Cigar Review: Ashton Classic Esquire

Enjoyed an Ashton after a home-cooked steak on my coal-fired grill (pissing off both environmentalists and animal rights activists at the same time). I had a Ashton Classic Esquire, one of two I received as stocking stuffers this last Christmas. The cigar had a rich, smooth, pleasant taste, but it did have a bit of an after-taste which detracted from the experience, knocking some points off its rating. It also had an uneven burn, which I find annoying, but isn't always the fault of the producer since it could be caused by improper storage (I have a proper humidor which I check regularly, but I wouldn't call myself a storage expert).

Overall, a very good cigar: four out of five stars, or keeping with my 100 point scoring system I used when I started these reviews, 83 out of 100. Ashton markets themself as Pleasure Beyond Expectation, and I think they produce a very good cigar, but not the top of the line.