doesn't ruin the smoke, but it leaves me wishing it'd open up.
Early on the cigar is medium bodied but leaves the palette feeling empty.  The flavor is good, but unfulfilling at this point.  The burn stays straight and it seems that the construction is of high quality. 
The flavor profile is interesting, but remains a bit lacking all the way through the first third.  I taste a raw honey sweetness and a mild spice.  It is very obvious that Drew and Gionlito had a hand in the blend, the profile is dynamic and very new age.

Smoking it - The flavors open up a bit more and the draw levels out a bit as the smoke progresses.  That empty-mouth feeling faded after the halfway point, but the smoke leaves a dry texture in the mouth and throat. 
Overall, I really like the cigar and think it has tons of potential.   I recommend trying them out.  They are on the lighter side of medium, but they have a lot of different flavors packed into a "milder" profile.  I taste mild spice, honey, a little Epernay, a little No.9 - but something lacks.  Maybe time will cure that.  I can see why Giolito decided to let them rest.....

Overall - B -   I'm going to re-review in another 3 months or so


PS - Thanks to http://cigarsage.com/ - for the Nosotros pic - check them out - they have a nice review site