Asylum Cool Brew

Today, we review the Asylum Cool Brew in the 60 x 6 (Gordo) size. The cigar was part of a series of “steeped” cigars that Asylum brought to market in 2023. While C.L.E. Cigar Company, the parent company of the Asylum brand, hasn’t mentioned the specifics of steeping, we do know that these cigars are enhanced with non-tobacco flavors. C.L.E. has said these cigars provide “aromatic smoking experiences using exotic tobacco.”

CLE originally released a series of “steeped” cigars for Deadwood Tobacco Co. in South Dakota under the umbrella “Chasing the Dragon.” When a trademark dispute between Drew Estate and Deadwood flared up, CLE rebranded the Chasing the Dragon line to Asylum 867. Cool Brew is not branded as an Asylum 867; it was part of this new segment for Asylum Cigars.

Interestingly, neither Cool Brew nor Asylum 867 has marketed the enhanced flavors delivered by the steeping process. This is understandable, given that flavored cigars have been in the crosshairs of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Let’s turn our attention to the Cool Brew 60 x 6 and see what this cigar offers.

Asylum Cool Brew 60 x 6 – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

Technically, the components and origin of this cigar have not been disclosed, but I have seen some retailers report that it is Honduran in terms of tobacco and origin.

Wrapper: Maduro (Not Disclosed)
Binder: Not Disclosed
Filler: Not Disclosed
Country of Origin: Not Disclosed
Factory: Not Disclosed

Vitolas Offered

Asylum Cool Brew comes in four sizes, each presented in 25-count boxes. CLE Cigar Company (and Asylum) is known for using the cigar’s dimensions as the name of the vitola.

50 x 5
54 x 6
60 x 6
70 x 7

Appearance (*)

The Maduro wrapper of the Cool Brew 60 x 6 was dark roasted espresso bean in color. While it was dark, some mottling was present on the surface. A light sheen of oil was also present on the wrapper. There were some visible veins, and any visible wrapper seams were on the thin side.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw (*)

One thing I was curious about with the Cool Brew 60 x 6 was to get the aroma off the footer of the wrapper. I detected a definite chocolate-mint aroma on the footer. It was then time to place a straight cut and remove the Cool Brew 60 x 6 cap. With the cap removed, it was time to complete the pre-light experience. The cold draw delivered more chocolate mint. I also noted a slight bit of artificial sweetness from what was most likely a sweetened cap. That sweetness stopped me from saying this was a satisfactory pre-light draw. At this point, it was time to toast up the Cool Brew 60 x 6 and see what the smoking experience would deliver.

Tasting Notes

The Cool Brew 60 x 6 opened with mocha, mint, cream, and earth notes. Mocha is a term that I use to describe a fusion of chocolate and coffee notes. The mocha notes moved into the forefront early on. The mint, cream, and earth notes settled into the background. The first third saw the mocha more skewed toward its chocolate component, but there was still a definite fusion. Meanwhile, there was still some residual sweetness from the sweetened cap. On the retro-hale, it was a combination of wood and mint.

The second third of the Cool Brew 60 x 6 saw the mocha fusion break apart. This time, the coffee notes took control. The chocolate notes settled in the background with the mint and earth notes. The cream notes slowly diminished in intensity. In addition, the residual sweetness from the cap was practically gone by the end of the second third.

The final third didn’t change much. The coffee notes remained in the forefront. From the background, the chocolate, mint, and earth notes rounded out the flavor profile. A slight amount of harshness emerged in the final third, and the flavors got a little muddled. As the Cool Brew 60 x 6 came to a close, it finished with a slightly lukewarm and soft nub.

Burn

The burn of the Cool Brew 60 x 6 was low maintenance, but as the cigar experience progressed, the burn became uneven at times and was prone to meandering. While touch-ups did the trick, a large amount were needed. The resulting ash was silver-gray, skewed toward the firmer side. The burn rate was ideal. As for the burn temperature, it was mostly fine, but at the very end, it got lukewarm.

Burn of the Asylum Cool Brew 60 x 6

Draw

The draw to the Cool Brew 60 x 6 was open but not loose. Normally, I prefer a slight amount of resistance on the draw. In the end, there were no adverse effects except for the lukewarm burn at the very end.

Strength and Body

The Cool Brew 60 x 6 started out with medium strength and medium-bodied notes. Both attributes slightly increased in intensity along the way. In the end, the Cool Brew remained in the medium range for strength and body for the entire smoking experience.

In terms of strength versus body, both attributes balanced each other nicely, with neither attribute overshadowing the other.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

The Cool Brew uses the Asylum banding’s black and mint color scheme. I was a little curious why Asylum went with mint coloring, but after smoking the Cool Brew, I can understand why. Of all the color variations of the Asylum branding I’ve seen over the years, this might be my favorite—even though this is very untraditional coloring. Cool Brew is an unconventional cigar, so I think it fits.

Packaging of the Asylum Cool Brew

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

When it comes to enhanced/steeped/flavored/infused cigars or whatever you want to say, a lot comes down to flavors unrelated to the flavor profile. It turns out I like chocolate-mint-like flavors, which works in favor of the Cool Brew. At the same time, this cigar had an excellent tobacco foundation. Typically, cigars like this lack complexity, but I still found the Cool Brew 60 x 6 had more complexity than other enhanced/steeped/flavored/infused cigars. The cigar lost a bit with the burn, residual cap sweetness, and harshness toward the end. Ultimately, I would encourage you to try a sample first to see if it works for you. There was enough going on here for me to try some of the other sizes of the Cool Brew.

Summary

Key Flavors: Mocha (Coffee, Chocolate), Mint, Earth, Cream, Wood
Burn: Good
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium Minus
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Fair