Ashton ESG - First Year Issue

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v4m22myu6m...12248.JPG?dl=1

First year issue? No idea. They're churchills, I guess. I smoked several of this hard-to-get stick when they were fresh and then a couple of years later. It would be fair to say they burned perfectly and were flavorless - flat as a pancake.

So today I need to make some pipe mud and discovered a cedar boxed fiver in the humidor. Seven, eight years old? First third was mild and woody - nothing special and certainly not memorable. The second third, however, mellowed out into something more complex and woody wasn't in the picture. It was a nice tobacco taste with sort of cinnamon hints in and out. The final third was my idea of a very good smoke. It was rich and tobacco-ie with a hint of pepper of pepper atop a pleasant spiciness. Wish the first half was just like the last third.

As all the ESG's have been that I've smoked, this one was built like a brick loo, perfect construction, perfect draw and a flawless burn on four relights over more than 90-minutes. And, as always, the ring is still a classy piece of eye candy art. For the money I'd say there are plenty of less costly churchills to enjoy - dollar for dollar I'd easily favor La Aroma De Cuba, for example.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/r3gbupj4mi...20410.JPG?dl=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bveczyqiz4...40103.jpg?dl=1