Ashton Classic Short Cigar Review

Pre-Smoke

The Connecticut Shade wrapper is marred with a couple veins and a few discolored spots. It is an oily cigar that feels soft in some spots. I will be smoking the lonsdale vitola, 8-9-8 (6 1/2″ x 44), for this review. Besides the US Connecticut Shade wrapper the binder and the filler tobaccos are from the Dominican Republic. This cigar retails for around $8.00 per cigar.

Smoke

Mild cigar with a good draw and a good burn. The first big flavor is oak with some sweetness as well. There is also a graham cracker flavor that comes along after an inch or so.

After the halfway point the draw tightens up and the flavor profile definitely takes a turn for the worse. In addition to a ghastly burnt flavor the overall affect is harshness. Those good flavors are still there but they are almost completely masked by the bad ones.

After-Smoke

Let me put it this way: the first half of this cigar was like a good movie (think more The Fast and The Furious than The Godfather). The second half of this cigar is the equivalent of the horrendous sequel; you don’t want to smoke it but you feel obligated to give it a try since you liked the first movie, I mean the first half of the cigar.

Even with that said, this cigar is, at its best, very vanilla – I just couldn’t get excited about it. It’s kind of flavorful but it lacks soul. And it is somewhat expensive.

2 points

Ashton Double Magnum – Cigar Review

This is a well packaged cigar with a cedar sheath and two bands; one at the foot and one near the cap, like normal. The problem is that the glue securing the bands to the cigar are actually securing the bands to the cedar sheath and when I went to take the sheath off it also took both bands off. Oh well.

The cigar itself has a nice, oily wrapper. The wrapper is unusually smooth. Looks nearly perfect with only a mild imperfection in the way the wrapper looks in one spot. Light brown cigar. I’m smoking this cigar with Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel and some water.

Cigar Stats
Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: USA/Connecticut
Binder: Dom. Rep.
Filler: Dom. Rep.
Price: $10.00

Evening Light!

Finally, a cigar with a good draw! It’s not the best drawing cigar ever but after the last couple of cigars I’ll take it. Even though in the past I have thought this was a mild cigar there is a little more bite to it this time around. (Note: It should be a mild cigar, I don’t know what was up with this cigar.)

Flavors: earthy, black cherry, peat; almost tastes like a single malt. It is also burning evenly and I think it’s medium-full bodied, which it shouldn’t be. It is supposed to be a mild smoke.

Guess my luck, the draw got a little tight about halfway through. The flavors are still mostly there but, for me at least, when the draw tightens up it lessens the flavors and thus my enjoyment of the cigar. Wait, I just ashed the cigar and the draw has opened back up. Weird.

Nearing the end now and there haven’t been any more problems with the draw for this cigar. There is also an added sweetness to this cigar now. I think it’s an excellent pairing with my single barrel bourbon. Good cigar.

89 points

Ashton VSG Robusto – Cigar Review

Cigar Stats:

Length: 5.5′
Ring Gauge: 50
Approximate Price: $11.75
Wrapper: Dominican, Sumatra

Ever since I started smoking cigars I have heard great things about Ashton. These are supposed to be some of the strongest, most robust cigars on the market. They aren’t for children. OK, no cigars are for children, spoil sports.

Ashton cigars are made by the Fuentes, so they probably are very good cigars. The VSG, in this case, means “virgin sun grown.”

The look of this cigar is just wonderful. Very dark robusto, perfectly constructed, absolutely no problems with the look or feel of the cigar. Tons of oil to the touch. Should be a good cigar – I hope.

Nuevo Flame!

Silky smooth cigar. Wow! There is some spice supporting the dominant cream flavor. I saw someone else say there was a peat taste to this cigar, can’t substantiate that claim here. There is a hickory taste to it though. And I’ve got to say that this is just an exquisite cigar.

Man, it seems like the cigar is just getting darker. The draw is great but it isn’t burning perfectly evenly. About an inch in it gets a little harsh but that quickly disappears. Maybe I was puffing on it too much. Bad Travis!

Even though everyone says this is an explosive, full bodied cigar I just don’t see it. It’s medium-full bodied with a slant to being full bodied, maybe. But it’s not blowing the brains out of my head. But the lack of strength doesn’t bother me all that much because this is a very complex and well balanced cigar.

An example of this complexity is how the cream has morphed into vanilla at this point. The spice has mostly left the cigar and has been replaced by an immense earthiness.

It is a very interesting cigar. Some of you will love it while others will think it is just a decent, good cigar. What do I think? That’s a tough one. There are some problems with it that cannot be denied.

If this had been a stronger cigar that would have been better for all of us. Likewise, if there had been more spice, the type of spice that punches you in the gut, that would have been great. Even with all that it is still an enjoyable, albeit somewhat mundane, smoke. This wasn’t a great cigar, but it was very good.

89 points

Ashton VSG Cigar Review via Brooks van Norman

I just smoked an Ashton cigar a couple of days ago and it was awesome. And here I am, looking around the web and I come across this guy from Canada who has just smoked one.

Usually, I would just read it and go on but what is awesome about Brooks (besides his first name being the same as my middle name) is that he includes a great video where he talks about the cigar. It’s very funny.

Well, here’s a little of what he has to say about the cigar and take a look at his site to see his video. It’s worth the two-and-a-half minutes it takes to watch it.

If you like cigars, you’re gonna love this product. It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a cigar here on the blog. My local cigar shop told me this was the best product they had in the store for the money. At $22.00 CDN, how could I say no when looking at others in the $70+ range, which I simply can’t justify.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="450" caption="Here is a partially smoked Ashton VSG."][/caption]

This was the Robusto version of the VSG – with a 50 ring size and five and half inches long.

For the money, this has to be the best cigar that I’ve enjoyed yet. It’s as good or better than the Exodus and the La Flor. You’re going to get cocoa and pepper on the palette. It’s not a mild cigar, but it doesn’t have edge either. It’s smooth.

Ashton VSG Cigar Review : Brooks Van Norman | things I am inspired to blog about.