Ashton Consummate Gentleman

My brother actually had a tin of this lying around and I was surprised by how well it smokes. It is has a nice traditional flavor and surprisingly pleasant room note. It didn't blow me away and I didn't find to flavor to be all that complex or interesting, but maybe I just don't know what I am talking about. Seeing as I didn't pay for the tin, I can't complain about the price but looking at retailers online, it definitely seems a bit overpriced for what you are getting. If you don't mind that, I would pick up a tin.

I think I've said this before: like other Ashton blends I've sampled, as well as their cigars, Ashton is nothing to write home about, hardly memorable & way overpriced. This is not a bad blend, but C & D & McC offer much better English styled mixtures than this at better value. And if you prefer honest to goodness English, stick with Dunhill. If status is what you seek, then be impressed by the Ashton label. Buy this if your local tobacconist is selling his last tins at deep clearance prices. Otherwise, why bother? Yawn!

Two of five stars

p.s. 'consumate' is spelled 'consummate'.

This "ASHTON" is the european version,not the McClelland version.I really taste Kohlhasse&Kopf in this blend. The tin says "MADE IN EU" The best way to describe this shag/ribbon cut mixture is a "EUROPEAN CORNELL&DIEHL English blend. I say that because it has that distinct Virginia/Latakia flavor common to Euro blends,but the Burley in this gives it a very unique and quirky type of flavor.This has an almost toasty/nitty quality to it.I like Latakia,and although the tin says"a pinch of Latakia" trust me,there is more than a pinch.It is a medium English with a nice burley flavor to it.The blend never gets hot,although it was a little dry for my taste when I opened the tin.I "shpritzed" it with distilled water like I do with my C&D blends. A good all day English.This I would classify as a very high quality "BULK BLEND" in a tin.A great characteristic of this tobacco is the room note-it dissipates very quickly -within seconds. It will not offend anyone around you.This may not be earth shattering,but it really is very good.A nice adventure into THE ENGLISH BLEND FROM EUROPE THAT TASTES LIKE AN AMERICAN ENGLISH BLEND! A little expensive $9.75 per tin,but I did not feel I overpaid. Give it a try if you like Cornell&Diehl products.This one has a european twist to it. 3 of 4 English stars.

Appearance: The 50-gram tin of tobacco had an excise stamp reading "Q2 2021." There is no release date for a known reason - importers of Kohlhase & Kopp tobacco put their own label on the bottom, which has no date overprint. The tobacco is an even cut of different varieties ribbons that are easily distinguishable. The tones of the blend are significantly lighter than in Artisan's Blend - not a surprise there is obviously less latakia in the composition, other dark tobaccos present in Artisan's Blend (cavendish, Kentucky and perique) are absent at all, and bright Virginias are somewhat more abundant. In addition, Consummate Gentleman, besides Latakia and Virginia blend, has bright Burley and light brown Maryland tobacco, which is worth mentioning in particular, as it is a rare bird in current tobacco blends, and there is not much information about it in the network. Maryland tobacco, named after the area where it was first cultivated, is somewhat similar to burley, but has a number of unique properties. It is very lush and significantly lighter. It also has a slight strength and an almost neutral aroma and flavor. These properties, some blenders claim, allow it to be used as a filler when you want to reduce the burn rate without severely affecting the flavor and taste of the blend. Finally, this tobacco has one of the highest pH levels, and this fact makes it a good component in order to reduce the acidity of Virginias. This is why it was used in American and Swiss cigarette blends in the days when cigarettes were made from tobacco.

Flavor: a small amount of latakia does not let it unfold - there is only a hint of peat in the aroma, although the smokiness and slightly sour leather flavor are clearly felt. Almost on par with them is a sweetish flavor, but not fruity, but woody, as from birch sap. In the distant background, along with barely noticeable spice, there is a faint pine note, which is quite atypical for tobacco blends. I suspect this light flavor is given by a mixture of single notes of Maryland, burley, and latakia. The overall bouquet seemed very familiar, but it took me inhaling it with my eyes closed for about a minute to realize what it reminded me of - a country bathhouse! Pine wood in the stove, steamed birch broom, all this is passed through the "prism" of water steam... That's how "Gentleman" is!

Taste: initially seems simple and straightforward. The very light smokiness given by the latakia is almost interrupted by the various woody tones of the burley, maryland and virginia bundle, supported by rather unobtrusive herbal and barely noticeable fruity notes. On the retrohale, however, there is an interesting moment - the mix of tobaccos gives a light ‘pine’ note with a peculiar spicy taste, similar to the taste of pine tar. Initially there is a certain roughness in the tobacco, which completely disappears only by the middle of the pipe. The tobacco gathers into a single bouquet - a little bit woody, a little bit spicy, a little bit sweet with a very light smoke. As you smoke, the sweetness goes away, but the other notes don't intensify, regardless of the shape of the pipe. Overall, the taste is quite simple but enjoyable. The blend smokes medium-hot, requires some attention, losing taste and starting to become bitter when overheated. The strength of the tobacco is somewhat below average - I don't think you can expect a nicotine hit even in a very large pipe, but given my sensitivity to burley, I didn't take any risk. The tobacco burns out completely into a very light ash, leaving virtually no moisture in the pipe. The aftertaste is grassy and woody, not persistent.

The smoke has a light woody smell with even lighter incense flavor, quickly dissipates in the room.

What's the bottom line? "I am not what I seem at first sight" - perhaps this expression is appropriate in relation to the hero of our review. The seeming simplicity of the aroma and taste reveals a rather interesting side of blend as you smoke it. If this blend could be a bit sweeter and easier to taste, I would recommend it to those Virginia lovers who want to try latakia, as a morning blend or for introduction. But as it turns out, even the lack of orientals in this blend doesn't make it any less interesting for those who prefer English blends as well.

This will be another of my reviews comparing current stock versus cellared stock. But this time the differences are mostly attributable to changes in ingredients, rather than effects of aging. This brings up an important talking point, and why, whenever I’m doing research on a new blend I may interested in trying, I always use the “newest” sorting option on TR rather than looking at the default setting based on “most helpful.” Doesn’t matter if a review has a hundred “most helpful” votes if the product reviewed bears little resemblance to the product you might be buying. I’m not sure the best way to get around this problem other than what I just suggested because the older reviews may still serve a purpose if somebody comes across on older supply. I encourage reviewers to update their submissions when significant changes occur, but in the meantime I consider these older and out-of-date reviews a net negative to the value of the TR database and rating system.

I’ll say upfront that I prefer the production with Syrian Latakia, but that isn’t to say that somebody with a discerning palate might actually prefer the Cyprian. However, it is important to know the differences, and I don’t see any discussion of this going on. Besides the issue of Latakia, there may be some other minor changes that have occurred at Kohlhase and Kopp with regards to the Virginias used. These last few years since the Covid pandemic have found manufacturers scrambling for new suppliers as quality Virginia in the U.S. has greatly diminished, and African sources are prone to political strife.

My older tin from 2014 was one of the last to use Syrian Latakia. Any reviews you see posted up till about 2018 may have been from lingering supply of this older production. My tin had almost seven years aging in tin + two years in Mason jar, and is now down to just a few remaining bowls. The new tin I purchased during the recent Black Friday sales has been open about a month now. Oddly, and this could (but won’t) be another huge tangential detour, when I compared a bowl fresh from the new tin against the older jar I was relieved that the differences didn’t seem that significant and that overall continuity of character had been achieved with this transition.

Now, in preparation for this review, I conducted three direct A-B sessions, one using meers, the others using my two best briars, rested a week, then reversed to insure the impression were based on the tobacco and not the pipes. In all pipes the differences were obvious from first light until the end of the bowl.

The older version has flavors that sometimes mimic characteristics of Turkish tobaccos, has more overtones, more subtle nuances of a distinctive nuttiness that I enjoy (pine nuts, sunflower seeds), and some subtle baking spices that remind me of German Lebkuchen (molasses, ginger, brown sugar). It is this distinctive baking spice note that I attribute to the Syrian, and looking at my old notes, these flavors were apparent when I first popped the seven year old tin. There is also an underlying sweetness to the Virginias which is lacking in the new version. Some of this may be age, but I suspect more Maryland and golden Virginia was used in the older version, possibly aged longer in-house, and maybe less Burley was used. Lots of possibilities for the cause, but the end result is obvious.

The new tin has a quick hit of soapiness which then subsides. The first part of the bowl has flavors of chargrilled meat and burnt almonds which gives a slightly acrid note now and then. I found the best results to smoke for a few minutes then let it sit for another a few minutes before relighting, at which point everything seems smoother and the acrid note gone. At its best this lacks the overtones and nuance of the earlier production but has instead greater weight and creaminess of texture on the palate (which may in fact act as a dampening blanket to those more delicate nuances). Some smokers may actually prefer this. This new Cyprian blend is clearly more Latakia dominant, and puts this clearly in the after dinner camp, whereas the earlier version was a gentler, more contemplative afternoon sipper for me.

Verdict: the Syrian version is a 3.5+ blend for me which I would have rounded up to four stars. The newer version has more mid-palate weight and seems a better choice for an after-dinner session. It lacks that distinctive spice that makes the Syrian version come to life for me, but further aging to soften the more prominent Latakia may help to reveal hidden nuances. For now this is now more of a three star experience for me.

Just the perfect blend. Not too mild, not too strong. Once again, Ashton did not disappoint. Tried it with different pipes and was amazing every time. Will definitely be in my top five.

Consummate Gentleman

English? Eeehh ... To me this is Carter Hall if it went off to Oxford and came back with a degree and an English accent. Unassuming, simple, while not lacking in depth. From packing to lighting and burning, it behaves well.

Smooth and slightly creamy thanks to the VA and pinch of Latakia, those qualities pair well with its rounded caramel sweetness and nutty, cocoa characteristics on the tail end of the tongue and into the retro hale.

Because of the absence of Oriental leaf and addition of Maryland and Burley, I wouldn’t say this is a characteristic English like Presbyterian or Squadron Leader. It’s more burley forward in its round taste and strength. I would recommend this blend to Burley-philes wanting to delve into English blends or to English lovers looking for a gentle entryway into Burley blends.

I was disappointed with my first experience with this tobacco. However a week later with many bowls smoked Consummate Gentleman has grown on me. It has a wonderful nutty like flavor that leaves an after taste that really makes this tobacco memorable. A good way to start the day the flavors will stay with you until your next smoke. Highly recommend drinking a strong bitter coffee as the flavors will compliment each other and make the experience unforgettable.

Been smoking a pipe for about 6 months now. When I first smoked this, I thought it was quite tasty, but now it comes across as quite mild. I prefer the stablemate Artisan's Blend to this. 2.5 for me.

Update: 2019-07-04. Continuing to smoke the remainder of the tin, I do find this to be nuanced. If I take the advice of more seasoned commenters here and slow down to achieve a cooler smoke, I may find a point midway between mild and tasty.