You gotta try everything at least once, right? Well, this weekend during The Cigar Authority podcast, I smoked the biggest cigar I’ve ever smoked in my life. The Asylum 6×80 comes to us from Asylum Cigars and Christian Eiroa out of the country of Honduras using Nicaraguan tobaccos. Now, up until this point, the biggest cigar I ever had was a 64 ring gauge Nub, and I remember it being an interesting experience. I didn’t know what to expect with an 80 gauge, but I’ll do my best to describe it to you. This is the Asylum Eighty Corojo.
What am I Smoking?
Cigar: Asylum Corojo 6×80
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 6 Inches
Ring Gauge: 80
Power: 6 / 10
Packaging & Design
The Asylum Eighty Corojo arrive packaged in massive boxes of 30 cigars. The box is made of a light wood with a glossy finish, and the size and blend designations are printed on the box with black ink. A red holographic seal holds the lid on, and the same type of material is used on the bands. When held in the light, you can see the number ’13’ scattered about on the bands. Very cool if you ask me.
The Look
As for this behemoth of a cigar, it looks just as good as anything else from Asylum. The wrapper is flawless and shows little evidence of veins or seams. The huge caps are laid over the head and are easily clipped off using a cutter specifically made to cut an 80 ring gauge cigar. Prelight notes of sweet cedar and earth are present with a slight hint of red pepper in the background.
The Smoke
To light this big guy up, I used a quad-jet lighter that was powerful enough to get the job done. And even with this blow torch style, it still took a solid 30 seconds to light up, and I actually had to go back and hit it once more because I missed a spot. The first third lasted for about 45 minutes, and notes of molasses and earth were the main players for me. Now, as for the size, it was very difficult for me to hold in my teeth. I have TMJ which causes my jaw to lock up occasionally in the mornings and it was a challenge to keep it held in place, so I found myself almost “kissing” the cigar at the start to smoke it as opposed to holding it in my mouth.
About 90 minutes in and I had finally reached the halfway mark. The flavor profile had stayed steady and I was really enjoying what it had to offer. The tasting notes have increased in their intensity and showed off nuances of raisin and cocoa. As for the pepper, it had subsided into a more sweet profile than the beginning. And interesting combination for sure. I also need to mention the STELLAR construction quality of this cigar. Not ONCE did I need to touch it up, as it stayed burning consistently throughout the duration. The ash held on until the beginning of the final third, and it took some force to knock it off in the ashtray.
Finishing up at the 120 minute mark at the end of the TCA podcast, and I started noticing the strength kicking in. I had about 3 inches to go before I decided to put it down. Tasting notes included a rich and complex array of earth and wood with a touch of nutmeg spices towards the end. My jaw had loosened up enough at this point that I was able to comfortably hold it between my teeth, but it took some time to accomplish. Our friend Mr. Jonathan, on the other hand, had no problem whatsoever in fitting this girthy cigar in his mouth. The guy has talent.
Final Thoughts
I’ll be honest here… I thought this cigar was going to be an uninteresting smoke that offered little complexity due to its humongous gauge, but I was totally wrong. The flavor was all there and it tasted like I was smoking a “normal” gauge cigar. I was impressed from start to finish and was blown away at how enjoyable the Asylum Eighty Corojo really was. I would smoke this cigar again, and I’m looking forward to trying the smaller gauges the brand has to offer.
Rating: 91
Price: $10.19 / $268.99 (Huge box of 30)
Asylum Eighty Corojo
