Asylum 13 Ogre Lancero Review

First off let me say that I consider myself a Cigar Geek. I embrace the term and even though some people think of it as a bad thing, I believe it to be a fair description. Cigar Geeks like myself seek cigars like the one in todays review, because of the size, a Lancero and the unique nature. However, many stores no longer carry the smaller ring gauge cigars because they do not sell. I believe it to be because people don’t see a value in the cigar. For instance, the Ogre lancero retails for $8.19 while the Ogre 70 ring gauge has a retail price of $8.69. A person walking into a store sees the big 7 x 70 vs the 7 x 38 at a 50 cent difference. The perceived value will have people going to the bigger cigar more often than not.

Cigar Geeks like myself, like that the thinner ring gauge will tend to have more flavor more often than not, but there is another variable present here. Most Cigar Geeks don’t spend money in brick & mortars. They tend to wait for the cigars to show up on an auction site or they wait til they can get one in a trade with another BOTL. So the cigars sit on the shelf at the brick and mortar and the retailer chooses to give the shelf space to larger ring gauge. Now, I know some of you are like me and do spend an exorbitant amount on cigars, but in my 17 years in the cigar industry we too are a minority within the minority.

Cigar Review: Asylum 13 Ogre
Size: 7 x 38 (Lancero)
Wrapper: Habano/Candela (Nicaragua)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
Source: Two Guys Smoke Shop

The Look: A barber pole cigar stands out on a shelf, and the Ogre which features a Candela and Habano wrapper does just that. The cigar with its green and brown wrapper is perfectly rolled and firm in the hand.  The cap of the cigar features a pig tail and the foot is well packed with a piece of candela wrapped around the first quarter-inch of the cigar. The black and white band with some red foil is simple with skulls and the words Asylum 13.

The Notes: The cold draw of the Aylum 13 lancero is sweet and floral over a canvas of earth, while the aroma from the foot has a slight cocoa note and a subtle pepper. Once the cigar is lit there is a some black pepper through the nose while the initial taste is floral.

As we work into the first third the black pepper notes remain but fade ever so slightly and as we smoke past the candela wrapped portion the cigar takes on some chocolate notes with a hint of coffee. In fact the cigar reminds me of Nips candies that my grandmother always kept in a dish on a coffee table in front of her sofa.

The second third sees some brown sugar added to the mix, with continued pepper through the nose. There is some continued coffee notes that are dominant with the occasional floral component thrown in.

The last third develop and earthy component with a touch of white pepper. The dark chocolate base note is features on the long finish of the cigar that is enjoyable.

The Burn: One of the knocks on a lancero cigar is that they don’t tend to stay lit and most of the time it is due to user neglect. They say a cigar should be pulled on two times per minute, but when I smoke a lancero I prefer three pulls per minute and for me this ensures the cigar stays lit which was the case here. The cigar burned perfectly even once I got past the first inch or so, which is impressive considering the two different wrappers. Like most cigars of this particular vitola; the ash didn’t hold for more than 3/4 of an inch.

The Finish: I am a fan of the Ogre, though not in the large ring gauge that Asylum is known for. The dual wrapper used in this barber pole cigar creates a nice complex experience. There are hearty notes synonymous with the habano wrapper and floral components that reflect the candela. The Ogre is now one of my go to lancero cigars and I look forward to putting a dozen or so in my humidor.

Score: 90
Price: $8.79

Bullet Points
(Random Thoughts While Smoking)

• I would love to see a packaging makeover for the Asylum 13 line from the boxes to the bands.
• While some people consider the barber pole to be a gimmick, I enjoy them especially in the candela format.
• I wish more people would like a , for me I am most relaxed smoking a lancero.
• Candela is a hard wrapper to work with but Asylum nailed the blend.
• Smoking time was 1 hour 15 minutes.
• I didn’t have a beverage with this cigar.
• The Asylum Ogre Lancero was my second cigar of the day.
• While reviewing the cigar everyone’s cell phone went off at work with a tornado warning that never materialized.