Smoked: Asylum 13 99 Problems Lancero

Smoked at: Fairfield, Ohio

I’ve seen so many Asylums with crazy large ring gauges I wasn’t sure Asylum made a Lancero. They do. And here it is. Asylum 13 99 Problems Lancero – a Nicaraguan puro with a toothy rustic brown Habano wrapper with visible veins. I have never seen a box of these sticks. Supposedly, there are 99 7 x 38 Lanceros in each box.

Cream, cedar, walnuts & hazelnuts, spice (cinnamon), pepper, and chalk notes similar to those in the Caldwell L&F Spoon, which I smoked recently. During the second third, I’m picking up notes of black cherries, dark roast coffee/espresso and a touch of mint, but only a few puffs. The cedar, nuts, creaminess and chalk remain the predominant flavors. The sweetness reminds me of the flavors and aromas from a torch caramelizing a dessert at a fine dining restaurant.

Now despite all of this, the cigar goes south during the final third. The balance gets thrown off by a bitter, sour note that infects the profile. The retrohale is surprisingly harsh – charred wood almost like a campfire aroma and heavier pepper.

Solid ash, burn line was reasonably even for a Lancero, and decent smoke production.

I had hopes this cigar would finish strong. However, there’s a salty, sour, bitter taste that throws off the other flavors during the final third. 99 Problems,,,and that is one. Asylum 99 Problems Lancero is a decent cigar for 2 thirds, but there *is *a problem at the end.