Ashton Gold Rush

Expectation controls satisfaction. I was looking for a straight, fresh tasting, mild Virginia and Gold Rush completely fills the bill. Nothing fancy, just pure light ribbon cut Virginia. It lights easily and burns to a white ash with a consistent flavor. To really appreciate this tobacco I recommend using a clean Meerschaum pipe. Low nicotine and delicate taste.

For me the best way to describe this is with an analogy: If premium pipe tobaccos are like the craft beer of smoking, often having big bold complex flavors, then Ashton Gold Rush is like a craft brewed version of a classic, subtle, well-balanced pilsner.

It's not going to blow your mind with huge flavors and a complex journey for your palette but it certainly is a nice crisp, easy drinkin, well-crafted, all day kind of smoke.

For me that is what I really enjoy about this blend in particular is the simplicity of it that allows you to really enjoy the flavor of the Virginias on their own rather than a loud cacophony of countless different flavors all screaming for your attention.

It's a refreshing, light treat with some subtle notes of dried hay, lemon grass, and honey here and there but honestly the main star here is just a beautiful classic tobacco flavor. Maybe that sounds odd to say but I really enjoy just the good old baccy flavor in this.

An interesting aspect of this blend though are the smoking mechanics. My tin was fairly moist and I've smoked it as-is from the tin and other bowls after letting it dry out. This tobacco burns very well, even when moist surprisingly. If packed loosely it will burn VERY quick yet not very hot. if packed tightly it will burn slower but has a tendency to heat up. And this seems to be the case whether it's tin-moist or dried further. I actually like this aspect of it because I can pack it loose for a quick smoke or pack a little tighter for a long slow easy-puffing session. I've had 8 bowls of this so far and no matter the moisture level or packing method I've used it always seems well behaved and burns completely... just don't pack it tight and puff it hard.

I gave this a try as it sounded like something I could smoke all day without too much fuss. And it is. The tin note is of raisins, grassy Virginias with a very subtle Citrus topping. Ribbon cut. This is a delightful all day smoke. Moisture was about right out of the tin but a day or two in a jar really brings out the flavour. It's not a complex smoke, just a very pleasant, mild and delicious Virginia. Nice with a glass of lemonade. This is now my all day smoke. I get no bite, it stays lit very well, and burns right down to a nice dry ash. My latest batch seems to be a bit more towards raisins than citrus which is odd, but I can't detect much change in the taste. My only gripe is there seems to be a lot of 'twigs' in the mix and the price is a little on the high side for a fairly ordinary tobacco, but I really do enjoy it. Try it if you, like me, prefer light, mild tobacco.

Realy like this one. Good light flavor. No nicotine buzz, which is good for me. Ide give this one a 8 out of 10. Very good over all

Even though straight Virginia blends have never been among my favorites, as soon as I smelled the tin note I knew this would be a winner, and it is! Kind of hard to figure the relatively low rating, but I'm glad I discovered this blend, which is now my favorite "light and bright" Virginia.

Being primarily golden Virginia, it is not going to be as dark and earthy as Dunhill Flake, Astley's 44, or Wessex Dark, but it seems to have more body and interest than other golden VA's I tried like Kendal Gold (and it also burns cooler than that shag cut). It also doesn't seem to have some of the (to me) negative yeasty attributes of blends like Yorktown, and it is more layered than a stolid blend like Tilbury. I found it aromatically more expressive than Hamborger Veermaster but I wouldn't go quite as far as to call it a semi-aromatic as some have (you'd have to bump up to something like Erinmore for that). These comparisons are just an attempt to place this within the world of straight Virginias.

I don't get any lemony citrus at all but depending on the pipe there is sometimes a soft sourness that reminds me of ruby grapefruit rind. But the dominant flavors are golden hay, baked honey, some sweet nuttiness like sunflower seed, and a dusting of white pepper and coriander on the retrohale. The spicy nuance adds a pleasing complexity but can dominate if puffed too aggressively. Also, in some pipes it is delicious right from first light, in others it sometimes takes a while to get to that 4-star goodness.

Tin note of sugar, spices and mild citrus. Tobacco is a ribbon/broken flake of yellowish tan, brown and a tiny bit of dark brown. Moisture content is ok, some may prefer to dry it a bit. Larger flakes may need to be rubbed out. Burns moderate with few relights. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild. Flavoring is mild to medium, with notes of honey and lemon. Both are up front in the beginning. Honey dissipates to nothing as the lemon fades to the background fairly quickly where it remains. Taste is mild to medium and mostly consistent, with notes of citrus, lemon grass, sugar sweet, bread, wood, spices, spicy/acidic, earth, floral, dry hay, orange peel/zest, mildly bitter, mildly savory, a vinegary sour fermented fruit background note, and a peppery retro. Virginias are leading with Flavoring supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is good.