Ashton VSG Spellbound Review

VSG Spellbound
Made by: Ashton
Wrapper : Ecuadorian
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Vitola: Spellbound (7 1/2 by 54)

This review is going to go hand and hand with our recent Ashton event. And what better to review then Ashton’s flagship of power and flavor, the VSG. The spellbound is a monster of a cigar coming in at 7 and a half inches by 54 ring gauge. Let’s see what this cigar has to offer with an Ashton VSG Spellbound Review.

Prelight

Very firm and even pack, boxed pressed almost to the point of this cigar being classified as a square. The wrapper is by no means perfect, a couple blemishes here and there. The foot exudes a very pungent cocoa and spice note. The seams are barely visible, and piggybacking on the wrappers aesthetics, there are lots of big veins. Well applied cap, this is usually effected during the pressing process, but this is sturdy and has no visible issues. Very clean cut and no loose tobacco on the foot. The cap did partially fall off. But I doubt that will be a problem. The prelight draw reveals a strong barnyard and mixed nut note followed by a light raisin on the finish.

1/3

There is a wide range of pepper notes present on the retrohale. Light leather and macadamia nut on the front. The mix of pepper is well balanced on the finish and leaves a light tingle on the lips. Medium to full body and low strength, I expect the strength to rise. Plenty of thick creamy smoke that does play into the profile on the finish. There is a subtle woodsy note in the center of the profile, an oak but it gets blended into the macadamia nut. Promising complexity in the cigar at this point and absolutely holds up to the expectations you have with the Ashton name. As the first third develops, the nut note has included cashew into the flavor. There is a sweet cocoa coming in on the finish with the mixed pepper notes. Wow that’s a lot going on, the nice aspect of that complexity is that the notes are still strong enough to be singled out. As I near the end of the first third, this is the full profile; leather and a macadamia/cashew followed by an oak and a light cocoa and mixed pepper on the finish. Currently at a low-medium strength, wonderful profile.

2/3

At the start on the second third the nuttiness has risen to control the front, and the sweet cocoa has risen and almost wiped the pepper out on the finish. It is full body now and medium strength. One note, the ash is very flaky and falling off in inch and a half chunks. The oak accompanied by a cedar note has appeared and hidden the mixed nuts now. The mixed black/white/cayenne pepper note on the finish has come up over the sweet cocoa. And the strength is just rising slowly, not a perfect burn but the profile absolutely makes up for that. Toward the end of the second third the mixed nut notes have risen back over the woodsy notes. And the mixed pepper flavor remains on the finish. The strength has actually fallen back down to a low medium at this point and the body remains at a full.

3/3

As the last third begins the mixed nut note has become dominate again, cashew and salted peanuts at this point. The sweet cocoa has returned above the pepper on the finish. Medium to full body and low to medium strength. The burn has actually evened out and is great currently. As the cigar reached the end of the last third it began to get warm and squishy. The leather reappeared and took over the profile at the nub, there was still sweet cocoa and mixed pepper on the finish. Wonderful complexity, this cigar has been an entertaining smoke with lots of transitions and a wide variety of notes throughout.

Smoke Time: 2 hours

Conclusion: 92

My only complaint was the burn line and the cap. Other than that this cigar was magnificent. The transitions, complexity, and flavors were superb. This is a must smoke if you have not had it before. Full bodied and medium strength, with a plethora of flavors too long to include in this summary of the cigar. Great event from Ashton, looking forward to the next one.

Click on the picture to find this cigar at anthonyscigars.com