Ashton Old Dog

I like Old Dog the most of Ashton English blends, however it is somewhat lacking. It is a nice start on an English/Scottish blend with the Orientals coming in beautifully, and the Latakia and Black Cavendish working in good harmony. The Virginias are a disappointment. I would expect something from McClelland would have a little better Virginia presence than this. Were I able to improve this, I would use a more noticeable Virginia (perhaps removing some Cavendish so it is not overly sweet) and add more Xanthi to keep its position on the palate the same. For all the grousing though, I find it to be a companionable bowl. It?s a fine choice for an all day blend on par, I think, with McCranie's Murdock's Pipe.

You can definitely taste the McClelland hand on this tobacco, and it ain't bad. Not a full English, but it gets near, not a Balkan, due to a lack of deepness from the oriental part, it is a latakia-oriented blend reminding the Frog Morton series, as many here below has detected. It's a good tobacco, but it's something in the middle between the tobaccos you always want to be at home and the ones you won't even look at the tin anymore; something you can't decide if to buy again or not!

This Old Dog has "fleas." I have to agree with the two esteemed reviewers below me.

revised 06-17-2005

This is a variation of "Frog Morton" but with more vanilla added. When I first left the world of aromatics, I didn't notice the humectants used in a lot of blends, but now as my palate has had more practice, the topping and humenctant used in this blend is very off-putting with a bitterness that I just can't get by. So now, I just can't smoke this blend anymore. I do believe that this is also a repackaged version of "Chesdin" Mixture. I supppose if you are crossing over from aromatics, you might enjoy this blend, especially since this still uses quality leaf. But as for me and my pipes, no mas...

Nose: A strange and mild puree of smell ranging from vinegar, to tobacco by way of ketchup. Quite odd, it provokes a double take: is this supposed to be an aromatic?

On the palate it also very mild: so much that it is hard to discern the various tobaccos in the symphony. Wait, its not a symphony at all --its someone snoring! The casing and Prolypilene Glycol treatment overwhelmed the tobacco aromas. People call this an English, but that type of tobacco is by definition, supposed to be mercifully devoid of additives, and this is not the case here. Lets call this Americanized English as in perverted. On the plus side, you can smoke this all day, since it is one of the most supremely unchallenging tobacco out there --asuming you don't mind additives.

As others have mentioned, this is similar to FMOTT (too similar for me). For the price, and considering the first tin of this I had was 5 years old, I do not feel obliged to buy any more. Tasty, but FMOTT (and its bulk counterpart) is easier to get and cheaper too!

Save your money!

After being utterly disappointed with Celebrated Sovereign, why did I try Old Dog? It must be the Ashton cigars that I enjoyed in the 1990s. Ashton must produce a decent pipe tobacco. If so, after a second try, I have not yet found it. As many of the reviews suggested, I let this tobacco dry a bit before venturing forth. The smell of the tin was very nice as was the ribbon cut and its colour. I initially thought that this Old Dog may give my staunch Latakia No. 2 hound a run for its money. This Old Dog cannot run, though, or even hobble, and after a few bowls it was ready to be put to sleep. Sadly, the only burial fit for this animal was a quick flush down the loo to bark legless after some goldfish.

From the tin notes, you would expect this to be a Latakia powerhouse. I beg to differ. While this is deeper than its brother Celebrated Sovereign, it is brighter than Frog Morton. It is possible that it's Latakia content is as great as FM, but there is a lively, zesty Virginia component present that makes this quite different. (Mind you, I like FM, but it is darker, and a bit more sweet/aromatic).

To be honest, I don't love Latakia. And I don't smoke this very often. But every time that I pull this out of the drawer, especially when I'm heading out for a snowy dog-walk, I am charmed by this blend. As with all Ashtons, this features a stellar Virginia backbone - McClelland Virginias, but deeper than usually found in Mc blends. While my taste buds are usually deadened by Latakia halfway through a bowl, this blend never does. This is one of five Latakia blends that I will always keep on hand (along with GLP Renaissance, Dunhill EMP, Mc 2020 and Clan Shaw Mountain).

Warning this "review" is by a 6-month newbie, who doesn't yet have a palette. Having said that, I am disapointed in Old Dog. I read great reviews, but to me it just seems like a "watered down" version of FMOTT.

OK, OK I promise not to impart my impecable wisdom until 3 bowls. It is definately growing on me. There is some spicyness here that I missed the first go round. I will be smoking this more often.