Asylum 13

I try to stay completely impartial for every cigar review I write but since my house is a living Halloween museum, dedicated to the spooky, I was super pumped to get this pitch-black stick with a band covered in skulls and a big 13 emblazoned across it 

This is a medium-full bodied Nicaraguan puro, which is right up my alley but I PROMISE not to be biased.

I went with a bullet cut on this one so I could really direct the smoke across my tongue and experience all the inherent other-worldly delights.

The prelight is a little scary but not in a good way. It kinda tastes like what I imagine my neighbor’s cat experiences when she cleans herself on three sidewalk, dirt and leaves and abandonment. 

I light the stick up and after the third puff I inhale it. The smoke is thick, almost viscous and feels like I’m trying to swallow olive oil. It assaults my palate and burns all the soft fleshy innards of my mouth and throat before I blow it out my nose. The flavor is like a 4 day old dead skunk lying on blacktop in August. I’m a little disappointed.

Half way in and I’m just getting angry. This thing id’s acrid like the day after bad Indian food. Behind all this is a note of sweetness but it’s buried. If I were to stop here I would give this a very low rating but instead I decide to let it rest and cool off for awhile.

It’s been sitting about 25 minutes when I pick it back up. After a quick re light I’m into the back third but I’m almost depressed thinking about how bad it’s going to be.

But what’s this? I’m surprised. I’m transported instantly to all the best parts of trick or treating. There’s the smell of crisp fall air, the mystery of who’s behind the mask, the sexiness of women scantily clad in barely there costumes and all the flavors of candy tossed into a bag by all of your neighbors. 

The back third of this stick is where all the delightful flavors live. I’m getting chocolate chips, peanuts, caramel, coffee, cognac and some earthy notes like limestone, topsoil and Autumn leaves. There’s also a woodiness there but I can’t quite define it.

Overall this wasn’t my favorite smoke and to be honest 2 thirds of it were just no good, though if you like a bitter cigar with a flavor that’s blacker than my loveless heart, you may enjoy it. BUT…the back third of this smoke is incredible. Its like going from house to house and getting apples and toothpaste before finally getting to that one house that is filled with sorority girls in the mood to make bad decisions, handing out full sized candy bars.

I can only give this cigar a 6 out of 10. It would have been 3 out of 10 but that back third really saved it.