When the Illusione Epernay brand debuted in 2009, it had only four sizes. The brand has grown considerably, and the new L’Excellence, which comes out in November, will mark the tenth size in the Epernay portfolio. More of a traditional Churchill than any other vitola in the line, L’Excellence is a round, standard parejo that measures 6 3/4 inches by 48 ring and is set to retail for $9.50.



“I wanted to put the Epernay blend into that size to see how it performed,” said brand owner Dion Giolito. “I knew right from the get-go that it would perform well and I knew it would be my favorite Epernay size.”



Cigars in the Epernay line have done quite well in Cigar Aficionado tastings. The Illusione Epernay Le Taureau, rated 94 points, is the No. 3 cigar of 2011.



As the first line extension to the core Illusione brand, Illusione Epernay was intended to be a sweeter version of the original. Epernay uses a lighter, shade-grown Corojo ‘99 wrapper from Nicaragua and a blend that has no ligero, which is the strongest type of tobacco.



Epernay is named after the Champagne-producing town in France, whose effervescent wine inspired the sweet and floral character of the cigar. Look for a rating on the Illusione Epernay L’Excellence once it ships to retail this fall.



To watch a video of our editors smoking an Illusione Epernay, click here.