2019 PCA Magazine

20 PCA The Magazine | JULY-AUGUST 2019 PREMIUMCIGARS.ORG HE OGRE fromAsylum 13 Cigars is an in- your-face product, no question about it. First, there is the unusual and visually striking Habano/Candela barber-pole wrapper, which fairly screams for attention, nomatter what competitive sticks might share the humidor. Your eyes will involuntarily be drawn by the Ogre’s arresting shelf appeal. “What,” you will ask, “is that ?” Then there are the sizes. For the conventionallyminded enthusiast, Ogre’s 5x50 or 6x60 vitolas bring a flavor adventure in the possibilities that a bit of Nicaraguan Candela can introduce to a normal-sized stick. But for the heavy-duty epicure, Ogre’s famously outsized 70 and 80 ring gauges present a heft that, in combination with the audacious wrapper design, makes for a downright intimidating smoke to pick up. TomLazuka, co-owner with Christian Eiroa of C.L.E. Cigar Company, maker of the Ogre, enjoys the idea that Ogre presents a formidable aspect. But he is a businessman, after all, so he doesn’t want people getting the wrong idea and being scared off. “Yes, it looks intimidating,” he says, “but in actuality the Ogre is a creamy cigar. The Habano is spicy and peppery, but the Candela is grassy and light, and the two together really achieve a nice balance and amediumbody.” But what on earth gave Lazuka the idea that really fat cigars should be a business focus? “Well,” he says, BY WI LL I AM C . NELSON Its appearance is admittedly fearsome, but it’s really a cream cannon. The Ogre from Asylum 13 Cigars The Blend T