Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The Asylum Ten 11/18 comes in a wooden coffin that is black with a lid that is holographic silver. The cigar itself has a light brown wrapper with some darker freckles and some lightly raised veins. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. The band is holographic silver and black and denotes the company and line. The aroma from the wrapper is light cedar while the foot brings a heavy dose of the young cedar note that matches the smell from the coffin it came in. The pre-light draw brings a musty, young cedar along with a light floral note.
Seth: The Asylum Ten 11/18 is a firm cigar. While you can tell it is the 11/18, it does not appear to have so much fluctuation with ring gauge throughout. Almost Toro like. Lovely Colorado wrapper that has a fine gritted wood texture. Small veins throughout. Aromas of cream, soft earth, cedar, hay and barnyard. Has that classic, good Honduran puro aroma.
John: The Asylum Ten 11/18 comes in a wooden coffin with a slide top, and the coffin indicates Asylum 10, 2022. The cigar has no cellophane or UPC sticker, and is single banded with an almost triple wide band. The cigar sports the unique 11/18 shape which is wider in the middle than the head and foot. Aromas from the cigar included fresh cut cedar, musty tobacco and faint hay. From the foot, there was more musty tobacco, hay and musty wood.
Jiunn: The Asylum Ten 11/18 has a Colorado Maduro wrapper shade. The wrapper coloration isn’t even and has darker brown spots throughout. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and head is well wrapped and capped. Aromas from the wrapper tell cedar and paint thinner. Aromas from the foot give a blast of white pepper spice, cedar and paint thinner. Cold draw tells cedar, dehydrated green vegetables and salt on the lips.

Team Cigar Review: Asylum Ten 11/18

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, earth and a bright black pepper/baking spice combination. At a half inch in, the pepper/spice combination is now just black pepper and no longer sharp. The retrohale exhibits a very sharp and zingy black pepper along with toasted cedar and earth. At an inch and a quarter, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front with the black pepper slightly behind. The retrohale has settled down to an even mix of toasted cedar, earth and black pepper without the zing. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front with black pepper a bit behind and now a light creaminess in the background. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The cigar starts out with some soft cream notes that are paired with lots of dried wood and hay qualiteis. Barnyard, leather and tobacco present as well. Peppery spice profile as well. Medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The first third gets going with chocolate, baking spices, wood and dry wood that carries into the post draw. Musty tobacco moves into the center as the first third settles in. Some sweet clover breaks into the center of the profile as it progresses. No other flavor evolution through the first third.
Jiunn: The first third’s flavor profile is ok. Familiar set of flavors consisting of cedar, mixed nuts, celery seeds and dried red pepper spice on the rear palate. Retrohaling gives drastically increased dried red pepper spice as well as a yeasty bready note. Strength is medium-full and body is medium.

Team Cigar Review: Asylum Ten 11/18

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, a light floral note joins the profile. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth, floral note and light black pepper. At an inch in, the floral note is now even with the black pepper in the middle of the profile. At an inch and a half in, the creaminess is now paired up with the toasted cedar. As the third comes to a close, the profile is creamy, toasted cedar and earth up front with black pepper and floral notes a bit behind. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The cigar is slightly creamier and sweeter in this third. Not over the top sweet, but balancing to the spices. Adds some floral quality to the barnyard notes with dry earth, leather and tobacco. Lovely. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: The second third starts with flavor elements of the first third such as chocolate, bread, wood and dry wood that carries into the post draw. As the second third progresses, tannic hay develops and musty tobacco moves into the center of the profile. Wood takes over the post draw approaching the halfway mark.
Jiunn: The second third is slightly less engaging. The flavor profile is narrowed down to dried red pepper spice and cedar. The profile also tastes a bit hollow and thin, which feels so contradictory to the medium plus strength. Body remains medium.

Team Cigar Review: Asylum Ten 11/18

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the floral note moves up to be even with the creamy, toasted cedar and earth. At three quarters of an inch in, the creaminess and floral notes drop back a bit. The retrohale remains toasted cedar, earth, floral note and light black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, the creaminess has departed. As the cigar wraps up, the profile is toasted cedar and earth up front with black pepper and floral note a bit behind. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The final third was between the first and second thirds. Not as creamy as the second third, but not as peppery and spicy as the first. Or as dry. Really balanced. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: The last third opens with chocolate and musty tobacco. There is a dry tannic wood on the post draw after a few puffs. By the halfway point, the center of the profile is defined by musty tobacco and wood.
Jiunn: The final third still has the same dried red pepper spice and cedar, but the flavors taste more full. It doesn’t really help though, given such a narrow focused flavor profile. Strength and body finishes the same medium plus and medium, respectively.

Team Cigar Review: Asylum Ten 11/18

Burn

Aaron: The burn was perfect throughout and the ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: Good burn throughout. Had to touch-up the cigar a couple times.
John: The burn was consistently straight through the first third with an ash that held on in one inch increments. The burn was offset approaching the halfway point, requiring a touch-up. No other issues through the last third.
Jiunn: Amazing burn performance. Even burn, tight ashes, cool burning temperature and ample smoke production.

Team Cigar Review: Asylum Ten 11/18

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: Very good draw throughout.
John: The draw was at most a 1/2 notch towards the resistant spectrum which put it well into the ideal zone for an amazing draw.
Jiunn: Amazing draw performance as well, giving the best balance of air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, earth and a bright black pepper/baking spice combination. The pepper/spice combination settled into just black pepper fairly quickly. Some creaminess joined at the end of the third. The second third saw a floral note join in and the creaminess increased. The final third saw the cream depart. The construction was absolutely perfect. The Asylum Ten 11/18 started a bit out of balance with the sharp and bold black pepper, but once the cigar started to increase in ring gauge, it found balance and increased in enjoyment and maintained a nice profile the rest of the way. The best part of the cigar is when it’s at it’s thickest and I wonder if time might bring some balance to the first third. The cigar carries a hefty price point, but it does deliver a pleasurable smoking experience for the majority of the cigar. I’d be up for coming back to this cigar.
Seth: I enjoyed the Asylum Ten 11/18, and it is no surprise. You present me with a Honduran blend like this and I will be happy. It is balanced and has a profile to my liking. There are subtle flavors throughout, and it is focused around wood, earth, barnyard and cream notes. Nice body and strength with that as well.
John: The Asylum Ten 11/18 was good through the first and second thirds, having similar elements of chocolate, baking spices, wood and some mustiness. The last third was a bit linear, lacking some of the more complex components that were present through the rest of the cigar. The burn was nearly perfect, with a single touch-up, and the draw was perfect. I could see the Asylum Ten 11/18 being a bit divisive. If you’re not into Honduran tobacco, I think this could be a miss for a lot of people. But it does do a good job of showcasing some of the nuance and complexity that is possible. The price point might make me hesitant to try this offering again, but there are plenty of great CLE cigars to choose from. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 55 minutes.
Jiunn: This Asylum Ten 11/18 is nothing special, especially for an anniversary cigar. The only thing it has going for it is the medium-full strength (if you’re into that kind of thing). For me, even with the fuller strength, having such a narrowly focused and uneventful flavor profile equates to an experience that is forgettable. Pass for me.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$3.02

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$3.02

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.72

Cost/Point

$3.07

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$3.58

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Asylum Ten 11/18