Ashton Symmetry

By Tony Casas | May 11, 2015

The Ashton Symmetry is the first cigar we’ve seen from Ashton on Casas Fumando for a while now, and I couldn’t wait to fire them up.

The Good Stuff:

Last year Ashton announced that they would be releasing the Ashton Symmetry, the first addition to the Ashton line is nearly 8 years. The Symmetry is being produced by Arturo Fuente utilizing an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and Fuente-grown tobacco from their Chateau de la Fuente and Villas Gonzales farms in the Dominican Republic as well as tobacco from the Un Buen Vecino farm in Esteli, Nicaraguan which is also owned by the Fuente family. The Ashton Symmetry is offered in four box-pressed sizes: Belicoso (5 1/4 x 52), Prestige (6 3/4 x 49), Prism (5 5/8 x 46), and the Robusto (5 x 52). All sizes come packaged in boxes of 25 and will run you between $11.50 to $12.75 a stick. Not a whole lot of these hit shelves, and many have already been sold out for the time being. I was lucky enough to get a handful of these from our friends Fox Cigar Bar in Gilbert, Arizona. They should still have plenty in stock so hit them up.

Size: 5 5/8 x 46
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Not Specified
Filler: Dominican / Nicaraguan
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium
Price: $11.50
Pairing: Brouwerij Huyghe Delirium Deliria (Belgian Blonde Ale 8.5%)

Prelight:

The Ashton Symmetry starts out with an absolutely beautiful wrapper. The wrapper is a medium to dark brown color, with some really rugged looking aspects. There is lots of dark, natural webbing scattered throughout the wrapper leaf, a few small veins, and a really rough/toothy texture with some slight oils. The entire cigar feels a bit spongy and loose, and it almost takes on a box-pressed type shape (which at first I don’t think is intentional, but as a reader pointed out they are actually soft box-pressed, and one of the “softest” box pressed I’ve seen yet). The Ashton Symmetry is polished off with a round double cap and a crazy designed band with lots of glitz and glam along with the Ashton crest and the Symmetry statement.

The wrapper on the Ashton Symmetry gives off a very sweet mixture of aromas including lots of cedar and some soft spice while the foot of the cigar is much more muted only teasing me with a soft, natural tobacco scent. The cap cut very easily using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw is very oaky/cedary with lots of sweetness and grainy goodness.

 

First Third:

The Ashton Symmetry starts off with some surprising black pepper which took almost no time to fizzle out. The flavors underneath are some sharp cedar, sweet tobacco, honey, spice, and some great pecan. The draw on this thing is incredible, every little puff kicks out tons of thick, white smoke. The Symmetry is a smoke machine as it continues to pour out gobs of it even while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin and dead solid leaving behind a tightly compacted trail of white ash which held on for about an inch and a half before giving way.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Ashton Symmetry and the cedar has really taken over. With the strong cedar is some strong sweetness, lots of spice, honey, and pecan with an interesting black tea flavor creeping in. The burn line is still perfectly even and burning like a champ. The retrohale is very smooth coating my nasal passage with some great cedar and strong spice while the strength in the cigar lies in the medium arena as I close out the second third without any signs of nicotine.

Finish:

The Ashton Symmetry is still burning nice, and bold in the final third. Some floral flavors have kept their way in but the cedar and spice are still rocking hard with some subtle honey, sweetness, and pecan. It took me close to an hour and a half to smoke the Symmetry down to the nub and I experience absolutely no harshness nor nicotine kick. I never once had to reach for my lighter either, the cigar burned absolutely solid the entire time.

Overview:

I’ve always enjoyed the strong cedar-fronted flavor profiles of the Ashton cigars, the VSG and ESG series especially, but he Symmetry brings it, plus adds a bit more punch in terms of a bolder flavor profile. This cigar rocked. I really enjoyed it as I have been a big fan of Ashton for quite sometime and only wished they’d have something with that extra “ummph” and the Symmetry has got it. If you’re an Ashton fan, and enjoy their cigars, then the price tag isn’t at all daunting, if you’re a novice looking for a great ultra-premium cigar that delivers in every aspect then it’s a great place to drop your coin. This is something I’d love having in my regular rotation and I can see myself possibly grabbing a box, or a box split very easily.

Pairing:

Delirium Deliria is brewed by Brouwerij Huyghe, and strictly by women at the brewery and released annually to celebrate international Women’s day. I figured, Mother’s day is close enough right? This Belgian Strong Blonde Ale comes in at a whopping 8.5% ABV. The Deliria pours bright gold with a thick, white head, and some great spicy/citrus aromas. The first taste is very spicy with some great sweetness, honey, and a oaty/grainy mixture of flavors. The beer leads into a very light/champagne-like mouthfeel before finishing with some nice citrus, spice, and even more sweetness and just a touch of booziness. It paired wonderfully with the Ashton Symmetry as the spice, sweetness, honey and oats married up with the existing flavors in the cigar while the citrus added a bit of extra complexity. I’d also pair this cigar with almost any Belgian strong ale, wee-heavy, or sweet ruby port.