It’s a story we have seen before. A manufacturer connects with a celebrity who wants to make a cigar and the project gets done. This story however is slightly different. On the TV Show America’s Got Talent Sal Valentinetti was set to perform with his relative Tommie Romola off the side of the stage with host Nick Cannon. During the scenes in which Tommie was present it was obvious he was smoking a large ring gauge cigar from Asylum. After these scenes aired, brand owner Tom Lazuka reached out to Tommie and a cigar was created using his moniker, Bigtime Tommie.
Cigar Review: Bigtime Tommie
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 60
Size: 6 x 60
The Look: The 6 x 60 we are reviewing today comes in 25 count boxes while the other size in the line (7 x 70) comes 30 to a box. Inside the cigar features two bands with the first denoting Asylum in blue over a white background. A secondary band of blue with white lettering denotes Bigtime Tommie “Old Skool 4 Life”. Originally from New York, the colors are synonymous with a baseball team from the Bronx. The bottom half of the cigar is covered in tissue paper with pinstripes and it once again denotes Bigtime Tommie. This Nicaraguan Puro features a beautiful milk chocolate color wrapper that is glistening with oils. In the hand the cigar feels slightly lighter than expected and slightly porous foot.
The Notes: The cold draw of the 6 x 60 Bigtime Tommie has definitive notes of chocolate and fudge making it reminiscent of Entermann’s Chocolate Fudge cake. The foot of the cigar is similar although more subtle with a touch of spice. Once the cigar is toasted and lit the initial note is Nicaraguan spice.
The first third of the cigar sees notes of black pepper along with an abundance of birch and a touch of dark rye toast. The retrohale changes up the dynamic of the cigar with a subtle chocolate creaminess that helps mellow out this full bodied smoke from Asylum.
Moving on to the second third notes of rye emerge as the dominant flavor profile with hints of roasted peanuts, earth and black pepper. The black pepper is enhanced on the long finish and retrohale of the cigar. A times it feels full bodied when the pepper really kicks in and at other times it feels just north of medium.
The last third sees the cigar not change much which for this particular cigar isn’t a bad thing. Notes of rye continue with nuances of roasted peanuts, earth and a slight chocolate sweetness. The black pepper remains dominant of the retrohale with a really long finish.
The Finish: There was a time I wouldn’t look twice at a 6 x 60 cigar, but now they seem almost normal. We smoke them from time to time on The Cigar Authority podcast and I no longer find myself dreading the size. The Bigtime Tommie is a departure in sorts for Asylum as the brand isn’t made in Hondurs, but rather in Nicaragua and its evident in not only the blend, but the tobaccos. While straight forward this cigar is enjoyable, especially for big ring Asylum fans.
Score: 90
Price: $9.69 / $45.99 (5 Pack) / $213.99 (Box of 25)
Big Time Tommie 6 x 60
Big Time Tommie 6 x 60 Foot
Big Time Tommie 6 x 60 Burn
