Ashton Classic Prime Minister Staff Review
Ashton Classic occupies a prominent seat in the pantheon of premium cigars. With so many stronger Nicaraguan brands stealing the show today, it’s worth pointing out mild cigars still sell more. Ashton Classic eclipses sales of the average small-batch boutique cigar by insane margins. You can find Ashton Classic in more than 75 countries around the world. Ashton Classic has been blended and handcrafted in the same factory in the Dominican Republic for more than 35 years.
Few brands boast the staying power of Ashton Classic, but the formula for this iconic cigar’s success is straightforward. It possesses impressive taste that appeals to a huge number of cigar lovers. It’s consistent. It’s blended by an uncompromising cigar-maker, Carlito Fuente, who refuses to sacrifice quality for any reason. And, the Fuente family excels at making amazing cigars at scale. If you smoked an Ashton Classic thirty years ago, little has changed in the cigar you’ll smoke today.
I’m reviewing the Prime Minister, an elegant 6.875 x 48 Churchill. A shimmering golden-blond Connecticut Shade wrapper leaf is patiently sown in the Connecticut River Valley before it is drafted over a creamy amalgam of premium Dominican binder and filler tobaccos aged for three to four-year minimums. After Ashton Classic cigars are rolled, they are aged in cedar chambers for six months before they’re banded, boxed, and shipped for sale.
The timeless black-and-white Ashton band is simple but dignified with its lifted gold lettering and crown logo. Ashton Classic is uniform in every aspect. The cigar’s density, texture, and balance are summed up easily: seamless.
A luscious aroma of sweet cedar characterizes the cold essence of Ashton Classic from head to foot. Its rich, nutty, and silky taste is previewed in the cold draw. Upon firing up the Prime Minister, it’s clear why Ashton Classic is cherished by so many. The cigar is an effortless pleasure to smoke. Creamy nuances of cashews, shaved almonds, and cedar reveal a touch of sweetness around the edges.
For a mild Dominican blend, Ashton Classic lacks nothing in the realm of complexity. Its appeal lies in its delicacy, which is why both novices and seasoned connoisseurs easily appreciate its silky, mellow taste and aroma. Traces of black pepper and honey emerge and no work is required to apprehend them. A firm white-and-gray ash grows as the initial third of the Prime Minister draws to a close.
Meticulous construction and easygoing taste surrender marvelous notes of nuts and coffee with cream in a series of cool and steady draws. There is little mystery why Ashton Classic is an ideal choice for the golf course or beside the swimming pool. It persuades but does not overpower. Signature Fuente spices layer the palate with a hints of hazelnuts and wood as the halfway mark passes.
Sophistication and satisfaction meet in the final stretch of Ashton Prime Minister. It’s not like you have to crack a textbook on tasting notes to embrace the cigar’s graceful, creamy finish. Its profile of sweet cedar and spices rises to the surface and lingers just enough to tease you to smoke another one. If you could smoke a summer day, surely it would be wrapped in an Ashton Classic cigar band.
