Ashton VSG is our throwback review for the month of July. Every month on the 1st we will be doing a review of a cigar that has been on the market for at least 10 years. It gives us at The Barrel Burner a chance to look back at cigars in an age when cigar blogs are mostly about reviewing what is new.
Originally launched in 1999 the Ashton VSG quickly became a highly sought after cigar that was allocated to retailers much like bourbon is today. According to their website, “The prized Sumatra-seed wrapper on Ashton VSG hails from a private estate in Ecuador where the region’s delicate cloud cover naturally filters sunlight. From there, it is fermented extensively in the hands of the Fuente family until it achieves its dark and lustrous sheen. The wrapper conceals a profound marriage of four-to-five-year-aged Dominican binder and filler tobaccos.”
The cigar is available in nine sizes while today we review a traditional Robusto.
Cigar Review: Ashton VSG (Virgin Sun Grown)
Size: 5.5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra Sungrown
Binder: Dominican Republic
Fillers: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia
Release Date: Summer 1999
Production: Regular
Box Size: 24
The Cigar: When the Ashton VSG first came out the ornate look of the band why stood out on the shelves of the tobacconist I was associated with in Brooklyn, NY. The soft box pressed cigar and it’s oily wrapper was different then many cigars on the shelf. Be it from marketing, the difficulty in procuring the band or what have you. It quickly became a favorite of our. Today that wrapper doesn’t have the same allure it did back in the day with an exceptional amount of visible veins and the the wrapper lacks the tooth of my memory. In the hand the cigar is light and the foot seems extremely underfilled.
The Taste: The cold draw has a sweet molasses to it with an abundance of raisins as well just as I remember it. The foot of the cigar has a heat rising up out of it with the scent of manure which is a compliment to the tobacco. Once the cigar is toasted and lit there is some notes of cedar and spice as we settle into the experience.
The first third sees some pepper notes mingling with cedar, coffee and a touch of nuttiness. As the first third comes to a close the coffee notes become dominant with the occasional nuance of chocolate. The retrohale adds a few extra layers of cedar, nuts and a raisin finish that lingers almost a little too long.
Moving on to the second third some pepper remains on the front end of each puff before giving wait to raisin sweetness, peanuts and mocha. Around the halfway point mocha becomes the dominant note with touches of earth, cedar and nuts. The pepper that was on the palate is now more noteable on the retrohale where it joined by raisins and licorice.
The final third sees a hint of floral emerge but raisin sweetness remains dominant with nuances of leather, mocha and a touch of licorice makes its way to the palate. The aromaof the cigar has a touch of wood which is intensified on the retrohale where it is joined by pepper and and coffee. The pepper is most dominant in the final third which adds to a lingering finish.
Conclusion: For a cigar to be on the market non stop for 26 years is a testament to the blend and the company. The Ashton VSG is still one that I grab after all these years, though not as many and not as often. However, when I light up the cigar I am taken back to memories associated with the early days of the release. While the cigar is different I am not sure if it because something changed or the landscape of the humidor has changed along with my palate. These days I gravitate to Nicaraguan cigars almost exclusively. While there aren’t many Dominican cigars I smoke on the regular the Ashton VSG continues to be one I grab about a box worth over the course of 12 months. It’s flavorful, balanced and medium in perceived strength and body making it an enjoyable experience no matter when one is lit up.
Score: 92
Price: $15.65 (Before any local or state taxes)
You can find Ashton VSG online at Small Batch Cigar and if you use the coupon code BARRELBURNER you can save 10% off your order
