Ashton Classic 898 6 1/2″ * 44

Creamy cedar and toasted nuts lead the flavor, finishing with a gentle baking-spice snap. Ashton Classic 898 is a 6 1/2 x 44 lonsdale handmade in the Dominican Republic. Dominican binder and long-fillers are aged for three to four years before rolling beneath a U.S. Connecticut Shade wrapper.

This is one of the slimmer formats in the Ashton Classic line, and the 8-9-8 name refers to the row layout used in its traditional cedar chest packaging. The profile usually starts soft and creamy with cedar, shifts into toasted almond and light coffee, then closes drier with baking spice and a graham-like sweetness.

The mild strength fits earlier in the day when a heavier cigar would feel out of place, and it also works as a palate reset between richer smokes. A slower cadence helps keep the creamy core up front. Ashton Classic 898 is worth trying if a classic Connecticut Shade style is the goal, especially in a longer, traditional size.

Pairs well with unsweetened iced black tea to keep the cream-and-cedar core crisp.