Vintage 20 Year Old Ashton cigar. A Look at the Brand and Aged Cigar.

Ashton cigars have forged an indelible reputation as pioneers of the Connecticut shade wrapper; it is hard to think of this brand without its alluring golden blond appearance coming to mind. Today the iconic “Ashton Classic” line sets the benchmark as “the” premium light-bodied Dominican, wrapped with its distinct U.S shade Connecticut wrapper. The brand’s ascension followed the contours of a new cigar zeitgeist, the heyday of the 90s, vitolas from the Cabinet selection, and Original line amongst some of the defining sticks of the decade.

Robert Levin’s Ashton was produced by none other than Henke Kelner, Davidoff’s famed tobacco guru, at Villa Gonzalez’s pioneering Tabadom factory. The brand was in its infancy, experimenting with various blends in 1983 and ‘84; however, it wasn’t until Levin collaborated with Carlito Fuente Jr. that Ashton would take its familiar shape. Levin was steadfast in his vision, looking to blend a “cigar that had a little more flavor and more taste.” A smoke that would undoubtedly stick out from the overly mild cigars that were in vogue at the time.

The result was a series of utterly distinct smokes that corresponded to the personal palettes of both men, with Levin taking full advantage of his privileged relationship with the Connecticut-Shade wrapper’s premier manufacturers. This partnership is amongst the most significant in new world history, following up shortly after the Fuente’s highly successful manufacturing and distribution partnership with J.C Newman. The Fuente’s famed Dominican facilities continue to produce and elaborate the entire Ashton line from the Classic, Cabinet, Maduro, ESG, VSG, and Symmetry lines.

The coveted and labor-intensive Connecticut Shade wrapper would provide the ultimate conduit in introducing a generation of smokers to the glory of Dominican tobacco. Versatile, delicate, and supple, the Connecticut shade is lauded for its stunning blending alchemy rounding out bolder flavors with notes of graham cracker and cream with an unmistakably buttery texture. For a new generation of smokers discovering Dominican terroir or weathered aficionados, the Connecticut shade wrapper was a sure bet, delivering plenty of flavors while never overwhelming the smoker.

Since the late 90s, Ashton has ventured into bolder terrain with notable vitolas belonging to the full-bodied portfolios of the often celebrated VSG and Maduro lines, featuring spicier broadleaf and Ecuadorian wrappers. Yet, the earlier incarnation of Ashton from the Cabinet Selection No.8 and the Classic line’s 8-9-8 would establish the brand as the masters of delicacy and nuance.

The skyrocketing popularity of Ashton in the 90s is hard to overstate. By the mid-90s, even the enormous Fuente factory was having difficulty meeting consumer demands. By 1994, the brand had become a million unit brand, only five short years after Levin and Fuente refined the winning blend.

Ashton is one of the New World’s heavy hitters, and it’s due time that we honor its legacy with a vintage smoke plucked directly from the pre-Millenium period. During a time when it’s hard not to feel nostalgic for a simpler era, a review of the Vintage Ashton Corona aged well over 20 years certainly does the trick. The Classic line’s Corona (44 x 140mm) is the quintessential Ashton stick, a bearer of both Levin’s vision and Carlito Jr’s blending know-how. Having exceeded its two-decade milestone, it’s anyone’s guess where this Vintage fits on the aging arch.

Unwrapping the vitola, I am struck by the glorious copper sheen left on the cellophane from years of minute humidity fluctuations. Examining the construction and the cigar’s supple vein-less appearance, it becomes clear why the U.S Connecticut-shade wrapper is so revered.

On the cold draw, pleasant salt sweet notes of toasted bread, thyme, and topsoil come to mind. Subtle, indistinct with a dry texture, it is clear the Corona in question will be a mild one.

First Third: Upon charring the foot, an open and abundant draw is immediately extracted from the tightly packed cigar. A predominant mineral and vegetal character dominates, the dry smoke texture presenting dominating mineral notes of graphite, iron, and salt.

Second Third: The smooth smoke doubles down on its earthy character, the predominantly earthy base unveiling green tea and eucalyptus bitterness. A delectably tannic character bears much resemblance to the mouthfeel sensation of a very dry fine wine.

Last Third: Heading into the final stretch, very few novel elements can be detected. The aforementioned expressions intensify, the bitterness overwhelming the herbal elements rearranging into a tree bark tang.

Final Thoughts: This Vintage Ashton Corona is a prime example of a blend that has overshot its’ optimum aging time. Despite the excellent draw and consistent, smooth character, little else is offered regarding any notable diversity or evolution in flavor. During the hour and fifteen minutes smoke time, it was evident that the Corona would benefit from the accompaniment of a fine Cabernet or Port wine or even Bourbon. The delicate sweetness, lush, toasted nuts, and floral characteristics lauded in the Classic line have all but dissipated along the overly long aging trajectory. As the series’ Dominican binder and filler are aged 3-4 years, the light-bodied cigar likely reaches the zenith of aroma and flavor with only an additional 3-5 years of aging. This twenty-year-old vitola shed some insight into how decades of aging may alter light-bodied blends. Alternatively, Ashton’s hearty Virgin Sun Grown line launched in 1999 has proven incredible aging potential.