Background

The Ashton Estate Sun Grown (ESG) series was created in collaboration with Carlos Fuente Jr. to celebrate Ashton’s 20 year anniversary. Five sizes were introduced with the first being released in 2005. Ashton continued to introduce one new size each year until 2010. They have all been available since. The 21 Year Salute, which is the focus of this review, is the second release. It is a 5.25 x 52 Robusto. Now let’s get to smoking!

Stogie Stats

Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Dominican
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Strength: Medium/Full
Vitola: Robusto
Size: 5.25 x 52
Age: N/A
MSRP: Around $20.00

Review

The cigar is very firm to the touch and has almost no give. The wrapper is a gorgeous chocolate brown and there is a fair amount of veins and oily sheen to it. The cold draw contains rich tobacco with hints of cinnamon. With one of the most elaborate bands I have seen on a cigar and the obvious attention to detail in the construction, the Ashton ESG is a work of art.

The first third opens with a fantastic amount of smoke on the first pull. Initial flavors include earth, leather, and pepper. The flavors are well balanced but are overpowered by a lot of bitterness. The cigar seems to be burning fast and is becoming very crooked. This does not seem to affect the draw but I make a conscious decision to pull a little less each time with the hope that the bitterness subsides. The cigar continues to burn fast through the first third however and I am glad when the bitterness begins to fade at the end.

The second third brings some welcome changes in terms of flavor. Some sweetness creeps in and flavors of cinnamon and cedar appear. The bitterness is gone and I am enjoying the woody finish a great deal. I have refused to correct the burn with my torch lighter and this may very well bear fruit, as the burn seems to be correcting itself. The draw remains perfect and the ash, incredibly, has yet to fall. The second third continues to be enjoyable and the ash finally falls near the half way mark. I continue to enjoy the flavors as we near the last part of this stick.

The last third starts with the burn completely corrected and with no changes in the draw. The ash is holding about an inch now before falling. There is lots cedar and some spice now. As I approach the end of the cigar, there is quite a bit of harshness on the back of my throat and the nub is firm but hot. Amazingly I finish this cigar in under 50 minutes.

Conclusion

I am a little disappointed in this stick. While I am not an avid Ashton fan, I do enjoy many of their lines and expected more based on the ESG’s reputation and price point. It was not terrible, with the exception of the bitterness during the first third. I really enjoyed the second and last third. But something my high school music teacher once said to me comes to mind. He once stated “Open and close strong and everyone will forget what was in the middle”. While I don’t completely agree that this applies to cigar smoking, I do think this cigar failed to do either. It started bitter and ended harsh. It should be noted, however, that both could very well be contributed to the fast burn. 

Now my dilemma. This is really a tough cigar to rate. I feel the cigar is too complex and expensive to fall in the “smoke it while working around the house” category. The flavor profile is complex and deserves more focus than that. But I also am not sure I would drop MSRP on a five pack of these. Knowing Paul grabbed these on auction at a reduced price, I am going recommend doing the same. So I am going to give the Ashton Estate Sun Grown 21 Year Salute a Stogie Geeks Rating of 3 – The Fiver but only at a reduced price. While I look forward to trying another one, I would reach for an Ashton Virgin Sun Grown or Ashton Heritage Puro Sol before doing so. In my opinion, both those cigars have much more to offer and are more my flavor profile.