Asylum is the big-ring brand: cigars built around 60, 64, 70 and 80 ring gauges, most of them made in Honduras and all sold by Christian Eiroa's C.L.E. Cigar Co. At eight inches by an 80 ring, the Asylum 13 Ogre 8x80 is the largest Ogre we carry. Every Asylum we carry is in our Asylum cigars collection; this guide covers each line and size.
Who makes Asylum cigars?
Asylum was announced in June 2012 by co-founders Kevin Baxter, a former Marine, and Tom Lazuka, who had spent eight years with Christian Eiroa building Camacho before moving to Davidoff, halfwheel reported at the time. The cigars were made through Eiroa's new manufacturing venture, and Cigar Journal later described Asylum as the brand of Eiroa and Lazuka. Today Asylum is sold by C.L.E. Cigar Co., and its Connecticut line is made at C.L.E.'s El Aladino factory in Honduras.
The idea was Lazuka's. He told Cigar Journal he chose 70 ring gauges because, travelling the country for Camacho and Davidoff, he kept seeing empty 70-ring boxes that were never in stock. Eiroa called it a bad idea and made the cigars anyway, and because the plan sounded crazy, they named the line Asylum. The factory had no molds big enough for the sizes, so new ones had to be made.
What does 8x80 mean?
The first number is the length in inches; the second is the ring gauge, the diameter in 64ths of an inch. An 8 x 80 is eight inches long and 80/64, or 1¼ inches, across. A robusto runs about a 50 ring, so an 80 ring is 60 percent wider. Our cigar sizes and ring gauge chart compares the shapes, and every cigar of 60 ring and up is in our gordo cigars.
Asylum lines compared
| Line | Wrapper | Binder and filler | Strength | Sizes we carry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asylum 13 Ogre | Habano and Candela, barber pole | Nicaraguan | Medium (distributor) | 7 x 64, 7 x 70, 6 x 80, 8 x 80 |
| Asylum 13 Connecticut | Ecuadorian Connecticut | Honduran | Mild to medium (C.L.E.) | Sixty 6 x 60, Seventy 7 x 70 |
| Cool Brew (flavored) | Maduro (undisclosed) | Honduran | Medium (Cigar Coop) | Toro 6 x 54 |
| Split Personality (banana) | Honduran | Honduran | Medium (distributor) | Petite Corona 4 x 40, Toro 6 x 54 |
Asylum 13 Ogre
Asylum announced the Ogre in November 2012 as a single 7 x 70 with a barber-pole wrapper: Habano and Candela leaves wound around each other, with a maduro cap and a Candela foot. Under it sit a Nicaraguan binder and filler. The maker describes the blend as very similar to the original Asylum 13, with a complex, full-bodied array of flavors; its distributor lists it at medium strength, made in Honduras. Cigar Coop's March 2013 review of the 7 x 70 found cream and grass at the start, chocolate and pepper underneath, an occasional hint of mint, and more pepper in the second half. A 5 x 50, 6 x 60 and 6 x 80 followed in early 2014.
Ogre sizes we carry
- Asylum 13 Ogre 7x64, 7 x 64, box of 10
- Asylum 13 Ogre 7x70, 7 x 70, the size the Ogre started with
- Asylum 13 Ogre 6x80, 6 x 80
- Asylum 13 Ogre 8x80, 8 x 80, the largest Ogre we carry
Asylum 13 Connecticut
A silky, golden Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper over Honduran binder and long filler, handcrafted at El Aladino. C.L.E. calls it mild to medium-bodied with a feisty profile from the first draw: a change of pace for full-bodied smokers and a heartier smoke for those who usually stay mild. In 2023 C.L.E. gave each Asylum 13 blend its own color, and the Connecticut took orange for its bands and boxes, halfwheel reported; the blend did not change. More mellow cigars are in our Connecticut Shade cigars.
- Asylum 13 Connecticut Sixty, 6 x 60
- Asylum 13 Connecticut Seventy, 7 x 70
Asylum Cool Brew
Cool Brew debuted at the July 2023 PCA trade show as regular production. Asylum calls it an exploration into aromatic flavors through exotic tobaccos and has not named the flavors; halfwheel's show report lists an undisclosed maduro wrapper over Honduran binder and filler. Reviewing the 6 x 60, Cigar Coop scored it 87, rated it medium in strength and body, and found mocha, mint, cream and earth. It followed the Asylum 867 as the brand's second aromatic line. We carry the Asylum Cool Brew Toro, 6 x 54.
Asylum Split Personality
Split Personality is a banana-flavored Honduran puro with notes of caramel and almond, unveiled at the April 2025 PCA trade show and shipped from June 2, 2025. halfwheel points out that the name is a play on the banana split. Reviewing the 5 x 50, halfwheel scored it 85, found it mild in strength, and noted banana-candy ice cream and butterscotch. It comes in five sizes from 4 x 40 to 7 x 70; we carry two:
- Split Personality Petite Corona, 4 x 40
- Split Personality Toro, 6 x 54
Our flavored and infused cigars guide and flavored cigars cover the rest of the sweet shelf.
How to smoke a big-ring cigar
- Cut: a straight cut suits a wide head; make sure your cutter opens wide enough for a 70 or 80 ring. Our cigar cutter guide compares the options.
- Light: toast the whole foot evenly before the first draw; a wide foot takes longer. See how to light a cigar.
- Pace: a wide cigar burns cooler and slower. Plan an evening for the 8 x 80, and take one draw a minute or so.
Which Asylum should you buy?
- The biggest Asylum: the Ogre 8x80.
- Big ring, a little less length: the Ogre 6x80.
- Your first Ogre: the 7x70, the original size.
- Mild and creamy: Connecticut Sixty.
- Something sweet: Split Personality for banana, Cool Brew for mocha and mint.
- Short on time: the Split Personality Petite Corona at 4 x 40.
What to drink with Asylum
Give the Ogre a bourbon that can last the evening. The Connecticut suits a coffee or a softer bourbon, Split Personality an aged rum, and Cool Brew a coffee liqueur. Our bourbon and cigar pairing guide goes further, and the Sun of a Gun bar pours more than 200 whiskeys.
Buying
Every Asylum we carry comes as a single, a five-pack or a box: 20 for the Ogre 7x70, 6x80 and 8x80 and the Connecticut Seventy, 25 for the Connecticut Sixty, Cool Brew and Split Personality, and 10 for the Ogre 7x64. Live prices and stock are on the Asylum cigars collection, and the rest of our brands are on the cigar brands A–Z.
$9.99 flat shipping, free on orders of $125 or more. In-stock orders ship within 1–2 business days.
Every order ships with a Boveda humidity pack.
Frequently asked questions
Who makes Asylum cigars?
Asylum was founded in 2012 by Tom Lazuka and Kevin Baxter, working with Christian Eiroa, and is sold today by Eiroa's C.L.E. Cigar Co.
Where are Asylum cigars made?
Mostly in Honduras. The Asylum 13 Connecticut is made at C.L.E.'s El Aladino factory, Split Personality is a Honduran puro from C.L.E.'s Honduran factory, and the distributor lists the Ogre as made in Honduras.
What does 8x80 mean?
8 inches long with an 80 ring gauge, which is 80/64, or 1¼ inches, across.
How big is the Asylum 13 Ogre?
We carry it in 7 x 64, 7 x 70, 6 x 80 and 8 x 80. The 8 x 80 is the largest.
Is the Asylum 13 Ogre strong?
Its distributor lists it at medium strength, and the maker describes a complex, full-bodied array of flavors.
What is a barber pole cigar?
A cigar wound with two wrapper leaves in a spiral. The Ogre pairs Habano and Candela.
Why is it called Asylum?
Big-ring cigars sounded like a crazy idea to Christian Eiroa when Tom Lazuka proposed them, so the founders named the brand Asylum.
Are Asylum cigars flavored?
The Ogre and Connecticut are not. Split Personality (banana, with caramel and almond) and Cool Brew (aromatic, with mocha and mint in Cigar Coop's review) are.
What does Asylum Split Personality taste like?
The maker lists banana with caramel and almond; halfwheel found banana-candy ice cream and butterscotch in the 5 x 50.
Is the Asylum 13 Connecticut mild?
C.L.E. calls it mild to medium-bodied, with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper over Honduran tobacco.
Where can I buy Asylum cigars in Yuma, AZ?
At Sun of a Gun Cigars & Spirits, 1651 S Arizona Ave, an official J.C. Newman Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge with a walk-in humidor; see our cigar lounge in Yuma. Online, we ship nationwide.
