Brand: Astral
Line: Talanga Valley Selection
Length x Ring Gauge: Corona Gorda 6 x 50
Country of Origin: Honduras (Filler: Honduras; Binder: Honduras; Wrapper: Honduras)
Strength: Full
Date: March 17, 2011
Notes: Top o' the evening to ya! This St. Patty's Day, we were lucky to have very beautiful weather in NYC. It was in the 60s, and I was sitting out on my porch gazing into the traffic at a distance, smoking one of my most beloved cigars, the Astral Talanga Valley Selection. This full bodied, well constructed (with some impressive white ash), spicy cigar is the premium line among Astrals. Complimented with a very excellent beer (Trois Pistoles, courtesy of my better half), the smoke was smooth, savory and gave a little kick in the end.
This Honduran puro was very enjoyable. As a matter of fact, during my years of smoking this brand, I have yet to come across one that has been poorly constructed. The draw was perfect, the bouquet wonderful (although I am very much against smoking indoors, as a bouquet aroma can end up smelling like ass within 24 hours).
Another interesting quality is the ability to age this cigar. They are perfectly fine smoking them right out of the box, but if you age them, the taste does matures with complexity over time. Having smoked one that was aged for 2 years, I can tell you that there were many complex notes. I would prefer this cigar over many cubans, and even some other "premium" cigars. Astrals are usually on the low-end among cigar brands, but this line really stands out for its quality and taste. It is also reasonably priced.
To compliment this cigar, I would recommend a full bodied beer. Normally I would not recommend a strong beer with a strong cigar as the tastes would get masked, not so in this case. Trois Pistoles is comparable to a Chimay Blue and it really brought out the taste in the Astral. A nut brown ale, or even porter beers would also go well.
Overall: 9 out of 10
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