Friday, December 4, 2009

Ashton VSG Robusto

This is a classic cigar that has been available at the top end of the market for years. The selection I have chosen has over a year of humidor age on it. The cigar is visually appealing with a nice dark wrapper that has few veins and zero flaws. The construction feels firm, but not too firm, and I don't anticipate any issues smoking this cigar. The pre light aroma is light and has notes of wood and crisp tobacco. The pre light draw is dry and woody with notes of clean tobacco and pepper.

The cigar opens with notes of wood, clean tobacco notes and hints of light pepper and spice. The draw is exceptional, and the burn is producing a sharp, crisp white ash. At the back of the palate the pepper note is more prominent, but I find myself wanting more depth up front.

At the one third point the cigar has developed nicely, but is still a medium offering. The profile shows notes of wood, spice and pepper. At the back of the palate there are some light notes of creamed coffee and a brown sugar like sweetness. The draw is still performing very well and the ease of this smoke adds to the enjoyability. The burn is still sharp and the ash is holding to well past the one third point of the cigar.

The middle third is still performing well but the profile is losing some of it's zest. There are notes of wood, pepper and tobacco but the depth is lacking and discouraging. The burn and draw have remained constant and I am still struck by the quality performance of this cigar.

The final third picks up some steam and is somewhere beyond medium, but not quite full in strength. The profile continues to show notes of wood, spice, pepper and tobacco. I am still wanting more complexity and depth from this cigar to the end. The burn and draw have stayed consistent.

The finish is smooth and long showing notes of pepper and clean tobacco flavors.

Appearance- 92 an excellent cigar to behold
Taste- 87 lacking in depth and complexity
Construction- 95 an excellent example of the craft
Strength- 88 could have used more power throughout
Overall- 90.5 overall an average tasting cigar buoyed by a strong performance construction wise

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