Asylum

Asylum is a groundbreaking premium cigar brand renowned for pushing the boundaries of traditional cigar making with its exceptionally large ring gauges and bold, innovative approach. Known for stretching the definition of what constitutes a large ring gauge cigar and gaining a reputation as the most innovative brand in the cigar world, Asylum has carved out a unique niche in the premium cigar market. The brand maintains aggressive pricing ranging from $5.00 to $7.00, making premium quality accessible to a broader range of enthusiasts. Asylum asks its customers "What's your asylum?" with the purpose of helping smokers escape the stress of everyday life, positioning itself as both a premium tobacco experience and a form of relaxation therapy.

Background

The Asylum brand was born from a collaboration between Tom Lazuka and Christian Eiroa when Lazuka proposed creating large 70 ring gauge cigars, an idea Eiroa initially called "the worst idea he had ever heard," leading them to name the line Asylum. Lazuka's inspiration came from traveling the country and noticing empty 70 ring gauge boxes on retailer shelves, with stores consistently saying these cigars sold well when available but were never in stock. Founded in 2012 under C.L.E. Cigar Company, the brand marked Christian Eiroa's return to the cigar industry after serving as longtime president of Camacho Cigars. The factory in Nicaragua had to create new molds for the unprecedented sizes, and the blending process was uniquely practical, starting with available tobacco quantities to make a million cigars in the first year. While retailers were initially lukewarm about the sizes during the Florida launch in July 2012, orders went through the roof when the trade show hit.

History

The Asylum brand builds on the Eiroa family's cigar-making legacy that began with patriarch Julio Eiroa in 1997 in the Jamastran Valley in Honduras, representing over 25 years of cigar company experience. In 2014, the brand pushed boundaries further by introducing the 8 x 80 size and extending lines with the barber-pole Ogre, Asylum 13 Corojo made in Honduras, Insidious with sweet tip, and adding a Connecticut wrapper in 2016. Production is split between factories in Nicaragua (Tabacaleras Unidas) and Honduras (Aladino Cigar Factory), with the Honduras facility being uniquely certified by Bayer CropScience and housed in a former movie theater owned by Eiroa's grandfather. Christian Eiroa considers Asylum "an almost experimental project" where he can "play with all kinds of off-the-wall blends, vitola sizes, and unique packaging".

Reputation

Asylum has been receiving rave reviews across the board since launching their first cigars, with the industry taking notice of their quality work. Based on the success of their larger gauge cigars, Asylum has taken "go big or go home" literally, becoming industry leaders by releasing cigars with rare characteristics such as sweet-tipped, barrel-aged varieties. The brand is known for its unorthodox and out-of-the-box thinking, with satirical names like Asylum 13, April Fools, Nyctophillia, and Schizo that represent humanity's rebellious brain functions. Today, the Asylum brand offers nearly two dozen different cigar blends, from lighter-bodied Connecticut wrappers to heavier full-bodied Maduro blends, welcoming both newcomers and veteran connoisseurs.