Ashton Gold Rush

This new Ashton blend tasted a bit "new." Not really a good thing for tobacco. Still, it certainly has the potential to age well in the tin.

If you enjoy a somewhat tangy, light and lemony Virginia, this will be a bell ringer. I found the flavor to be somewhat light and the nicotine content is low.

Caution: Smoke it slowly.

After Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake introduced me to the world of straight Virginias, I seeked a companion that can be on the mild side, so I may consider it an all-day smoke (FVF is more of an evening smoke for me). Plus, Ashton makes good tobaccos and this one was next in line after their excellent Englishes.

Gold Rush presents itself in nuances of light and dark brown colors, which makes me believe there's more than one type of Virginia in this blend. The cut is more of a loose cut than a ribbon. You have ribbons, some chunky bits and pieces of broken flakes. The tin note? It smells like a Virginia. It's sweet, grassy, with a pretty noticeable honey odor, plus an almost fermented flagrance. Comes pretty moist in the tin, but not too bad. 30 minutes of drying time is more than enough.

Mechanically, if dried properly, shouldn't pose too many problems. Packs well, lights well, stays lit nicely and only required a handful of relights. Doesn't bite, smokes dry and pretty cool for a Virginia. However, there's one problem caused by the cut: it burns a little too fast. The pipe of choice has a decently sized bowl and filled should smoke for at least one and a half hour with a good ribbon; two hours or more with a flake or broken flake. This one was finished in about one hour.

Once you light it and get it under control, you can start enjoying the flavor. And this one has what you would expect from a straight VA: sweet, grassy, hay-ish, slight citrusy taste. I detect a faint hint of honey, though I'm not sure if that's the topping or if it comes from the natural sweetness of the Virginia leaf. But, overall, a sweet smoke and pretty even throughout the bowl, though it can turn a bit acrid/sour as you're getting close to the heel.

In the end, it's a pretty mild and a nice, pleasant, sweet smoke. It's a good offering from Ashton. Definitely an all-day smoke and can be a good initiation for someone who has never smoked a straight Virginia before, but I would also recommend it to Virginia lovers who want to smoke something mild. The cut didn't allow me to enjoy it longer, which is a pity, but I will still recommend it.

Ashton - Gold Rush.

Update, 25/07/18.

The blend's borderline broken flake. None of it requires a further rubbing but it's coarser than a standard ribbon cut. As you'd expect from a Virginia, the contents are medium brown with a few lighter flecks.

The smoke from it's high quality. There's a light fruity note, citrus, on top of sweet Virginias, with a touch of honey-sweetness. The Virginias don't have a sharp, grassy, flavour alone. As a bowl burns they develop more of a ripe, tangy, tartness, and become more satisfying. The smoke from it's medium in temperature, delivered from a consistent burn, and only bites when really pushed.

Nicotine: medium at a push. Room-note: pleasant.

Gold Rush? My original take wasn't that high, but I've retyped as I find it a good smoke. Recommended:

Three stars.

I'm giving this 4 stars, I could have said, "3". But I love a light VA without a heavy casing. To me it's a more refined MacB's No.1 Va. Less sugary and the cut is golden flakes as opposed to broken flake. It was quite dry from the tin, which is great to smoke but I wonder with such lack of moisture in the tin how well it might age. It has a wonderful fresh citrus lemon taste, and not sour at all, just a hint of the honey in the background. It's simplicity and gentleness is it's strength. I love my darker aged and stoved VA's, but this is wonderful for the morning or summer strolls. I think it is very unfair to call this an aromatic or even a semi-aro, I wish other blends where as honest as this. Young leaf with a hint of lemon. Try some it will put some spring in the air.

Yes...Gold Rush is well done. It comes by as being a 100% Virginia mixture. There is no nuttiness or hint suggesting the use of Burley. If there is (and I am confident there is none), it is really no more than a small pinch; barely enough to fool me. Upon opening, I see lemon, bronze and probably what looks like a bit of red virginias as well. Mostly a ribbon cut, there is also pieces of flakes, darker in colour, suggesting stoved Virginias. I have no idea how old my tin was when I acquired it. However, it is labelled as of March 2016. Considering the tobacco was ready to smoke the day after opening, I suspect it has been tinned a few years prior. A. Strength: Strength refers to the intensity of the nicotine. Gold Rush is mild on the nicotine. B. Flavouring: The tin aroma does reveal some citrus and hay; but I cannot say I detect any honey. I would be surprised there is any added flavourings. If there are, they are subtle. C. Taste: Upon lighting up, nothing much happens at first. Past the first quarter, Gold Rush offers a very good quality, adequately aged Bronze and Lemon virginias taste: soft flavours of hay, citrus and, yes, maybe something very slightly sweet that reminds me of honey. It is never big ( which is perfectly normal, considering the type of Virginias used); thus, to get the best out of it, you must pay attention. If not, it will come by as being bland. D. Room Note: Gold Rush releases a soft and pleasant room note which is barely perceivable. E. Rating: Not only does it burn extremely well; but it is not harsh, it does not smoke hot and it does not bite. Taking into account my mitigated experiences with other Ashton offerings, Gold Rush has surprised me in a positive way. The best way I can describe it is that I find it refreshing and restful for my palate. And the quality of leaf used is irreproachable. I'm glad I bought it. And I will definitively be buying more. I assess that, starting at 5 to 7 years (and more), it will be a very pleasant smoke for my pipes. 3 stars.

This one is frustrating. When everything goes right, it gives me the best tasting, most flavorful smoke I've yet had. The problem is getting it there.

To get a good experience, I have to 1)dry a bowl's worth for at least an hour 2)pack lightly in a cob (aluminum and briar kill it, somehow) 3)sip it so gingerly like you're scared it might be lit 4)smoke indoors, away from any breezes. (It burns hot as it is...Also, the testosterone usurping succubus I cohabit with makes indoor smoking difficult!) 5)totally concentrate on the experience. (Number 5 is the real gooch.)

A lot of y'all will think 'So what?' because this is your MO for every time you smoke. Me? Most times I'm clenching, drooling, walking, talking and generally not paying attention. This weed goes lifeless at the slightest provocation...a real problem for someone with ADD like myself.

But boy howdy, when it's on, it's on! Mmm Mmm...subtle sweet citrus. (More so than even OGS.)I love the color of the ribbon and its 'Gerber Baby' pureed apricot smell as well. (The room note whilst smoking is quite nice too.)

I wish this was a 'set it and forget it' blend, but alas, it's not. Still, I enjoy gold Rush enough to at least entertain keeping some on hand...for the rare times I can quiet my monkey mind and actually 'be one with the smoke'.

Sadly, three stars.

A quality mixture of gold Virginia ribbon cut. Moisture is fine right from the tin, but you may want to rub it out first and pack it in the pipe a while before you smoke it - I usually pack it the day before I smoke and it lights and smokes perfect.

Smokes relatively cool and mild with a light fragrance - some citrus notes - flavour is mild natural and pleasant with light nuttiness and a lemon note - it can get a bit peppery if you draw too hard on it. All in all a pleasant smoke if you like a mild full Virginia mix.

This looks like art, and I will be the first to tell you that I would pick this up in a shop based on the art alone. When I open up the tin I see a mostly bright Virginia ribbon with some stems every now and again. The tin note smells of bright Virginia hay, grass, and citrus. The toppings are noticeable, fruits, citrus and honey and it makes this blend smell wonderful. It came at a smokeable dryness. It takes a light fairly easily.

Right after you get it lit that Virginia sweetness comes through. I taste hay, grass and sugar coming from the leaf. The toppings don't cover the taste of the underlying tobaccos but they augment it. The citrus plays off of the Virginia very well, and the honey marries into the inherent sweetness of the leaf. I think an inexperienced pipe smoker in the world of Virginias might have trouble detecting the toppings as toppings, which is to say that it's very tastefully done.

The taste is a mild-medium. It is a nice lingering smoke, that doesn't ask too much of your tastebuds. The strength is a mild, and it doesn't need to be any more than that. I think the room note will be a hit, the smoke is light and sweet. This can tend to burn hot, so slow methodical puffs will yield the best results.

Gold Rush was a very pleasant introduction to straight Virginia tobacco for me. It's grassy and mildly sweet with notes of honey and lemon zest. I don't taste any topping at all and Gold Rush certainly doesn't smoke like an aromatic--these flavor attributes come naturally from the tobacco. It's a natural-tasting tobacco that is perfect for a crisp spring day. The flavors don't jump out at you, but begin to shine through as you smoke down the bowl.

Gold Rush packs and lights well, but it is just a little bit moist straight from the tin. The room note is fairly pleasant but not as nice to passersby as an aromatic would be. There's absolutely no tongue bite to be had here. This blend comes highly recommended to newbies and experienced smokers alike looking to get a great-tasting Virginia tobacco. I'll certainly be grabbing another tin or two for the cellar.