Ashton VSG Illusion

Image provided by Stogie Fresh

The Ashton VSG is and has long been a favorite of mine. I’ve been smoking them for a long time and I was gladly surprised to see that Cigars Direct had sent some for me to review for them. They sent me a few samples of the VSG Illusion which is a 6 1/2×44 parejo. Filled with tobacco from the Dominican Republic and wrapped with Ecuadorian leaf, this cigar is hand rolled in the DR and was blended by Carlos Fuente Jr. exclusively for Ashton.

Appearance: Always exquisitely rolled, these samples were no less than anything else I’ve experienced with the VSG line. This is one of the thinner ring gauges, so it gave the large band more prominence and made for a regal looking package. Not as oily as I’m used to, the stick was well wrapped with few veins. There were no blemishes on the leaf itself. This slightly box-pressed cigar is made to impress.

Taste: This cigar lets you know it’s all business. Coming out of the chute strong with peppery spice, its full-bodied punch settles into a medium-to-full range that is a blend of coffee, wood, and leather with the spice a consistent background all the way through. Not an overly complex cigar, it is a flavorful and consistent one. The last third picked up its bullish full body and dragged me around the cigar lounge for a bit. The pepper on my tongue lasted longer than the other flavors after I nubbed it.

Aroma: Holding the cigar to my nose, all I got was a classic tobacco smell. No frills with this one. Once lit, the smoke is cigar smoke. And it’s not the kind that will have your lady friends telling you how good your cigar smells. It smelled like heaven to me though.

Construction: This is where Ashton claims the right to charge so much for these cigars. Consistent, consistent, consistent. This was expertly rolled, burned crisply and evenly all the way through. I only had to ash four times with this cigar and even then it was only for my own precaution. The ash held tightly and always fell off leaving a perfectly sized cone of burning embers.

Overall: Like I said before, this is a constant favorite, and for a reason. It’s flavorful, tasty, and always perfect quality. This is one of the few cigars I have no problem paying over $10 for and the Illusion happens to be my favorite in the line since I prefer a thinner ring gauge. If you’ve never had one, or if it’s been awhile, I suggest you pick some up. You can find them in stock at Cigars Direct.

Cigar Rating:

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1. 

   monkeydan says:

   March 12, 2008 at 5:07 pm

   Great review. This smoke made my top 10 list last year. Great quality and it never disappoints.
2. 

   Ricky says:

   March 14, 2008 at 6:33 am

   @ monkeydan – I agree, they never disappoint.