I opened my locker at D&S this past wednesday and found this little gem waiting for me. It's good to have a locker there since they give you a monthly new arrival as a courtesy. As it so happened this month's stick is the Insidious by Asylum - a handmade cigar with a slightly sweet tip. I gave a good sniff and a light squeeze and was met with a very mild tobacco aroma. Just a good whiff of humidified Ecuador Connecticut wrapper and Honduran binder and filler. Though it's a sweet tip, you'll be pleased to know that there was no "sweet smell" that comes with things like mocha and mint and other sweet tobacco products. I don't like that sugary smell, I like to enjoy my cigar for it's aroma so it's a very important part of my pre-light routine.
This day's meal is a 5x50 so I chose to go with a punch, even though it's a lighter cigar. The size didn't really matter to me, but I just didn't feel like a cut today. Carefully wielding my 3 flame RP lighter, I lit outside to in and took a deep puff.
The smoke is light, but full. I don't get much out of it as far as flavors, but nobody's perfect. Other reviews and resellers have "nuts, earth, and hints of pepper". I guess I'll buy that but there's not an excess of any one over the others. I definitely didn't get ANY pepper. Moreover, the tip was highly enjoyable, though. It's not super sweet like a lot of sweet ends and it didn't ruin my scotch either so that's a definite plus.
Overall, it was a very even and clean burn with no flare up. She retained a smooth draw and steady flavor all the way through to the end. No changes, no surprises, just pure relaxation. Normally I can get a good two inches out of long filler before I have to ash, but the Insidious couldn't handle that. Somewhere a little over an inch I shifted my hand after taking the photo on the right and the ash fell off. Hey at least it wasn't on my pants.
Normally a 5x50 takes me a while to smoke. Compared to my average, the Insidious was right on time. At one our and 30 minutes I started to heat up my fingers so I had to bail out. I didn't want to part with my friend because it WAS so enjoyable, so I do believe I'm going to pick up a few for my private stock in a larger ring. From this average joe's perspective, the Insidious by Asylum is an absolutely delicious and just plain enjoyable experience. In my opinion, it's a great cigar for beginners and seasoned smokers alike.
