Txrayngers
New Member
After reviewing an 858 sungrown, I was asked to do a review on something from the Ashton VSG line, so let's give the Robusto a shot:
Cost: $10.25
Drink: N/A
Appearance: this cigar boasts a nice, dark, oily Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. It's not the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, sporting a few veins, and not the most impeccable construction, but looks good none the less. It clipped just fine, and had a nice sweet raw taste. 7.5/10
First third: man did this thing start off rough. It lit perfectly, but the initial taste was strong and almost overpowering. Finally it toned down enough to become enjoyable giving it a nice, sweet, semi spicy leathery flavor. If it werentfor the rough burn and ugly ash, it would rate a bit higher. 7/10
second third: this is what I'm talking about now. The burn has corrected itself, and after a quick purge this stick is well on it's way to greatness. All of the overpowering subtleties are gone, and it has rounded into a great overall profile. The same sweet, spicy leather flavors are there, and there is starting to be a nice mild hint of coffee. I'm VERY impressed. 9/10
final third: still has the great flavors from earlier, and still very enjoyable. The burn problem came back out of nowhere, but it never really hindered anything. It made it to about the inch and a half mark before finally being put to rest. Surprisingly the cigar yet again mellowed out in this third. Great way to end the cigar 8.5/10
overall I'd say it gets an 8.25/10. It's a little pricy for me to make it an everyday cigar, but I can say I wish it was, I think this would mature very nicely. The smoke had a very pleasant aroma and was never overpowering. At the pricepoint I'd definitely grab a fiver. As with the 858, I wouldn't buy a box, but that has more to do with economics than the cigar itself. Very enjoyable.
On a side note... I was expecting some similarities between this and the 858 but it was quite different. The flavor profile was very different, and maintained it's same basic flavors, where as the 858 jumped around a bit. For the cost differential, I'd say I could recommend either one about equally. As far as these two sticks are concerned, you do get what you pay for.
Hope you guys enjoyed it. If you have any more requests, please let me know. My local B&Ms have a pretty broad selection.
Cost: $10.25
Drink: N/A
Appearance: this cigar boasts a nice, dark, oily Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. It's not the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, sporting a few veins, and not the most impeccable construction, but looks good none the less. It clipped just fine, and had a nice sweet raw taste. 7.5/10
First third: man did this thing start off rough. It lit perfectly, but the initial taste was strong and almost overpowering. Finally it toned down enough to become enjoyable giving it a nice, sweet, semi spicy leathery flavor. If it werentfor the rough burn and ugly ash, it would rate a bit higher. 7/10
second third: this is what I'm talking about now. The burn has corrected itself, and after a quick purge this stick is well on it's way to greatness. All of the overpowering subtleties are gone, and it has rounded into a great overall profile. The same sweet, spicy leather flavors are there, and there is starting to be a nice mild hint of coffee. I'm VERY impressed. 9/10
final third: still has the great flavors from earlier, and still very enjoyable. The burn problem came back out of nowhere, but it never really hindered anything. It made it to about the inch and a half mark before finally being put to rest. Surprisingly the cigar yet again mellowed out in this third. Great way to end the cigar 8.5/10
overall I'd say it gets an 8.25/10. It's a little pricy for me to make it an everyday cigar, but I can say I wish it was, I think this would mature very nicely. The smoke had a very pleasant aroma and was never overpowering. At the pricepoint I'd definitely grab a fiver. As with the 858, I wouldn't buy a box, but that has more to do with economics than the cigar itself. Very enjoyable.
On a side note... I was expecting some similarities between this and the 858 but it was quite different. The flavor profile was very different, and maintained it's same basic flavors, where as the 858 jumped around a bit. For the cost differential, I'd say I could recommend either one about equally. As far as these two sticks are concerned, you do get what you pay for.
Hope you guys enjoyed it. If you have any more requests, please let me know. My local B&Ms have a pretty broad selection.
