Stogie Reviews: Ashton Aged Maduro No. 10
30 Jul 2007
The Ashton Aged Maduro No. 10 is a five inch by 50 ring gauge robusto from the only Ashton line of maduro cigars. Featuring a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper and a Dominican binder, these dark maduros, like all Ashtons, are handmade under the watchful eyes of the Fuentes in the Dominican Republic.
According to the manufacturer’s website, the line is aged in sherry finished oak barrels. Taking in the flavors prior to lighting, I found a sweet aroma with some floral notes.
This robusto’s maduro wrapper is dark, rustic, and oily with many prominent veins. Despite all the oils, the its taste prior to lighting is almost flavorless.
After clipping the cigar and carefully lighting it, I was greeted with a bitter-sweet chocolate flavor and a dry finish. Additionally there are some nutty notes in this medium- to full-bodied smoke.
The construction is good, with a firm (but not at all difficult) draw, and a fairly even burn. The light gray ash was solid and held for over an inch before it required a light tap and gently fell off.
As I continued smoking, the flavor remained consistent until the two-thirds point when the cigar suddenly upped the amount of smoke it produced. At the same time, some woody cedar notes revealed themselves.
Overall, the No. 10 is an exceptionally well-balanced cigar that retails for around $8 – not an outstanding value, but a reasonable price for special occasions.
For its impressive balance and great flavor, the Ashton Aged Maduro No. 10 earns a rating of four out of five stogies.
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Tags: cigars
Patrick Ashby
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief
Patrick Semmens
Co-Founder & Publisher
George Edmonson
Tampa Bureau Chief
I love the Ashton Maduro, for a long time it's all I smoked. They do vary from cigar to cigar in flavor (which is kind of a surprise), and it sounds like you got an average one. I smoked one of these recently and got an awesome pronounced nougat flavor. (Yeah, like the stuff in candy bars.) I love them like that, but many of them don't quite get there.
It's discouraging to hear that the Ashton Maduros vary from stick to stick. I consider consistency to be a significant component of quality and a major justification for paying a premium for a cigar.
I would suggest trying the No. 40. I have had no issues with cigar-to-cigar differences. Last time I enjoyed one of these I paired it with a Chocolate bar and it was a sublime experience. Depending on your taste preferences, I consider these worth the “premium” price.