Asylum 13 Medulla Cigar Review – Open your Mind

Before I get into this review, let me talk a little about this new offering from CLE Cigars. The complete line is actually named Asylum 13 Medulla Oblongata.  If you remember your human science classes you may know that This little part of the central nervous system is a cone-shaped neuronal mass responsible for autonomic (involuntary) functions ranging from vomiting to sneezing and including breathing, heart rate and blood pressure.. It is located in the brain stem, anterior and partially inferior to the cerebellum.

When you think  of tobacco and nicotine, this name makes a lot of sense as nicotine hits the Medulla Oblongata and affects the heart rate and blood pressure.

As far as the cigar itself, there are two different vitolas in each 50-count box (30-count box for the 680). The first is a traditional round vitola and is named the Medulla and the second is a box press vitola of the same dimension and named the Oblongata. You can tell which is which by the large outer sleeve on the cigar that has the appropriate name written on it.

Both the Medulla and Oblongata are rolled at Eiroa’s El Aladino factory in Danlí, Honduras and use the same Honduran Puro blend:

• Wrapper– Honduran Corojo (4th and 5th primings)
• Binder – Honduran
• Filler – Honduran

The Asylum 13  Medulla Oblongata was made available right after the 2017 IPCPR and comes in 4 different vitolas.

• 550 Robusto – 5 x 50 (MSRP $7.30)
• 652 Toro – 6 x 52 (MSRP $7.80)
• 660 Gordo – 6 x 60 (MSRP $8.30)
• 680 Gigante – 6 x 80 (MSRP $11.30)

For this review I sampled the Asylum 13 Medulla 652 vitola.

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Pre-Light Examination

First thing yo notice on the Asylum 13 Medulla is the large outer sleeve that boldly states the variety of this cigar, in this case the “Medulla” The sleeve removes easily to expose a quad capped, veinless, medium tan wrapper. The foot has an interweaving bunching of dark and light leaf that reminds me of a Ying and Yang symbol. I only have one of these so I am not sure if that is consistent across the line.

The band that remains on the cigar is the standard Asylum 13 logo band.

The pre-light aromas were enticing with sweet fruit and hay off the foot and nice fermented leaf along the barrel.

I sliced the band across the 2nd of four lines on the quad cap and gave it some cold draw puffs which graced the palate with earthy and pepper notes along with an exotic note I can’t place.

I rolled it about some more trying to place the exotic note but my brain must have disconnected from my Medulla Oblongata! I figured it was time to fire it up and maybe I will get my senses back.

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Cigar Review Notes

• First light offers an early black pepper burn
• White ash quickly develops on a medium char line
• Sweetness enters
• Slight citrus tang and spice fills out the early profile
• Ash fell after first third
• Centered and pointed burn cone
• Hint of dry leather enters in the second third
• Smoke is full and creamy
• Citrus tones down and a morphs in sweeter fruit note
• Espresso notes wrap the fruit
• Light spice going to final third
• Mild to medium
• Total Smoking Time was just over 1 hour

Overall, Asylum 13 Medulla was a well constructed cigar that held a decent ash throughout the burn. The full creamy smoke enticed the palate with a number of delicious flavors including sweet fruit, citrus, espresso and spice. I will need to get the Oblongata vitola to compare the difference between a box press and a round construction.