Ashton VSG Cigar Rights of America Special Edition
Here we have another one of those Cigar Rights of America Special Edition cigars. So far I have not been disappointed. Heck, to be honest, joining CRA is enough for me – the cigar sampler is just icing on the cake (Is there a cigar-related analogy that can be substituted for that? I don’t think so!).
This particular cigar is the Ashton VSG, Virgin Sun Grown. It has a dark wrapper, a slight box press and it feels a little loosely packed. There aren’t any serious veins and the ones that are there are very few indeed. It is an oily cigar.
Even though the pre-light draw was a little tight the draw after being lit is just fine. Even more, there is a lot of flavor coming through. But before I start describing the flavors of burning tobacco in a colorful way I need to mention that this is a dry cigar from the get go. It’s a good dryness though.
I think the best way to describe the flavor profile of this cigar is to compare it to beef jerky, perhaps even the best beef jerky you have ever had. It’s meaty, has a good mixture of spice and has a distinctly smoky flavor to it. There is also a slight cherry flavor underneath.
It starts out as a more full bodied cigar then settles down nicely in the low full bodied range, maybe even medium-full bodied. The flavors are pretty consistent, which I’m thankful for. Love these flavors. The burn is even and the draw is very nice.
After the halfway point the flavor profile does begin to change. The meatiness of the first half begins to fade away and is replaced by a smoked woody flavor. Still an excellent cigar.
I know that there are some people out there who absolutely love Ashton cigars but I cannot honestly claim to be one of those people. They are very good cigars though and well worth smoking.
As is the case with all of the Cigar Rights of America sampler cigars that I have smoked I will refrain from giving this one a score.
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.
Here is a partially smoked Ashton VSG.
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.
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