Noob Reviews #5: Asylum Insidious

Noob Reviews: A new smoker’s guide to the best beginner smokes

This week is a change of pace as I was able to review a new release. We had the fortune of Tom Lazuka of Asylum Cigars stopping by to talk about the Insidious, among their other lines. He mentioned that it’s the first cigar in their lineup that’s specifically aimed at noobs, so I decided to fire one up. It’s Honduran binder and filler are wrapped in Asylum’s first Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf. My choice of vitola was the 5×50 robusto.

Holding this cigar in your hand, the first thing you’ll notice is the feel of the velvety, blonde wrapper; it’s incredibly smooth and feels more like fabric. The construction is top-notch. It’s a very light cigar in weight but packed solid with almost no give. The quadruple cap spiraling up at the top harbors a sweetened tip, also a first for Asylum. Putting my nose to the cigar, I picked up aromas of cherries and a general sweetness. The draw was more on the resistant side, offering my palate a heavy, thick molasses.

I lit the Insidious and was treated to spicy red pepper and a punch of sweetness on my tongue, no doubt thanks to the tip. After two or three puffs the pepper died off and a very smooth cedar took hold. The cigar started out medium but chilled out quickly to a mellow-medium, with a subtle cherry flavor creeping in. The white, gray, and tan ash reminded me of a jungle cat’s camouflage. It looked brittle, but managed to hold on for almost half of the cigar.

Through the second half, the smooth cedar was still the star of this stick’s profile. The sweetened tip had long since faded. Just when I was starting to get restless an interesting flavor showed up, one I’ve never tasted in a cigar before: Sweet Tarts. Who would have guessed? Towards the end I started to get a roasted coffee bean flavor with some hay and cream on the finish.

The Asylum Insidious is being pushed as an entry-level cigar, and rightly so. It’s mellow-medium body and creamy cedar are great for the average noob to get comfortable with. If you like Macanudo Cafe, this is a very comparable, wallet-friendly alternative. Pick yours up here.