Ashton Announces Symmetry (Update)

Earlier today, Ashton Distributors, Inc. informed retailers of its plans regarding the Ashton Symmetry, the company’s first new Ashton line in roughly eight years. Made by Arturo Fuente, the line is described as “medium to full-bodied” with an Ecuadorian habano wrapper and Fuente-grown tobacco from the family’s Chateau de la Fuente and Villas Gonzales farms in the Dominican Republic, as well as from Un Buen Vecino, the family’s farm in Estelí, Nicaragua.

While Fuente is known for its Dominican-based operations, in particular its Chateau de la Fuente farm, the company grows tobacco in Nicaragua and is believed to be trying to expand its operations in the country.

The company has not announced pricing or sizes, although there will be five in vitolas and will ship in the fall. It will debut at the 2014 IPCPR convention and trade show, which begins July 19 in Las Vegas, Nev.

According to Ashton, the cigar is over four years in the making. Part of that is related to a fire at one of Fuente’s main tobacco warehouses in August 2011, which delayed multiple projects for Arturo Fuente and its clients. Fuente is responsible for the producing some of Ashton’s most popular lines including Ashton Classic, Cabinet Selection, Aged Maduro and VSG.

Update (July 3, 2014)–Ashton has announced the five sizes via an article on CigarAficionado.com. They are the 5 5/8 x 46 Prism, 5 x 50 robusto, 6 x 52 Sublime, 5 1/4 x 52 Belicoso and 6 3/4 x 49 Prestige. Each will come in 25-count boxes.

Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.