Ashton Heritage Churchill Cigar Staff Review
Ashton Heritage Puro Sol is a hidden gem of sorts. It resides in the world-renowned Ashton portfolio. You could say it’s tough to stand out in the company of dozens of top-rated, top-selling cigars like Ashton VSG, Ashton Classic, Ashton ESG, and Ashton Symmetry. Heritage holds its own, though. The cigar has been rated 90 points or higher fourteen times in Cigar Aficionado, in addition to making two appearances in the ‘Top 10 Cigars of the Year.’
The blend debuted in 2003 after the Cigar Boom had officially cooled down. Ashton was well-established by then as a premium brand blended by legendary father-and-son cigar-makers Carlos Fuente Sr. and Carlito Fuente. When Ashton Heritage premiered, Ashton Classic was a top-selling mild Dominican blend around the world, and the full-bodied Ashton VSG had pioneered a shift in the industry towards richer, heartier, and more full-flavored cigars.
Ashton Heritage straddles the middle ground with a complex medium-bodied profile easily appreciated by a wide variety of cigar lovers. Today, the blend is drawn from an oily gingerbread-hued Ecuador Habano wrapper leaf and a patiently aged pairing of premium Dominican binder and filler tobaccos grown on Fuente family estates. The collection is handcrafted in five classic shapes. I am indulging in the Churchill with its well-made 6.75 x 48 dimensions.
Visually, the cigar is immaculate. The wrapper is smooth, not veiny, and shimmers with a touch of oil. You can tell Heritage is made to the impeccable standards Carlito Fuente expects of his cigar-rollers. The cold aroma resounds with leather and nuts. The initial taste on the lips is woody, rich, and alluring. A couple of cold draws hint at the chewy, sweet, and smoky flavors ahead.
Upon lighting up, copious notes of walnuts, cocoa, and leather layer the palate. Signature Fuente spices emerge with an underlying cinnamon zest. The tangy intro fades in favor of well-rounded notes of earth, leather, and nuts which settle in and bathe the senses by the end of the first third. The construction and draw are superb while a nice white-and-gray ash develops and stays intact at the foot.
Like all Fuente-made cigars, Ashton Heritage expresses perfect density with an excellent attention to the ratio between binder, filler, and wrapper tobaccos. As the halfway point approaches, notes of woody spices, almonds, and leather fully define the cigar. The blend is a magnificent selection when you can’t make up your mind to smoke something stronger or milder. Ashton Heritage isn’t the first cigar I would choose to smoke with coffee in the morning – but I could. Equally, it will keep up with a neat pour of Macallan Single Malt after dinner.
As the final third of my Ashton Heritage Churchill unfolds, it’s become succulent, creamy, and complex with welcome Fuente family hallmarks of cedar, pepper, and sweetness. The best Dominican cigars resonate without becoming bitter. Heritage is no exception and beckons one to smoke it past the band. I’m scoring Heritage at 94 points for its captivating taste and aroma and a well-composed finish. Add Ashton Heritage to your collection today. It’s an ideal cigar to share with friends and family you count as fellow aficionados over the holidays.
