William Cooper of Cigar Coop reported on the Asylum 13 “99 Problems” Lancero back in February. According to cigar-coop.com:

Asylum 13, the line of cigars that made headlines almost a year ago by launching an 80 ring gauge cigars is going in the opposite direction.  The company is planning on introducing a classic 7 x 38 lancero called “99 problems”.  The lancero is expected to arrive at retailers third week of March 2014.  The announcement was made in a press release issued by the company.

The name is derived from the fact that the lanceros will be sold in 99 count boxes.  According to the press release, 500 boxes of 99 were produced of this cigar.

In a statement by Asylum Co-Founder Tom Lazuka, “I am more than confident that this Lancero will be the one to unite the masse,” says Co-Founder of Asylum Cigars, Tom Lazuka. He went on to express the inherent need for the industry to delve into this traditional sized cigar.

Fabricas Unidas founder Christian Eiroa commented on how the cigar got its name. “Although I have been bugged by many retailers to make this size, I really don’t care to make, I make it, but it will be called ’99 Problems’,” said Eiroa.   The name is a twist in that while it was the retailers who asked Asylum to make this size, there is often resistance to embrace the lancero by many cigar enthusiasts.  Thus the name “99 Problems” refers to the dilemma retailers will face once they get this 99 count box.

Both Eiroa and Lazuka are confident of the blend and what it will deliver in the lancero.  Lazuka reiterates, “This cigar release will be aimed at those that have expressed the need for a more traditional cigar size that creates a harmonious relationship between wrapper, binder, and filler.”

The lancero marks the fifth vitola in the line. Current vitola offerings include: 99 Problems (7 by 38), Robusto (5 by 50), Sixty (6 by 60), Seventy (7 by 70), and Eighty (6 by 80).

The Facts

A gift from Jeff Oda
Price: $7.00
Vitola: Lancero – 99 Problems
Size: 7 by 38
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time:1 Hour and 20 Minutes
Drink: Water

Pre-light

The Asylum 13 wear a marbled, milk chocolate wrapper that has an oily sheen. A fine tooth and one medium vein running the length of the lancero. The wrapper aroma is straight up barnyard and the foot gives off more pungent notes with deep cedar and chocolate. I am feeling just a mild pepper in my sinuses.

This lancero comes to a close with beatuifully applied pig-tailed cap. Such a small touch as pig-tail cap can add a lot to the presentation. The cap clips clean right below the pig-tail. Notes of manure, cedar, clove, and chocolate greet me on the draw that has the right amount of resistance. A spice tingle is felt on my lips.

First Third

This 38 ring gauge Asylum 13 lights quickly with my Zippo Z-Plus! lighter. I am immediately met with bright, white pepper notes, along with some dark, chewy cedar and cocoa flavors. The flavor makeup is similar to flavor profiles I come across with cigars that have San Andres tobacco. The finish is very vegetal, similar to the aftertaste of Asparagus. The pepper is sharp on the retrohale and if I retrohale this cigar too often I will be sneezing up a storm. The burn-line is thin and even, leaving a trail of white ash. The first ash held to half an inch before dropping into the ashtray. A small tunnel began to form after the first ash dropped, but I have yet to notice any adverse effect on the experience.

Middle Third

Burning my way into the second third, I find the profile to be much more savory and rich. The cedar and cocoa are steady and some earth and coffee have entered the mix. With each puff, copious amounts of blue smoke stream out of the foot and head of the cigar. The tunnel has all but disappeared. At the halfway point, the flavors seem to have dulled out a bit. At the start, the flavors were pushing medium-full, but now I would put the flavor at the low side of medium. The strength remains closer to the full range at the exit of the second third.

Final Third

I am entering the final third of the Asylum 13 “99 Problems” lancero after an hour of smoking. Charred woodsy notes have joined the other core flavors of pepper, earth, and cocoa.  The flavors have yet to recover from the drop-off experienced in the second third. The pepper has dialed down allowing me to push a full mouthful through my sinuses. Nothing to note on the performance up to this point.

Wrap-up

For the first forty-five minutes of smoking the Asylum 13 “99 Problems” Lancero, I thought I may have found a top 10 candidate for 2014. The flavors met my palate just right and hit on all cylinders. Then a weird thing happened at the halfway point, the flavors flat-lined.  Not that the flavors became hard to palate, but there was just not much to them. With this being my one and only experience with this cigar, I am leaning towards the flavor issue being a fluke. The lancero performed flawlessly. The cigar burned even and cool and the smoke production was satisfying.  The only negative to note on performance  is that the cigar quickly went out every time I let is set for more than a few minutes.  I so thoroughly enjoyed the first half  that I will be on the hunt for a few more of these, especially for a price of $7.00. Finally, a big “Thank You” to Jeff for hooking it up.

The post Asylum Cigars – Asylum 13 “99 Problems” Lancero appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

This is what asylumcigars.com has to say about the company:

Asylum Cigars are ablaze in cigar shops nationwide. Tom Lazuka and Christian Eiroa, the dynamic co-founding duo, have introduced three lines—Asylum,—it’s sibling, Asylum 13-—and, Schizo. What many would say is a, “take no prisoners” approach, Asylum Cigars is breaking out with a diversity of taste profiles and formats at very approachable prices, achieving their goal of appealing to a broad cigar audience at every level.

Lazuka and Eiroa are proud that Asylum Cigars will provide customers a diversity of new experiences. Lazuka noted, “By partnering with Christian Eiroa and his company, Tabacaleras Unidas, we have a platform that gives us the ability to create full-body, high-palate-impact to truly flavorful medium bodied cigars and our formats range from 44 x 4 to 70 x 7, all rolled with the finest available Nicaragua tobacco reserves.

Tabacaleras Unidas is the parent company which holds Asylum, CLE, Wynwood, and Edgar Hoill Cigars.  Additionally, Ayslum Cigars now has a fourth offering called The Ogre.

Asylum is available in four sizes: 4 by 44, 6 by 50, 6 by 54 (Torpedo), and 6 by 60.  I will be smoking the 6 by 50 for this review.

The Facts

Price Paid: $6.85
Vitola: Toro
Size: 6 by 50
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Pairing: Water
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 35 Minutes

Pre-light

This is a great looking stick from the band design to the milk chocolate, rustic wrapper. The wrapper is covered with small and medium veins that web across the entire leaf and dark color imperfections are spotted across the wrapper. The usage of the skull, angel wings, and heart on the band reminds me of Ed Hardy’s clothing lines and accessories that also utilize similar imagery. The backside of the band has the year “2012” printed. It is my educated guess that I am smoking the 2012 release of this stick. Only one soft spot is on the cigar but it is a very noticeable soft spot located at the foot of the stick. The rest of the cigar is evenly and firmly filled.

The wrapper gives off a soft cedar sweetness, with an underlying pungency and barnyard aroma. Rich tobacco is found on the foot with additional woodsy notes in the background. The cap leaves me unsure if it is a triple cap or a quadruple cap. I guess the more cap the better? Clipping through the first layer of the cap, I am presented with a firm draw. Cinnamon and rich tobacco are on the cold draw, with a spice tingle remaining on my lips.

First Third

The sweet cedar that I picked up from the wrapper aroma is the first flavor I grab off of the Asylum. The sweetness is contrasting with a slight sourness and earthy, dirt notes. Just past an inch, the sour quality has faded.  As the smoke comes across my palate, there is a creaminess to it but the finish leaves my palate somewhat dry. The retrohale highlights black pepper, along with earthy notes and brings out a richness in the smoke.  A layered black and white ash is holding to an inch. The burn line started off a bit out of whack, but at a half inch in it has completely self-corrected.

Middle Third

Burning into the second third, I am beginning to feel some strength from the Asylum. The sweetness has evolved into a honey-like sweetness that is very clean on the palate. The honey flavor has a lightness to it, which is complementing the heavier notes of earth. Cocoa has arrived and the flavor profile has really found its groove with me. The draw still has a bit of resistance but a decent amount of smoke is being produced. With the burn line getting a bit too wavy for my liking, I performed a quick touch-up to get it back in line.

Final Third

The richness of the smoke has stepped up a notch with cocoa and cinnamon exciting my palate. I expected the cigar to be much richer throughout due to the rich cold draw but I am enjoying it even if it is only for the final third.  A toastiness that was barely noticeable in the second third has come to the forefront of the flavor profile letting me know it is about time to put this stick to rest.  At the close of this 6 by 50 Ayslum, the strength is in the high end of medium and flavor is right a medium.

Wrap-up

I am not sure how I feel about the Asylum  2012. The construction and burn were to par for a $7 cigar. There were some flavors in the Asylum that I enjoyed immensely, but they were short-lived with the heavier earth notes dominating the flavors and being the core of the profile throughout the cigar. The subtle, light sweetness in the middle and the rich cocoa and cinnamon at the close kept my interest in the stick, but was it enough to bring me back? If I came across this stick at a local shop, I would not hesitate to grab a stick or two to give it another go around but I won’t be hunting this stick down. If you have smoked the Asylum, let us know how your experience compared.

The post Asylum Cigars – Asylum 2012 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.