Ashton Estate Sun Grown ESG #20

Slightly pressed in shape, this cigar has a dark and gloriously oily wrapper. No. 8 in Cigar Aficionado's top 25 cigars of 2006. The band is large but looks nice. As noted by other reviewers it doesn't burn particularly well, but the draw is just about perfect. Aging since the initial release has produced a delicious smoke filled with rich leather and dark cherry flavors that get better as it's smoked. Haven't seen these in a while but at the prices they charge, in a way I hope I don't find any.

Very creamy and smooth with a fantastic flavor and aroma. Draw was slightly firm but nice, burn was a bit uneven but corrected itself by halfway point. The final third was a bit tart but still was a great smoke nevertheless. Did not find it spicy at all. Perhaps it has been sitting/aging at the B&M for a couple years... Great cigar, would buy more if it were cheaper. A wonderful way to celebrate Christmas! Have one more which I will smoke exactly one year later.

Gifted one of these a week ago, and kept it in the humi until tonight. Only complaint was burn problems, it needed several touch-ups, but that could be due to the short time in the humi.
Full, lush draw with lots of flavorful smoke. Not as spicy or "peppery" as the VSG line, but great quailty tobacco with some chocolate and some black cherry undertones. No real complexity, but pleasant enough that I never got bored with it. If the price weren't so insane, I would consider this one of the few NCs I might smoke on a regular basis.

...and very well constructed. Taste was good, but nothing to write home about. Had better, but also MUCH worse. Draw was great. Burn was good until halfway when it began to get a little rough, but evened out again a little way down. And wayyyyyy overpriced. When the guy rang it up he was like, "that can't be right...". P.S. This cigar had the most beautiful label I've ever seen. I'm going to use it as a book mark.

Impossible to find, very Good but not what you would expect from a $20 stick. Mild but not weak, chocolate flavor gives way to spice finish. Finish is ok. Have a few more which I will age. Wuold be a lot better at $10

Here is another occasion where a much hyped stick actualy delivered. Just like every other cigar enthusiast, I felt the need to finally try one of these. I love the VSG line, so what the heck. I was very pleasantly suprised. The stick had an almost creamy vanilla start, which only got better and just as I thought it would heat up and go bitter it held its creaminess to the end. My only fault would be the burn. The ash was a mottled grey and burned very unevenly, but hey who's watching anyhow, enjoy!

After 14 months of waiting and blowing up the S.E. reps phone every week wanting some answers, they finally arrived in my local smoke shop. $25. They look great, but after smoking a 4 yr. old Bolivar CG I got for $14 the week before, I looked really hard................and passed. Sorry Mr. Levin, someones got to draw the line.

Very nice looking. Tightly rolled, but still had an ok draw. The burn was completely even with a very white ash. The flavors were a little odd. A little floral at first. This turned into a slight spice at the 1/2 way point. Some other flavor kept popping up, like a chewy licorice or something, I couldn't really identify it. Nice cream like after taste. Not nearly as complex as a VSG, but this is an entirely different smoke. Not so sure the blend matches the wrapper taste all that much. I think this stick will change a lot with some age (it is very oily). This one was only a few months old, so I didn't give it sufficient time (6+ months). Not what I expected, but still a very good cigar ($16.75?). I'll try the others I bought after some aging.

had one today...nice mild smoke ..even burn...i agree with mild chocolate/woodsy taste...good smoke plume...expensive....i think its a good occasional smoke for the price...

Had three of these laying in the humidor for a couple of months after release and I'm very underwhelmed. Very poor burn, constant touch up. The wrapper does not lend the taste to the cigar like the VSG, and overall is a major disappointment for the money spent. Better off with a tried and true VSG

Perfumy like the VSGs. Strong pre-light smell of bananas..very odd, but nice!
First inch or 2 was very good, but then an unforgivable, unremediable canoe burn left me very frustrated, especially for the price.

Smoothest, best mild cigar that I have ever enjoyed. Chocolatey after taste, smooth burn, and fine ash. Could not have enjoyed a cigar more.....

If you like Dominican cigars, this one is for you. I like some of the nation’s offerings, notably the Aurora Cien Anos line, but this was too Dominican for me. The flavor was definitely smooth and refined, but it still had too much of that funky, skunky Dominican flavor. The smoke did have a nice, very noticeable chocolate flavor to it, but I still didn't like it. I'm going to try not to let my personal taste keep me from rating this smoke too low because it was good tobacco, but I will blast it in the value column as the $18 bucks I paid for it was WAAAAYYYYY too high for what I got.
PS - If you ever try one of these, cut it and just hold it in your mouth for a while without lighting it. The spicy burn of the wrapper and the intense milk chocolate flavor of the filler were really enjoyable. For me, it was the best part of the cigar.

The only downside is that these are not more readily available, which really makes this special edition ESG a treat. Great complex flavor, full body, tons of smoke and nice flaky ash. It gets you from the get go, and its very hard to put it down for a breather. Unfortunately, just like with every other high end cigar, there are always people who rate low for value due to the price. I am not sure how anybody who enjoyed the cigar, gave it top grades for every category, can give it a 2 for value? So let me say this if you can afford to smoke it you will enjoy it, if you cannot you will still enjoy it, just don't bother writting a review.

A wonderful treat...It'd better be at $22 a stick!!!!!

I loved this great cigar, but it is over-priced at $24 a stick. It does taste like a cross between a Don Carlos and the VSG, which made it a really good smoke. It didn't have the strong perfume taste like some VSG's. The cigar burned well with a heavy, flaky ash. It is definitely worth trying as they get stocked in your local shops, but you may flinch at the price!

Smoked one last night after a steak dinner. Very nice. First inch was very similar to an OpusX Double Corona. Some spiciness, but not overly so. Well-balanced. After that, it changed suddenly to a more Don Carlos-type flavor. Very nice and flavorful finish. The ESG is supposed to be a variation on the Ashton VSG blend, but I just don't taste it. In my opinion, it's much closer to the flavor profile of an OpusX than a VSG, especially the first 1-1.5 inches (With less of the "pruny/fruity" flavor of an OpusX). After that, it's rich and creamy like the DC. Never had the VSG ER so I can't compare it to that unfortunately.

Some minor burn problems, but they self-corrected. Flaky ash which was a little disappointing. Good looking wrapper for being sungrown, but there are ones with some imperfections (veins, holes etc). Best part of the cigar was definitely after the first inch when it got warmed up.

Strength isn't any more than a VSG or OpusX of comparable size. Not so "in-your-face" like a OpusX Petit Lancero or #5.

Worth the $18? That's debatable. If it's just a limited edition, $18 is OK for special occasions. But for a regular line cigar? Ehhh...unfortunately, the value rating just kills the overall rating on this stick. Don't care about price? They're top notch, and will be even better with time.