SERIES REVIEW: Tatuaje Petite Reserva (Pre Release)

Today I'm reviewing the Pete Johnson pre-release Tatuaje Petite Reserva cigar. This is another extension of the "brown label reserva" line being produced in Esteli, Nicaragua. They come unbanded and in cabinets of 50 sticks. This is the smallest of the sticks Pete produces so I was interested to see what a broadleaf wrapper can do to the flavor. 

Due to the size of this cigar, this review is only in two parts instead of the traditional thirds. On to the review. 

Specifics

Vitola: Petite Corona
Length:4.5
Ring Gauge: 32
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $3.50
Smoking Location: My back deck
Beverage: water

Pre-Light

My Tatuaje Petite Reserva was a pretty rustic looking, small cigar. The extremely oily wrapper had a mixture of very dark tones of brown, with some lighter shades closer to the foot. It had many small veins running all around the cigar, but none looked like they would cause a problem. It's not the prettiest girl at the ball, but it is one of the skinniest. I have not smoked a cigar with this small a ring gauge in who knows how long. I stopped smoking cigarettes a long time ago, but holding this little guy could bring flashbacks. The pre-lit aroma was a very dark, earthy smell that actually made me sneeze. I clipped the triple cap and the draw was excellent (can't be easy with this size a stick) and tasted of refined tobacco with some cedar notes.

First Half 

The first half of my Tatuaje Petite Reserva was pretty uneventful. The cigar burned beautifully and the draw was excellent but the flavors were very muted. What I could pick up was a slight smooth leather flavor, most likely from the broadleaf, and just a hint of cedar. The amount of smoke this stick produced was what you would expect from such a small size and the body was in the medium range. The ash on the cigar, although it looks flaky in the photo, held on for about an inch at a time before I knocked it into the ashtray.


Second Half and Final Thoughts

The second half was like the cigar turned on a switch. The muted flavors increased in strength and were now much more noticeable within the smoke. I was still primarily picking up a smooth leather flavor mixed with cedar, but now into the mix I got some dark chocolate tastes on the finish.  Again, these flavors are all things you taste/hear/read about with broadleaf wrappers, so I can guess it was where the profile was originating. In the last few draws on the stick, the cigar got a little hot and gave off maybe just a touch of that classic Tatuaje spice. The burn and draw were perfect the entire (short) smoking time, with the body finishing off more in the medium to medium-full range.

My final thoughts on the Tatuaje Petite Reserva? If you only have 30 minutes of smoke time and like broadleaf, this is a winner for you. If you've read my blog you will know that I am a HUGE fan of small cigars, but this one might just be too small. I understand what it's made for and it suits those needs perfectly. For me, I don't think I can really get into a relaxed happy cigar mode in this short a time. I'm sure a lot of people can, and to you, I would say that the second half of this cigars flavors were on point, so give it a shot.

Would I buy it again? I will spend a few extra bucks and go up a size to the other two new Petite sticks coming out from Pete next year.

Would I buy a box? Great stick, but to small for me. I don't think I'd buy a box.

Dan

QUICK SMOKE: Cohiba Maduro 5 series

My Uncle was in town this week and brought my brother and me some nice gifts from his last trip to Cuba. This was my first ever Cohiba Maduro and it didn't disappoint. It was full-bodied from the beginning, and started out with really dark,woody flavors. About an inch or so in, the stick started to produce some nice kicks of spice that balanced well, making for a interesting flavor profile. The draw was excellent, but the burn was a little wavy -- nothing that couldn't be fixed with a hit of the torch now and then. I really enjoyed this cigar and smoking with great company only made it better. Thank you Uncle John for setting me up with this stick. I hope you have safe travels back home.

- Dan

Specifics

Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5 1/2
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Cuban
Binder: Cuban
Filler: Cuban
Price: $?
Smoking Location: My brothers house
Beverage: water

SERIES REVIEW: Tatuaje Petite Havana Cazadores Reserva (Pre Release)

This Pete Johnson pre-release cigar review is the Tatuaje Havana Petite Cazadores Reserva -- an extension of the "Brown Label Reserva" line but are being produced in Esteli Nicaragua. They come with the traditional brown Tatuaje band and in cabinets of 50 sticks. 


Some general info on the Havana Cazadores blend from the New Havana Cigars website: The Havana Cazadore is the strongest of the original Seleccion de Cazador, with a full strength disposition just under the Cojonu blend. A huge favorite at New Havana Cigars, the wrapper color may vary - but is usually very dark.

Due to the size of this cigar, this review is only in two parts instead of the traditional thirds. 

Specifics

Vitola: Petite Corona
Length: 4
Ring Gauge: 40
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $4.50
Smoking Location: My back deck
Beverage: water

Pre-Light

When picking up this stick, the very first thing I noticed was the closed foot. Pete Johnson seems to be a pretty big fan of closed foot cigars and has put them on a lot of his special release sticks (the Black line comes to mind.) Looking past the closed foot, I noticed that the wrapper color on this stick was a fairly even dark brown shade, with just a few specs of lighter brown mixed throughout. Rolling it on my palm I could tell this was a evenly packed cigar and, when pinched, I detected no hard or soft spots. There was a mixture of pepper and earthy tobacco in the pre-light aroma and, after clipping the triple cap, there wasn't much of a cold draw (closed foot), but what I could taste was a nice sweetness that the wrapper left on my lips.

First Half

The closed foot on my Tatuaje Petite Havana Cazadores reserva lit easily, with a free draw which produced an average amount of smoke. The first few puffs on the cigar were much different than the Verocu I smoked previously. Where the Verocu blasted you in the face with pepper, the Havana Cazadores had extremely smooth and mellow smoke, with the flavors coating my palate. The flavor notes I picked up were black coffee mixed with what I would describe as a stout beer on the front, and just a mild kick of black peppery spice on the finish. Seriously tasty. The ash on my Petite Havana Cazadores reserva was salt and pepper colored and tightly packed. The burn did start a little wavy, but after the closed foot wrapper leaf was all gone, it straighten itself without a touch up. The body was medium to medium full. Getting toward the end of the fist third, the stout beer flavor subsided and made way for some nutty tastes that I would describe as walnut.

Second Half and Final Thoughts  

The second half of my Tatuaje Petite Havana Cazadores Reserva kept right on trucking the way the first half left off. The cigar was burning perfectly and the draw was producing smooth and mellow smoke. The up front flavors were black coffee mixed with walnut notes, and on the finish, just a slight black pepper spice. The body now reached well into the full range and I could feel some nicotine in my system, but not enough to make me feel uncomfortable or break a sweat even in this 90­° Ohio weather. When I got to right around the band, I had a few puffs that had some bitter tobacco flavors that woke me out of my nirvana for a minute, but those did not last and the stick finished back to the way it had been going. 

My final thoughts on the Tatuaje Petite Havana Cazadores Reserva (Pre Release)? I can sense that a lot of time has gone into the Havana Cazadores blend and the smoothness really is showcased by this size. I was not expecting such a smooth and mellow cigar from a brown label release, but that is what I got. From start to finish, it was undeniably relaxing and a pleasure to smoke. If this is any indication to what Pete might have done in the pre-release CG sticks I have to smoke, I know I am in for a good next few days.


Would I buy it again? This is one of the best small cigars I have smoked to date. I will definitely be picking up more of these.

Would I buy a box? If there was a battle between the new Verocu and the Petite Havana Cazadores Reserva for box purchasing by me, I'd have to go with the Cazadores. Definitely box purchase worthy.

Dan 
      

 

SERIES REVIEW: Tatuaje Verocu #5 (Pre Release)

Today's Pete Johnson pre-release cigar review is the Tatuaje Verocu #5. To my knowledge (please correct me if I'm wrong) this is not a limited edition cigar, but a full line release that will be produced on a regular basis. They come un-banded and in cabinets of 50 sticks. 

Some general info on the Verocu line from the New Havana Cigars website: The Verocu blend was created as an extension to the Havana VI line and was originally released as a regional stick - one size for the West Coast and one size for the East Coast and has since sold out.

Pete Johnson's blend in this cigar is a ramped up version of the Havana VI line with enough added ligero to justify Pete referring to it as "a Havana VI on steroids".

Due to the size of this cigar, this review is only in two parts instead of the traditional thirds. 

Specifics

Vitola: Petite Corona
Length: 4
Ring Gauge: 40
Wrapper: Nicaragua Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $4.25
Smoking Location: My back deck
Beverage: water

Pre-Light  

My Tatuaje Verocu #5 was a great looking little cigar. The wrapper was extremely smooth and consisted mainly of a solid medium brown color. When rolling this cigar around in my palm, I could tell that it was evenly packed and when pinching the stick from head to foot, I felt no soft spots. The cigar was slightly firm, but nothing that would give the impression of a tight draw. The pre-lit aroma was very leathery with a mild cedar scent sneaking in. The cap clipped easily and the cold draw was very mild. The draw itself was perfect for my preference, with a notable mix of raisin and a corky, woody flavor.

First Half 

POW! Right after putting flame to this little guy, I was punched in the face on the first draw with spice. Those who have smoked any of the Verocu line before will know exactly what I am talking about. That powerful Nicaragua black pepper zing was there in full effect. The cold draw flavors might have been mild; this flavor was not. The burn and draw were perfect, producing lots of smoke and, as you can see in the photo above, the ash was a very solid, bright white. After about an inch of this stick, the black pepper mellowed out a bit and I started picking up on a lot of rich leather notes on the front with some sweetened cinnamon flavor on the finish. The cinnamon flavor sat on the back on my tongue and lasted well over a minute between puffs. The body settled in the medium range.

Second Half and Final Thoughts

The end of the first half and the start of the second half of my Tatuaje Verocu #5 was all about rich, creamy leather flavors. The cinnamon had dissipated and the leather notes sat firmly on both the front and finish of each puff. Sometimes, when I have had very leathery tasting cigars in the past, they tend to leave my palate dry, but that was not the case with this stick. Each puff seemed to make my mouth water slightly and never had me reaching for my water. Towards the nub, the black pepper started to creep back into the profile and created a nice balance for the last few puffs. The body in the second half gained a bit more power and I would say sat in the medium to full range.

My final thoughts on the Tatuaje Verocu #5 (Pre Release)?  This is a great extension of the Verocu line and a great cigar for a short smoke. The powerful black pepper at the start really got this cigar off and flying, and the leather from midway on balanced the stick nicely and made for a smooth and enjoyable smoke.

Would I buy it again? I am sure I will be buying more of these little guys when they are available. I love a short cigar that is full flavor and not 100% one-dimensional. The construction was top notch and is another cigar from Tatuaje that you can clip, light, and go, without having to worry about re-lights or burn corrections.

Would I buy a box? A box purchase could be in the cards.

Dan

SERIES REVIEW: Pete Johnson 2010 Pre-Releases

Today I am announcing a new, very exciting series review project for Crooked Burn. For some of my long-time readers, you'll recall that, back in March, I did a series review of the full line of the (then newly-released) El Triunfador from Pete Johnson. I had a great time smoking all of the different sizes and really getting to know that blend. This series review will differ in that it won't be all cigars in the same line, but rather all new cigars from the same manufacturer. I am lucky enough (truly I believe that I am, and am humbled by it) to have in my possession most, if not all, of the new releases for next year from Pete Johnson. Before you ask, no. I don't have any samples of the ever-hyped new Halloween stick. I have to wait just like most everyone else. But what I do have is just as exciting to me.

Below is a list of the sticks I am going to be reviewing in the next two weeks: 

• Ambos Mundos Grande No. 1 5 1/2 x 56  Habano
• Ambos Mundos Grande No. 2 5 1/2 x 56  Sumatra
• Tatuaje Havana VI 5 1/2 x 56 Gordito
• El Triunfador 5 7/8 x 54 #7
• Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazador 5 5/8 x 46 7th Natural
• Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazador 5 5/8 x 46 7th Reserva (Broadleaf)
• Petit Tatuaje Reserva - 4 1/2 x 32 (Broadleaf)
• Tatuaje Petit Cazadores Reserva - 4 x 40 (Broadleaf)
• Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu No. 5 - 4 x 40 

All of my pre-release Tatuaje sticks come courteously from Dan (NHCDAN on twitter) owner of New Havana Cigars and sponsor of The Crooked Burn. A HUGE thanks to him as always for giving me the chance to smoke these sticks early, and a HUGE thanks to Pete Johnson for letting me post these reviews before the cigars hit the market. All of the cigars in this series review are not in stock at New Havana Cigars yet, nor are they available for sale. So please, my fellow BOTLs, do not bombard him with emails/phone calls looking to buy/get one to review.

As always, thanks for reading.

Dan

REVIEW: pre-Release Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary

Well, it's my turn with the pre-release samples of the Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary cigar.  If you are a normal reader of cigar blogs, there is little doubt you have heard about this cigar in the last week or so. Tony at Casa funmando reviewed the samples here, Chris from Nice Tight Ash reviewed them here, and, most recently, "The Great Torpedo" Jerry from Stogie Review posted his video review here. Instead of boring you with the same information intro to the stick these guys all have done fantastically, I'm just going to say thanks to Patrick Vivalo (@Pvivalo on twitter) and Nish Patel for sending these samples my way for review.

Specifics

Vitola: Robusto #2
Length: 5
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Jalapa, Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $9.50
Smoking Location: My back deck
Beverage: water

Pre-Light 

This first characteristic that stands out with the Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary is how tightly these cigars are box-pressed. When I looked at the foot of this cigar it appears to have 4 right angles on all edges, making it as close to a perfect rectangle as I have ever seen in a cigar. As you may have read in my other posts, I am not a huge box-pressed cigar fan, as I always seem to have burn issues with the shape. Hopefully this cigar will be different. After I got past the shape on the Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary, the color of the wrapper also really stood out to me. It wasn't so much the dark brown color that is unusual, but the consistency of the color. This wrapper was 100% the same tone of brown all the way around. The pre-lit aroma tasted like sweet, natural tobacco with a cold draw to match. Even with the tight box-pressed shape, the draw was basically free, if not with a slight resistance...just how I prefer my cigars.

First Third

The triple cap snipped off easily with my Palio cutter and lit effortlessly with my torch. Right out of the gate, the 15th Anniversary produced tons of smoke. The draw was perfect and the amount of flavor the stick was producing was grand. On the front end, I picked up some milder black pepper, which turned sweet after a few seconds, and then was rushed on the finish with strong cedar flavors. I have smoked a few Rocky Patel cigars in the past and this one was different from what I had experienced before. One thing to note with this stick, for sure, was the weak, flaky ash. You are going to want to ash after 4 or 5 puffs or risk wearing the ash all over your shirt. The burn was a little wavy, but didn't require any correcting. The body fell into the medium range.

Second Third

The first third of this stick was very enjoyable. The second third is where things started to take a different path. The nice mild pepper flavor I had been getting all but entirely fell off, with the cedar notes dissipating completely. In the place of those two flavors came a mild milk chocolate with a rather unpleasant bite on the finish. I'm not sure how to describe the bitterness, but it almost had a chemical taste to it. The cigar still burned beautify and the amount of smoke was great, but the flavors, especially on the finish, didn't sit well. The body was still in the medium range.

Final Third and Final Thoughts 

The final third of my  Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary continued on in the same fashion as the second third. The flavors up front were mild chocolate and the finish was bitter. Towards the nub of the stick, I did start to taste more of a black coffee flavor, but at that point, my palate was pretty beat up. On a positive note, the construction of this box-pressed cigar was top notch. I give props it to the rollers Rocky has working for him in his new factory. This cigar never needed any touch ups and, from start to finish, the draw was just where I like it.

My final thoughts on the Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary? It started so nicely, but after the first third, really took a dive. I'm not sure how long these cigars have had to age, and, yes, these are pre-release samples, so perhaps they aged even less than the official release sticks (July 30th is release day I think.) Personally, I think they could do with a bit more time on the shelf. The chemical bitterness I tasted might mellow with some more rest. If the cigar ages to into the first third of my experience, it will be a winner. Right now, for me, it is not. I want to say thanks again to Patrick and Nish at Rocky Patel cigars for sending me a few of these to try. I greatly appreciate their generosity, even if I didn't enjoy 100% of the cigar.

Would I buy it again? I am going to hold off on spending any of my cigar budget on these sticks for at least 6 months to a year.

Would I buy a box? At this time I would not buy a box.

Dan

REVIEW: Ambos Mundos Sumatra

I didn't have much time this week to smoke cigars, so I went digging into my cooler for something that I have smoked a bunch of -- after all, if I had to cut this stick short, I felt I could pretty much write the review from memory. Today's cigar is another stick from Pete Johnson (@tatuajecigars on twitter) and Don Pepin Garcia. The Ambos Mundos comes in two different wrappers (Nicaraguan Habano, Ecuadorian Sumatra) and both are designed to be long-filler budget sticks within the Pete Johnson lines of cigars. To achieve the price point, Pete used a lower-grade tobacco than he normally uses for his projects.

A Quote from the New Havana Cigars Website about the tobacco: Using a lesser grade tobacco of the same varieties used in other Tatuaje cigars, Ambos Mundos provides a great smoke at a great price point.  The lesser grade means that there may be color variations and such that didn't make the cut for other production sticks.  But these are hand rolled the same as their older siblings. 

Like I said before: I have smoked a fair share of these cigars, so it's safe to say I knew what to expect. This particular stick was given to me by Dan (@NHCDAN on twitter) in a promotional three pack that he had featured in a special months ago. Big thanks, as always, to Dan for the cigar. If anyone is looking to buy some Ambos Mundos, please visit his site New Havana Cigars and this link will take you to the Ambos Mundos page.

On to the review:

Specifics

Vitola: Robusto #2
Length: 5
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
Binder: Ecuador
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: Around $4.50 each in boxes of 25
Smoking Location: My back deck
Beverage: water

Pre-Light 

My Ambos Mundos was a very rustic looking cigar. The wrapper had a few different tones of brown in color and was quite toothy. When I rolled this cigar in the palm of my hand, I could tell that it was evenly packed, but it also has a few bumps here and there sticking up out of the filling under the wrapper and binder. This stick wasn't going to win any beauty pageants, however, what I did really like about the appearance of this stick is the band. In my professional opinion, this is how a simple,well designed band should look. The look is nothing flashy, yet it looks complete and professional. The pre-lit aroma coming off of my Ambos Mundos was woodsy and earthy. I clipped the single-capped head and the cold draw tasted of sweet tobacco with some nice peppery spice on the finish.

First Third

The first third of my Ambos Mundos started exactly how I remembered this cigar. The flavors were mild to medium in strength and tasted evenly of black pepper and leather. The finish on this cigar is a little rougher than you would expect of a Pete Johnson cigar. It tickled my throat a little bit harshly, but never lasted more than a few seconds, barely taking away from any enjoyment. The body of the cigar was medium with a burn, as you can see in the photo, pretty much as straight as you can get. These cigars might be made with a lower grade tobacco, but the Pepin/Johnson construction quality was not lessened at all.

Second Third 

The second third of my Ambos Mundos again brought no surprises to me. This stick was consistent to all the other Ambos Mundos cigars I have smoked and remained consistent to the first third. The flavor profile was set at an evenly balanced black pepper and leather. The strength of the flavors did increase maybe just slightly, but were in no way a overpowering presence on my palate. The finish seemed to clean up a bit  at this point into the cigar and I no longer got any discomfort in my throat. The burn was still perfect and the body of the stick remained a medium.

Final Third and Final Thoughts 

There is not much to add to this review in the final third that hasn't already be written above.  The flavors of my Ambos Mundos stayed consistent with the first and second third with black pepper and leather. The body was medium all the way through and the cigar never needed any touch ups with my lighter.

My final thoughts on the Ambos Mundos Sumatra? Well, I did have time to smoke my entire Ambos Mundos tonight and I'm happy to say I enjoyed the hour or so I had with it. I know this goes against a lot of my other reviews where I state that I like really complex cigars, because I honestly do prefer them that way, but the Ambos Mundos is a good, you-get-what-you-get, no-frills-no-shocker stick. I think these cigars are great for any new cigar smoker and great for when you have some friends over and just want to smoke something that will be good and not distracting. I see myself smoking some more of these at the football tailgates coming up this fall.

Would I buy it again? I will buy more of these cigars in the future. I don't think I would buy them to sit by myself and have a smoke, but I would buy them for parties or sharing with friends.

Would I buy a box? I would buy a box of these to share at a big event like a wedding or something like that because the price is very affordable. But just for smaller events, or my consumption, I'll stick to 5 packs.

Dan

REVIEW: Ashton VSG Illusion

The Ashton VSG (Virgin Sun Grown) is by far the most popular line in the Ashton brand of cigars. The VSG line gets consistent high rankings in all cigar media both here in the States and even across seas in a market dominated by Cuban cigars.

The story of the VSG line taken from the Ashton Website: The VSG is blended exclusively for Ashton by Carlos Fuente Jr. using 4 to 5 year old aged Dominican tobacco taken from the finest and most fertile plants. The distinct flavor of VSG comes from its wrapper grown on a private estate in Ecuador owned by the Oliva family where this proprietary wrapper leaf is grown for the Fuente Family exclusively for Ashton VSG. The leaf is taken from the higher primings and matures slowly by sunlight filtered through the region¹s natural cloud covering.

This particular stick was sent to me in a trade with fellow BOTL Joe (@jitzy8585 on twitter), Thanks Joe! Personally, this is my first time smoking a Ashton VSG Illusion size, so I couldn't wait to see what was in store for me.

Specifics

Vitola: Illusion
Length: 6.50
Ring Gauge: 42
Wrapper: Ecuador Sun Grown
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: Around $10 each
Smoking Location: My back deck
Beverage: water

Pre-Light  

The first thing I noticed about my Ashton VSG is that it has a slight box-pressed shape. I hadn't noticed this before when I stuck it in my cooler a few months ago, but when I inspected the stick more closely, it was not perfectly round. The wrapper was very toothy with a consistent medium brown color. There was one rather large vein running up the back of this stick that was pretty ugly, but I didn't foresee it causing burn issues. The cigar was evenly packed and gave an interesting aroma when held unlit to my nose. I picked up some strong scents of sweet vanilla with just a hint of what I would describe as orange peel. The cap clipped easily and the cold draw tasted similar to the aroma with strong flavors of vanilla with some of that orange peel coming through. Needless to say, it ranks up there with interesting cold draws in all the reviews I've done.

First Third 

Once evenly lit, my Ashton VSG opened up nicely with strong flavors -- the first of which was a rich creamy mocha flavor that seemed to melt over my taste buds leaving my mouth feeling very saturated. To balance the richness of this taste, there was a spicy clove flavor on the intimidate finish that helped cut any of the heaviness that the initial flavor could have left. What was even more interesting was after sitting for around a minute between puffs and after the spice had worn off, I started to pick up a sweetened black coffee flavor hiding in the background. This Ashton VSG was starting off very complex and creating a very exciting, enjoyable start. The burn on the cigar was slow and perfectly straight with the body settling in the medium range.

Second Third

The strong flavors at the start of my Ashton VSG seemed to stay pretty true to the first third except the sweetened black coffee taste was more dominate on the finish. I was still getting a lot of creamy mocha hits on in the front of each puff, with a little of the spicy clove on the finish, but most of that spice was now covered by the coffee. One thing to note that I didn't mention earlier is the ash characteristics. My Ashton VSG had a weak ash that held on for maybe half an inch. This didn't take away from my smoking experience, but I like to note these things for anyone smoking a VSG inside. Don't try for a long ash or you could very easily make a mess of your carpet. Towards the end of the second third, the body of this stick really started to ramp up and I would place it into the full body range.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

The final third of my Ashton VSG was different than the first two thirds. Most of the flavor I was getting from the start of the stick dropped off and changed to a very strong roasted nut flavor. Most of the time I can pick up roasted peanuts and flavors close to that in cigars, but this was more of a roasted hazelnut or almond taste. Burning further into the final third, the mocha and spicy clove flavors were completely gone and left only a balance of the roasted hazelnut taste on the front with sweetened black coffee on the finish. The flavor profile was reminding me of something you could pick up at any local cafe for your morning caffeine fix. The body now sat heavily in the full range and I could feel the nicotine kick in. It was strong, but not overpowering enough to make me uncomfortable or take away from the experience.

My final thoughts on the Ashton VSG Illusion? This was really a treat to smoke. If you have read any of my reviews before, you will know I like a cigar that is complex and has a lot of different flavors. The Ashton VSG came in with flying colors in this aspect. Pair that with solid construction from start to finish and a nice amount of strength, and I say we have a winner. Do yourself a favor and grab a few of these soon and smoke them on a nice evening. I think you will enjoy yourself.

Would I buy it again? I absolutely will buy more of these sticks. They are a little pricey but picking up a handful is not out of the question.

Would I buy a box? I think these are box worthy if you can round up the cash. For me, I'll be sticking to 5 packs for now.

Dan