The Ashton VSG Robusto punches you with its oily Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper rolled into a 5½"x50 parejo shape. This dark-cloaked dominican puro comes in boxes of 24, demanding attention from full-bodied seekers at $14+ per stick. Fresh off its 1999 debut, Carlos Fuente Jr's blend still wears that 94-rating crown like it's nobody's business.
First Third: Immediate pepper blast mellows into charred oak. Draws like sucking thick milkshake through a straw - dense smoke with espresso grounds bitterness. Watch that wavy burn line.
Middle Third: Caramelized walnuts emerge through earthy core. Retrohale stings with white pepper, but settles into leathery sweetness. Ash holds strong at 1.5 inches before crumbling.
Final Third: Tar buildup kicks in at 45-minute mark. Final flashes of cacao nibs battle rising nicotine. Smart to ditch last inch unless you're chain-smoking cigs for breakfast.
Triple-cap head stays intact despite aggressive punches. Wrapper veins feel raised but no tunneling issues. The DR-packed filler burns slower than Vegas high rollers - budget 90 minutes. Keep your Tupperdor at 65% RH to prevent wrapper cracking.
