Ashton Classic Magnum
A classic robusto size at 50×5.0”, this Ashton is simple yet elegant in appearance. This robusto is made in the Fuente Cigar Factory in the Dominican Republic with aged Dominican tobaccos and a beautiful golden brown Connecticut wrapper. Although not a Dominican “puro” (puro means all the tobacco in the cigar is sourced from one country), I feel it is great representation of high quality, well-balanced Dominican flavors.
The appearance of the cigar oozes quality. A firm and even pack under the Connecticut shade wrapper, with tight visible seams and minimal veins makes this Ashton very approachable. The timeless black and white band highlights its premium quality with “made by hand,” printed at the bottom of the band. I used a straight cut for this and jumped straight into toasting. The draw on this for me is perfect. I like a little bit of resistance in my draw, and this hit the perfect sweet spot. Initial flavors were a cream and roasted chestnut. The retrohale added a nice undertone of black pepper but not enough to overpower any of the other flavors.
Moving into the first third the flavors transition into a crème brulee, talk about opulent! The finish on this cigar is long and lingers on the palate from one draw to the next. The finish on the first third brings in a coffee with milk note that is a precursor for the flavors of the second third.
In the second third, the crème brulee fades and the heavy cream comes back to the forefront with a toasted almond undertone. The smoke output is fantastic from the start, the burn is razor sharp and light gray ash holds easily at 1.5 inches. Construction at the half way point is fantastic and I haven’t had to touch the burn once.
The final third changes nothing with construction or burn, still flawless. The flavors stay true to a medium roast coffee with milk and baker’s spice/nutmeg. Absolutely a finger burner and worth buying a box.
A very approachable mild strength offering from Ashton and one that I would recommend to novices and afficionados alike. Not the most inexpensive cigar, running you roughly $10 per stick, but one that personally I feel like is well worth it. The only knock I have for this cigar is the flavor transitions were not incredibly diverse for me. I enjoyed the flavors, but to get the perfect score for me in flavor I like to see distinct transitions between the first third and the final third. Otherwise, there is little negative I have for this stick. This stick would pair nicely with a medium roast coffee.
Burn/Construction: 5/5
Draw/Smoke: 5/5
Flavor: 4/5
Overall: 4.8/5
Total Score: 94/100
The Distilled Diplomat 