Ashton ESG 24-Year Salute

Product Summary

The Ashton ESG 24 Year Salute, with its 6 5/8 × 48 Double Perfecto silhouette, commemorates the significant milestone of Ashton's 24-year collaboration with the Fuente family. The Chateau de la Fuente exclusive Sun Grown wrapper presents a deep red, oily texture, giving the cigar a dignified and complete appearance and structure, making it the most ceremonial and expressive chapter in the Estate Sun Grown series.

Main Specifications

• Dimensions: 6 5/8 × 48 (Double Perfecto)

• Waistband: Sun Grown (Chateau de la Fuente), Dominican Republic

• Cigarette Tube: Dominican Republic

• Eggplant Fillet: Dominican Republic (Chateau de la Fuente)

Flavor characteristics

The opening notes unfold with cedar and roasted spices, while the Sun Grown wrapper provides a clear and warm spicy profile. The middle notes gradually introduce nuts, dark chocolate, and a slight caramel note, and the structure begins to become thicker and more stable. The base notes finish with leather, cocoa powder, and mild pepper, with clear progression and a long, restrained finish.

Origin and wrapper information

This cigar is rolled by the Arturo Fuente family at the Chateau de la Fuente estate in the Dominican Republic, using a Sun Grown wrapper grown only on a specific plot of land within the estate. This wrapper is renowned for its oiliness, deep color, and high ripeness. Combined with the double-ended shape of the Double Perfecto, it allows the flavors to unfold at different stages, representing one of the most complete expressions of the ESG series' understanding of shape and blending.

ESG Series Tips

Launched in 2005 by Robert Levin and Carlos Fuente Sr., the Estate Sun Grown (ESG) series aims to showcase the ultimate potential of the Chateau de la Fuente Sun Grown wrapper. Production is strictly controlled, with cigars only made when the wrapper reaches perfect ripeness, resulting in consistently high demand and limited supply. The 24 Year Salute, the fifth and final size in the series, symbolizes Ashton's 24-year collaboration with Fuente, presenting the full depth of ESG with a powerful yet balanced palate.

Reasons for recommendation

The Ashton Estate Sun Grown collection has long been highly regarded by authoritative media outlets. Cigar Aficionado awarded the ESG 22 Year Salute a score of 94 in 2014, ranking it 8th in the Top 25 that year, affirming the collection's consistent performance in structure, sophistication, and overall finish. The ESG 24 Year Salute continues this tradition, considered the most ceremonial and expressive piece in the collection.

In its reviews of the ESG series, Halfwheel repeatedly emphasized its structural stability and combustion performance, noting that its flavor progression is calm and orderly, closer to the rhythmic control of precision watchmaking than a pursuit of abrupt changes. This consistency is a key reason why the ESG has maintained its reputation in long-term reviews.

In his review, "Bottle and Jar," a senior Chinese cigar connoisseur, pointed out: "Overall, ESG is another world for Aston cigars. The experience it brings to the smoker is different from VSG... ESG is more like an enhanced version of Aston's wooden box, Balance, and other series, offering a more sophisticated experience... Personally, I think ESG still surpasses VSG. It's clear that its blend design is a step above, making it more suitable for those who are passionate about capturing aromas." He gave it a detailed score of 8:8:8, and stated that his overall impression was closer to a 9 out of 10.

In terms of overall character, 24 Year Salute is more like a symphony with clear layers, with a steady and progressive bass string (musical), rigorous proportions and restrained lines, like a sculpture that has been repeatedly refined (artistic), and the whole experience unfolds as a complete and self-consistent narrative (literary).

Within the ESG series, the Double Perfecto is often regarded as the most commemorative piece, suitable for formal occasions or extended periods of immersive enjoyment. It also possesses clear collectible value due to the series' consistent media endorsement, its family-owned estate pedigree for raw materials, and the affirmation of seasoned connoisseurs. It is a representative piece in the Ashton system that combines symbolic significance with long-term value.