On a recent trip to visit my grandchildren in St. Petersburg it was decided that we would all go see a movie.  The youngest, Tommy, immediately voiced an opinion that we should see the new 3D movie “Fly Me to The Moon”.  Tommy, who had just turned 5, had a very strong opionon about how good the movie would be.  He was convinced that a 3D movie featuring three young flies that make it on to the Apollo 11 moon mission would be a an exciting experience.   After only a few minutes in to the movie, Tommy had discarded his special glasses for a reason known only to him and yet he sat glued to the fuzzy action on the screen.  For most people, watching a 3D movie witout the glasses would be an uncomfortable if not painful experience.  But not for Tommy.  His was so convinced that a 3D animated movie about flies would be good, that he enjoyed the experience despite the reality.
At tis point many, if not all of you may be asking what does this have to do with cigars in general and the Ashton Benchmade in particular.  Well here it is.
The anticipation and expectation of a yet another cigar from famed cigar artist Pepin Garcia had me tingling with anticipation at finally trying one.  The pedigree of this cigar has given it a buzz within the cigar community that while not unprecedented, may be unearned.  I am a fan of Don Pepin Garcia as I truly think he has produced some of the finest cigars of the last five years.  The Tatuaje series, Centurion, Cabaiguan and the Black Label’s  are some of my favorite smokes for any occasion.  So I approached my experience with the Benchmade expecting to like the cigar.  This was a prime example of what Chris Trotter has termed the ‘halo effect’.
Ashton proudly hails the Pepin Garcia heritage of the Benchmade cigar and describes it as “.. boasts the flavor and construction of a super-premium cigar, yet the attractive price-tag of a value bundle”.  They go on to claim that “  Benchmade is the new benchmark for the value cigar”.
When smoking this cigar I got a sense of chaos and lack of direction.  The flavors are all over the place, the construction is mediocre and the aroma is distracting.  This sometimes spicy, sometimes earthy cigar lacks personality.
It is a mixed filler (or cuban sandwich) style cigar. Ask any retailer and they will proudly tell you that this cigar utilizes the scraps of other cigars produced in the same factory.  And somehow we, as consumers, have bought in to the idea that this is a good thing.
Despite my anticipation and assumption that I would like any cigar coming from the bench of Pepin Garcia, this one is a disappoinment.  Perhpas more importantly it has poked a hole in the dream that has been Pepin Garcia.  Smoking a cigar such as this, that he has allowed to carry his name makes me wonder if the rumors are perhaps true.  Perhaps, Pepin Garcia has overextended his reach, allowed the quality fo his product to drop and succumbed to the intoxication of his own celebrity.
At $2 to $3 per stick, it is not a bad smoke but it is not one I could reccommend to anyone that I wanted to remain friends with.  There are other cigars in the price range, most notably from Oliva, American Stogies and La Tradicion Cubana that provide superior construction, aroma and smoking experience. My advice, choose one of those over the Benchmade.
It’s okay for a four year old to continue enjoying the fantasy of a movie but it is delusional to let the aura of greatness color your decision to smoke a poorly designed and executed cigar.  Besides, Benchmade is the name of a knife, not a cigar.