Cigar Review
STEVE ROWBOTTOM, CIGAR AFICIONADO CIGARS INTERNATIONAL
Ashton VSG Belicoso Dominican Republic
5.25” x 52
Medium-Full
95-Rated
Cohiba Black Supremo (Toro) Dominican Republic
6.0” x 54
Medium
94-Rated
Diamond Crown Julius Caeser Toro Dominican Republic
6.0” x 52
93-Rated
42
NETWORK MAGAZINE™
Medium
Chewy. If I could describe the Ashton VSG blend with one word, it’s chewy. The Ecuadorian wrapper is dark, oily and thick enough to chomp down on without receiving battle scars. The smoke pulled through the cigar is hefty, sitting on the palate with noticeable weight and texture, almost as if I can chew through its wafty goodness. The flavors smack of leather and oak throughout, complemented by a somewhat dank earthiness on the finish. Midway through I pick up a red pepper influence after each puff. This cigar is rich, meaty and ultimately satisfying.
Cohiba is a big name with a big reputation. The Black variety lives up to this reputation through what I’ll call sophisticated richness. From the band, to the wrapper, to the flavors, everything about this cigar is dark. I find the blend to be medium in body and I notice graceful hints of unsweetened cocoa and black coffee. The bouquet is smooth and rich, with an oily, charcoal-like aroma. The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper offers a nice, natural sweetness to complete an elegant, flavorful experience.
DISCLAIMER: For some time, this has been typical go-to cigar. I’m not a huge Fuente fan, and this is made by Fuente, but there’s something about this blend that keeps me coming back for more. The cigar itself is quite mellow, but it’s loaded with flavor and complexity. Coffee, spices, cedar, sweet tobacco…it’s all in there, inside a rich yet soothing burn. It’s mellow enough for breakfast and flavorful enough to finish a meal. It’s exactly the same, cigar after cigar, and I think that’s what I love most… relentless reliability.
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