Issue: Cigar Aficionado, Jan 01, 2013

Score: 94

The Ashton Heritage Puro Sol brand com- bines three landmark cigar families in one deli- cious cigar. All Ashtons are made by the Fuente family for the Levins, and Ashton is one of the best-known names in cigars. This somewhat off the radar variety, called Puro Sol, is also the only Ashton made with Cameroon wrappers, which come from the Meerapfel familiy, the leading name in Cameroon tobacco.Cameroon is an intriguing tobacco, grown on small plots of land in Western Africa under cloudy skies, on lands so fertile that farmers must hack them clear with machetes every year. The wrapper develops natural, small bumps, known as tooth in the cigar industry, and it pairs beautifully with the Dominican tobaccos Fuente uses in this blend.The Ashton Heritage Puro Sol Belicoso No. 2 is a tidy size—less than five inches long—and it sports a ring gauge of 49, which feels slim in the hand in this world of ever- fatter cigars. The cigars are rich and beautifully balanced, with notes of leather, coffee and a chocolate sweetnessThis is the second time that an Ashton Heritage Puro Sol has placed in our Top 10: the robusto size ranked No. 10 in our 2008 Top 25 list.

Issue: Cigar Insider, Dec 06, 2005

Score: 89

A solidly constructed belicoso with a lightly veined wrapper. Mellow smoke imparts wood and graham cracker notes to the palate. The finish is buttery.

Issue: Cigar Aficionado, Oct 01, 2004

Score: 87

This mini-belicoso has a fine, firm draw and a good burn. It’s chewy, bready and creamy, with a short finish. Medium bodied.

Issue: Cigar Insider, Feb 01, 2004

Score: 90

A short and toothy belicoso with a perfect cap. This full-bodied cigar has fine flavors of leather and wood. The finish is peppery and has hints of nuts and coffee.

Issue: Cigar Aficionado, Jan 01, 1970

Score: 91

Cameroon wrapper had long been the golden ring just out of the reach of Ashton brand owner Robert Levin. The Fuente family made virtually all of his cigars, and the Cameroon leaf it received from legendary grower and Levin friend Rick Meerapfel was earmarked for Fuente’s Hemingway, Don Carlos and other Arturo Fuente cigars. Recently, Levin was able to get just enough of the toothy leaf to create the Ashton Heritage Puro Sol, using a blend created by Carlos Fuente Sr. The cigar was a throwback— Levin had the cigar world thinking ultra-powerful to duplicate his Ashton VSG, but the Puro Sol was all balance and elegance. The line has four sizes, the best of which is the Belicoso No. 2, a short figurado that measures 4 7/8 inches by 49 ring.