In 2016 Asylum Cigars announced a TAA exclusive, the Nyctophilia. Nyctophilia is a clinical term described as a love of darkness. This is meant to describe the tobacco used in the blend which are all maduro leaves.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
The blend uses a Mexican San Andres Maduro wrapper over Nicaraguan fillers and binder.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: San Andres Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Factory: Undisclosed
Blender: Tom Lazuka and Christian Eiroa
Number of reviewers: 4 – John I. (John I.) Isaac M.(The Nothing) Diana(ArmyRN) Wes (SosaCub4Life)
Price: $7.26
Age: 1 year 5 Months
Release Date: August 2016
Contributed by: Asylum
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 88
“Nice dark brown mottled with some darker areas throughout. There are veins showing and slightly raised in some areas but nothing that takes away from the fairly smooth wrapper. This cigar reminds me of leather and has a nice soft oil sheen. The cap is smooth but appears a little sloppy in its evenness. ” –Diana (ArmyRN)
Aroma: 88
“Bright sharp notes of fermented goodness. ” –John I. (John I.)
First Third
Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Opens really nicely with bright pepper and earth with a cashew nuttiness on the finish.
Fifteen minutes in this is really enjoyable. Nice bright pepper continues with a dry nuttiness on the finish. Rich chewy smoke.” –John I. (John I.)
“Dark rich chocolate and some leather are immediately evident with a nice toasted tobacco mixed in. The retrohale brings out the toasted tobacco. I am getting a nice mineral flavor on the aftertaste and a slight saltiness on the finish. As it progresses I am getting a slight floral note that meanders in and out of the smoke.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
Second Third
Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“As this progresses there haven’t been any new flavors developing, but there is a notable deepening of the existing profile. The pepper is getting rounder and roasty, and the earthiness is becoming bigger charred earthiness. Not a traditional “transition,” but it’s still a lot of fun.
Ash is really solid, went to tap it off well toward the center and it held on for dear life. Probably would have held to the band with no problem. ” –John I. (John I.)
“The sweetness continued and was similar to brown rice syrup or sorghum. There was still a floral quality that stuck around the palate. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Final Third
Flavor: 94
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“The earthiness of this cigar has increased and I’m really digging it. The continuous in and out of the floral notes really balances this for me. Some citrus notes are hitting me in the home stretch and really surprised me. The citrus reminds me of orange peel. I’ve really enjoyed this cigar.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“The final 3rd was a very good mix of the overall smooth creaminess of the cigar with enough spice to really balance everything out.” –Wes (SosaCub4Life)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 94
“This cigar had a nice draw and was consistent all the way through. It produced an ample amount of smoke and flavor on the draw without being too loose or tight. ” –Diana (ArmyRN)
Burn: 94
“Burn was excellent all throughout the entire smoke.” –Wes (SosaCub4Life)
Construction: 93
“This cigar had quite a rustic look to it, and I suspect it didn’t spend much time in a mold. It could have looked better with rolled veins and more care put into the cap.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 91
“This was a joy of a smoke. Not much happening in the way of transitional flavors, but what was there spoke to me. A bit beyond medium in terms of potency, but not a real serious powerhouse. Tremendous construction as well. ” –John I. (John I.)
“I found this cigar intriguing as soon as I picked it up. It had a nicely rustic look and a beautiful tooth to the wrapper too. Lighting up I was brought flavors that I hadn’t expected and had a hard time identifying. I would certainly give this cigar another try.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
“I enjoyed this cigar and the flavors that it brought to my palette. I found it to be an earthy smoke with minerals, leather and toasted tobacco as the front runners initially. However the introduction of the citrus flavor really surprised me and mixed well with everything else. The in and out appearance of floral notes also added a nice flavor. ” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“Overall the cigar was good but not great. The last 3rd was definitely the best and where the cigar finally put everything together for me. The beginning started off too mild for my liking but was a very good creamy smooth smoke. By the end with the addition of the spice the cigar was very enjoyable.” –Wes (SosaCub4Life)
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.
Blind Cigar Review: Asylum | Nyctophilia Robusto
Overall Score – 92 – Very Good
Blind Cigar Review: Asylum | Nyctophilia Robusto
Summary
"This was a joy of a smoke. Not much happening in the way of transitional flavors, but what was there spoke to me. A bit beyond medium in terms of potency, but not a real serious powerhouse. Tremendous construction as well. " -John I. (John I.)
