Tobaccos Ashton - Gold Rush

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Peter Piper (41)	2014-02-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I try to review each tobacco I encounter on its own merits without too much reference to other's points of view. But one can't help glancing through what lies beneath and in this case I have to say that there seem to have been some very harsh judgements.

First, why do so many insist that there is a casing/topping here? I certainly can't detect any, although perhaps the lightness and sweetness of this blend has led some astray.

Bear in mind good people of the US - for I believe you are in the majority here - that not all straight Virginias are either ketchup scented (US style), or dried hay (UK style). There are European blenders who do things just a little differently and I believe that K&K are true to the roots of this particular variant in what they have achieved.

And that is: light, grassy and - yes - lemony leaves which burn smoothly and easily. Nothing too complicated going on here, just a very steady dose of fine smoking goodness, done in a slightly different manner, but assuredly Virginia nonetheless.

So take it for what it is, don't decry it for what it isn't and enjoy it if you have a mind to.

Recommended.

20 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ruffinogold (112)	2013-10-16		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I bought this tin when it was a new blend , whenever that was . I popped the tin when I first bought it and it had a lemony flavor [ top noteish ] along with the Virginia , which was very nice . It burned perfect and was a wonderful consistent smoke to the bottom .I'd have given it 3 stars . However , I let the 2nd half of the tin age in a jar for maybe 5 months .. it's even better ! The Lemony flavor toned down and it developed a near perique spice like flavor that I hadn't tasted when it was fresh . It still lit and burned perfect , of course , and I will be ordering more to cellar ! It's a 4 star blend all the way with not a whole lot of aging .. I love it Edit 7/20015 For anyone above who says they don't believe this is a pure Virginia blend .. it is . The tobacco it contains is all Virginia and it is mildly flavored with Lemon and honey . No , it isn't a " raw " Virginia [ what is , in reality ] and yes , it's has a mild aromatic flavoring ............... just like it says in the description . Please , don't not try this blend because someone says it isn't Virginia . You'd be better off reading the tin description that reading TR it seem . They'll let anyone post here

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2006-02-25		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This new Ashton blend tasted a bit "new." Not really a good thing for tobacco. Still, it certainly has the potential to age well in the tin.

If you enjoy a somewhat tangy, light and lemony Virginia, this will be a bell ringer. I found the flavor to be somewhat light and the nicotine content is low.

Caution: Smoke it slowly.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipeDragon (44)	2019-04-07		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

After Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake introduced me to the world of straight Virginias, I seeked a companion that can be on the mild side, so I may consider it an all-day smoke (FVF is more of an evening smoke for me). Plus, Ashton makes good tobaccos and this one was next in line after their excellent Englishes.

Gold Rush presents itself in nuances of light and dark brown colors, which makes me believe there's more than one type of Virginia in this blend. The cut is more of a loose cut than a ribbon. You have ribbons, some chunky bits and pieces of broken flakes. The tin note? It smells like a Virginia. It's sweet, grassy, with a pretty noticeable honey odor, plus an almost fermented flagrance. Comes pretty moist in the tin, but not too bad. 30 minutes of drying time is more than enough.

Mechanically, if dried properly, shouldn't pose too many problems. Packs well, lights well, stays lit nicely and only required a handful of relights. Doesn't bite, smokes dry and pretty cool for a Virginia. However, there's one problem caused by the cut: it burns a little too fast. The pipe of choice has a decently sized bowl and filled should smoke for at least one and a half hour with a good ribbon; two hours or more with a flake or broken flake. This one was finished in about one hour.

Once you light it and get it under control, you can start enjoying the flavor. And this one has what you would expect from a straight VA: sweet, grassy, hay-ish, slight citrusy taste. I detect a faint hint of honey, though I'm not sure if that's the topping or if it comes from the natural sweetness of the Virginia leaf. But, overall, a sweet smoke and pretty even throughout the bowl, though it can turn a bit acrid/sour as you're getting close to the heel.

In the end, it's a pretty mild and a nice, pleasant, sweet smoke. It's a good offering from Ashton. Definitely an all-day smoke and can be a good initiation for someone who has never smoked a straight Virginia before, but I would also recommend it to Virginia lovers who want to smoke something mild. The cut didn't allow me to enjoy it longer, which is a pity, but I will still recommend it.

Pipe Used: Half-bent Savinelli Capitol

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin

Purchased From: Tobacco store

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2014-10-29		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Ashton - Gold Rush.

Update, 25/07/18.

The blend's borderline broken flake. None of it requires a further rubbing but it's coarser than a standard ribbon cut. As you'd expect from a Virginia, the contents are medium brown with a few lighter flecks.

The smoke from it's high quality. There's a light fruity note, citrus, on top of sweet Virginias, with a touch of honey-sweetness. The Virginias don't have a sharp, grassy, flavour alone. As a bowl burns they develop more of a ripe, tangy, tartness, and become more satisfying. The smoke from it's medium in temperature, delivered from a consistent burn, and only bites when really pushed.

Nicotine: medium at a push. Room-note: pleasant.

Gold Rush? My original take wasn't that high, but I've retyped as I find it a good smoke. Recommended:

Three stars.

Pipe Used: Loads. Pete' #03 for retype

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Various UK retailers

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-04-02		Very Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Unnoticeable

Expectation controls satisfaction. I was looking for a straight, fresh tasting, mild Virginia and Gold Rush completely fills the bill. Nothing fancy, just pure light ribbon cut Virginia. It lights easily and burns to a white ash with a consistent flavor. To really appreciate this tobacco I recommend using a clean Meerschaum pipe. Low nicotine and delicate taste.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2009-05-21		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I'm giving this 4 stars, I could have said, "3". But I love a light VA without a heavy casing. To me it's a more refined MacB's No.1 Va. Less sugary and the cut is golden flakes as opposed to broken flake. It was quite dry from the tin, which is great to smoke but I wonder with such lack of moisture in the tin how well it might age. It has a wonderful fresh citrus lemon taste, and not sour at all, just a hint of the honey in the background. It's simplicity and gentleness is it's strength. I love my darker aged and stoved VA's, but this is wonderful for the morning or summer strolls. I think it is very unfair to call this an aromatic or even a semi-aro, I wish other blends where as honest as this. Young leaf with a hint of lemon. Try some it will put some spring in the air.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-03-03		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Realy like this one. Good light flavor. No nicotine buzz, which is good for me. Ide give this one a 8 out of 10. Very good over all

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bbmd (4)	2021-08-13		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

For me the best way to describe this is with an analogy: If premium pipe tobaccos are like the craft beer of smoking, often having big bold complex flavors, then Ashton Gold Rush is like a craft brewed version of a classic, subtle, well-balanced pilsner.

It's not going to blow your mind with huge flavors and a complex journey for your palette but it certainly is a nice crisp, easy drinkin, well-crafted, all day kind of smoke.

For me that is what I really enjoy about this blend in particular is the simplicity of it that allows you to really enjoy the flavor of the Virginias on their own rather than a loud cacophony of countless different flavors all screaming for your attention.

It's a refreshing, light treat with some subtle notes of dried hay, lemon grass, and honey here and there but honestly the main star here is just a beautiful classic tobacco flavor. Maybe that sounds odd to say but I really enjoy just the good old baccy flavor in this.

An interesting aspect of this blend though are the smoking mechanics. My tin was fairly moist and I've smoked it as-is from the tin and other bowls after letting it dry out. This tobacco burns very well, even when moist surprisingly. If packed loosely it will burn VERY quick yet not very hot. if packed tightly it will burn slower but has a tendency to heat up. And this seems to be the case whether it's tin-moist or dried further. I actually like this aspect of it because I can pack it loose for a quick smoke or pack a little tighter for a long slow easy-puffing session. I've had 8 bowls of this so far and no matter the moisture level or packing method I've used it always seems well behaved and burns completely... just don't pack it tight and puff it hard.

Pipe Used: MM Dagner. MM Cobbit Shire. Italian briar basket.

Age When Smoked: Just bought the tin

Purchased From: Leesburg Cigar & Pipe

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HastingsPiper (9)	2019-01-19		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

I gave this a try as it sounded like something I could smoke all day without too much fuss. And it is. The tin note is of raisins, grassy Virginias with a very subtle Citrus topping. Ribbon cut. This is a delightful all day smoke. Moisture was about right out of the tin but a day or two in a jar really brings out the flavour. It's not a complex smoke, just a very pleasant, mild and delicious Virginia. Nice with a glass of lemonade. This is now my all day smoke. I get no bite, it stays lit very well, and burns right down to a nice dry ash. My latest batch seems to be a bit more towards raisins than citrus which is odd, but I can't detect much change in the taste. My only gripe is there seems to be a lot of 'twigs' in the mix and the price is a little on the high side for a fairly ordinary tobacco, but I really do enjoy it. Try it if you, like me, prefer light, mild tobacco.

Pipe Used: Falcon International. Duncan Poker.

Age When Smoked: Straight from packet

Purchased From: My Smoking Shop

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2017-03-23		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Yes...Gold Rush is well done. It comes by as being a 100% Virginia mixture. There is no nuttiness or hint suggesting the use of Burley. If there is (and I am confident there is none), it is really no more than a small pinch; barely enough to fool me. Upon opening, I see lemon, bronze and probably what looks like a bit of red virginias as well. Mostly a ribbon cut, there is also pieces of flakes, darker in colour, suggesting stoved Virginias. I have no idea how old my tin was when I acquired it. However, it is labelled as of March 2016. Considering the tobacco was ready to smoke the day after opening, I suspect it has been tinned a few years prior. A. Strength: Strength refers to the intensity of the nicotine. Gold Rush is mild on the nicotine. B. Flavouring: The tin aroma does reveal some citrus and hay; but I cannot say I detect any honey. I would be surprised there is any added flavourings. If there are, they are subtle. C. Taste: Upon lighting up, nothing much happens at first. Past the first quarter, Gold Rush offers a very good quality, adequately aged Bronze and Lemon virginias taste: soft flavours of hay, citrus and, yes, maybe something very slightly sweet that reminds me of honey. It is never big ( which is perfectly normal, considering the type of Virginias used); thus, to get the best out of it, you must pay attention. If not, it will come by as being bland. D. Room Note: Gold Rush releases a soft and pleasant room note which is barely perceivable. E. Rating: Not only does it burn extremely well; but it is not harsh, it does not smoke hot and it does not bite. Taking into account my mitigated experiences with other Ashton offerings, Gold Rush has surprised me in a positive way. The best way I can describe it is that I find it refreshing and restful for my palate. And the quality of leaf used is irreproachable. I'm glad I bought it. And I will definitively be buying more. I assess that, starting at 5 to 7 years (and more), it will be a very pleasant smoke for my pipes. 3 stars.

Pipe Used: Danish Sovereign; Stanwell; Luciano

Age When Smoked: 1 year from purchase; probably older.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2013-08-30		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

A quality mixture of gold Virginia ribbon cut. Moisture is fine right from the tin, but you may want to rub it out first and pack it in the pipe a while before you smoke it - I usually pack it the day before I smoke and it lights and smokes perfect.

Smokes relatively cool and mild with a light fragrance - some citrus notes - flavour is mild natural and pleasant with light nuttiness and a lemon note - it can get a bit peppery if you draw too hard on it. All in all a pleasant smoke if you like a mild full Virginia mix.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-01-22		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This one is frustrating. When everything goes right, it gives me the best tasting, most flavorful smoke I've yet had. The problem is getting it there.

To get a good experience, I have to 1)dry a bowl's worth for at least an hour 2)pack lightly in a cob (aluminum and briar kill it, somehow) 3)sip it so gingerly like you're scared it might be lit 4)smoke indoors, away from any breezes. (It burns hot as it is...Also, the testosterone usurping succubus I cohabit with makes indoor smoking difficult!) 5)totally concentrate on the experience. (Number 5 is the real gooch.)

A lot of y'all will think 'So what?' because this is your MO for every time you smoke. Me? Most times I'm clenching, drooling, walking, talking and generally not paying attention. This weed goes lifeless at the slightest provocation...a real problem for someone with ADD like myself.

But boy howdy, when it's on, it's on! Mmm Mmm...subtle sweet citrus. (More so than even OGS.)I love the color of the ribbon and its 'Gerber Baby' pureed apricot smell as well. (The room note whilst smoking is quite nice too.)

I wish this was a 'set it and forget it' blend, but alas, it's not. Still, I enjoy gold Rush enough to at least entertain keeping some on hand...for the rare times I can quiet my monkey mind and actually 'be one with the smoke'.

Sadly, three stars.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mrmiloboy (6)	2009-04-17		Very Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Not my favorite Virginia blend. I primarily smoke English blends and alternate with Virginias. It smokes a bit wet and on the verge of tongue bite like so many aromatics, which is why I don't smoke them daily. In addition it does not seem to be a natural Virginia blend. Perhaps a bit more aging. I think I will go back to some of the stoved Virginia Blends.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2008-09-17		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

My guess is that Ashton got stuck with a bunch of second-rate virginia and they sauced it in order to provide the sweetness and flavour that should occur naturally in decent leaf. Well, they're not fooling me. This is an aromatic, not a "pure virginia blend" at all. It burns well (and smokes fairly cool for a cased virginia), and it tastes pretty much the same from beginning to end: notes of salt, pepper, and (of course) a citrus candy taste.

This isn't disgusting, but I don't much care for aromatics, and good virginia leaf should never need to be cased this heavily.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Brunello (166)	2020-04-26		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Even though straight Virginia blends have never been among my favorites, as soon as I smelled the tin note I knew this would be a winner, and it is! Kind of hard to figure the relatively low rating, but I'm glad I discovered this blend, which is now my favorite "light and bright" Virginia.

Being primarily golden Virginia, it is not going to be as dark and earthy as Dunhill Flake, Astley's 44, or Wessex Dark, but it seems to have more body and interest than other golden VA's I tried like Kendal Gold (and it also burns cooler than that shag cut). It also doesn't seem to have some of the (to me) negative yeasty attributes of blends like Yorktown, and it is more layered than a stolid blend like Tilbury. I found it aromatically more expressive than Hamborger Veermaster but I wouldn't go quite as far as to call it a semi-aromatic as some have (you'd have to bump up to something like Erinmore for that). These comparisons are just an attempt to place this within the world of straight Virginias.

I don't get any lemony citrus at all but depending on the pipe there is sometimes a soft sourness that reminds me of ruby grapefruit rind. But the dominant flavors are golden hay, baked honey, some sweet nuttiness like sunflower seed, and a dusting of white pepper and coriander on the retrohale. The spicy nuance adds a pleasing complexity but can dominate if puffed too aggressively. Also, in some pipes it is delicious right from first light, in others it sometimes takes a while to get to that 4-star goodness.

Pipe Used: Buescher cob, vintage Comoy, SMS meerschaum.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Vladimir the Hun (6)	2015-05-29		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

I found this tobacco to be fairly decent and was very pleased with the body of the smoke but was disappointed by the lack of taste. The room note was very pleasant.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipePaladin (78)	2008-02-24		Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

OK.. its not a dream come true but also not as bad as GUILTY PLEASURE..

If you want something mild for all day smoke this is a good choice!

If you are looking for something special with some character I think you will be disappointed..

I liked it somehow but I am not going to buy it again..

Worths a try..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2006-03-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

My first bowl of Gold Rush came on 2/1/06. I was underwhelmed, unimpressed and I felt like this was totally average. I left the tin in the cabinet for a couple of weeks then tried it again, figuring I had not been fair to it. Maybe I was having a bad day in 2/1/06 or something because I am now a fan of Gold Rush. It still strikes me as being a little "young" but it has everything a VA smoker could look for. It is high in sugar content, burns wonderfully (I was smoking a bowl tonight and put ht epipe inmy coat pocket to bring some groceries in from the car and when Pulled the pipe out of my pocket to smoke, it didn't need re-lighting) and has a great flavor. I will buy some tins to cellar as this might be a chart topper whence it ages some.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2021-05-19		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This looks like art, and I will be the first to tell you that I would pick this up in a shop based on the art alone. When I open up the tin I see a mostly bright Virginia ribbon with some stems every now and again. The tin note smells of bright Virginia hay, grass, and citrus. The toppings are noticeable, fruits, citrus and honey and it makes this blend smell wonderful. It came at a smokeable dryness. It takes a light fairly easily.

Right after you get it lit that Virginia sweetness comes through. I taste hay, grass and sugar coming from the leaf. The toppings don't cover the taste of the underlying tobaccos but they augment it. The citrus plays off of the Virginia very well, and the honey marries into the inherent sweetness of the leaf. I think an inexperienced pipe smoker in the world of Virginias might have trouble detecting the toppings as toppings, which is to say that it's very tastefully done.

The taste is a mild-medium. It is a nice lingering smoke, that doesn't ask too much of your tastebuds. The strength is a mild, and it doesn't need to be any more than that. I think the room note will be a hit, the smoke is light and sweet. This can tend to burn hot, so slow methodical puffs will yield the best results.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Miele

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: B&M

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Just-smoking (7)	2019-05-06		Mild	Medium	Very Mild	Tolerable

I have smoked 2-3 pipes of this and just gave it away. It has some kind of perfume in behind, for me it was horrible... I'll definitely never buy this again... I like the tin design...

Pipe Used: Stanwell

Age When Smoked: new

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (220)	2018-12-24		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

As a regular reviewer here at TR, I try to relate my own, personal experience as much as possible, without undue influence from other reviewers. However, there are times when my own experience seems far afield from others whose reviews I trust enough to try certain blends in the first place! And such is the case for me with Ashton’s Gold Rush, which fact I mention because this review ultimately takes others’ reviews into consideration, albeit I still call it like I see it, for whatever that is worth.

In the tin I popped, Ashton’s Gold Rush is clotted, wet, yellow-orange ribbons that smell rather like lemonade over fragrant meadow grasses. The lemonade fades and morphs into rose geranium over a few days rest in its “re-sealed” tin. Dried some, AGR lights OK and burns down quickly, the smoke smelling like the best of the tin note, with similar, fragrant, meadow grassy tastes, certainly in 3 star territory. However, I am disappointed to report that AGR consistently turns acrid on me as it’s smoked down. YMMV, of course but, in this case, light VAs and rose geranium notwithstanding, Gold Rush is not St. Bruno Flake, and more’s the pity, IMO. Strength is mild. Tastes are mild. Room note is pleasant. Aftertaste for me is an acrid, slightly ashen version of the best of the smoke.

While I can appreciate some acidity, too much is too much, and why suffer. Reading the other reviews, it seems it must be personal chemistry that delivers such an acrid taste to me, personally. Bottom line, I can’t honestly recommend this blend based on personal experience, especially in view of the stellar “competition” in the VA category. That YMMV should be plain enough from the other, thoughtful reviews of this blend.

Pipe Used: various VA briars

Age When Smoked: fresh to 1 month

Purchased From: Cup o' Joes

Similar Blends: Compare/contrast to Astley's 109.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BlueTomorrow (15)	2018-05-01		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Gold Rush was a very pleasant introduction to straight Virginia tobacco for me. It's grassy and mildly sweet with notes of honey and lemon zest. I don't taste any topping at all and Gold Rush certainly doesn't smoke like an aromatic--these flavor attributes come naturally from the tobacco. It's a natural-tasting tobacco that is perfect for a crisp spring day. The flavors don't jump out at you, but begin to shine through as you smoke down the bowl.

Gold Rush packs and lights well, but it is just a little bit moist straight from the tin. The room note is fairly pleasant but not as nice to passersby as an aromatic would be. There's absolutely no tongue bite to be had here. This blend comes highly recommended to newbies and experienced smokers alike looking to get a great-tasting Virginia tobacco. I'll certainly be grabbing another tin or two for the cellar.

Pipe Used: MM cob

Age When Smoked: new from tin

Purchased From: 4noggins.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Namshang (3)	2015-06-13		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Soft and sweet flavor was good. Also was impressive with especially sweet to be felt in the tip of the tongue is small. It is not special, but it was safe taste of as many people prefer.

Pipe Used: Peterson Aran

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: PipeStory Eunpyeong, Seoul, Korea.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Haebar (52)	2015-04-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I smoked three bowls of this tobacco in three different pipes; I enjoyed this tobacco but got bite each time. It is tasty once you get the bowl going good, but it seems like it has a little casing. Maybe it's just me but I felt like I needed to puff more to get good body and flavor from it and when I did I got a little bite. Straight Virginia is what the description states and I believe it but there is something about it that I can't put my finger on. It is good but not as good as some other straight Virginia blends that I've tried. This was a gift from a CigarBum.com buddy and I will finish what I've got but won't buy any more.

Pipe Used: Charatan second yachtsman

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: gift from CigarBum.com friend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	periqueguy (43)	2014-01-05		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I found this blend to be quite enjoyable. Usually I rarely smoke anything that is aromatic in nature but this blend is a very satisfying mid-afternoon smoke in between my Burley morning blends and my Crooked lane english evening blend.

Pipe Used: my extended cobs

Age When Smoked: 6 years

Purchased From: my cellar

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-11-28		Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This is a ribbon-cut mixture of golden and mid-brown Virginias, of varying cuts and lengths. It has a nice moisture content from the tin, if slightly damp. The tin note is rather plain, slightly tangy and woody at first, with no distinct flavours or aroma. It's rather similar to cigarette tobacco and there is little suggestion of the honey and lemon flavouring which, according to blenders K&K, has been added to this blend.

The smoke starts off quite sweet with light tangy and woody Virginia flavours. The subtle honey flavouring builds mid-bowl, with traces of lemon, and remains until the end. Overall it is low in strength, but the last 1/3 of the bowl was often peppery and gave me the niccups a few times.

This tobacco lights easily, stays lit and burns hot if smoked anything more than a little fast. I bought a tin of this thinking it would make a nice light-aromatic summer-time smoke. It fits the bill in most respects, but it burns too fast to be smoked outdoors. For a Virginia blend, it is rather one-dimensional even if treated right. The tobacco dries-out quickly, and with the various small “cube-cuts”, I was soon left with half a tin of dry dusty tobacco (although it does smoke better on the dry side). I agree with others who suggest that a rather immature or poorer quality tobacco has been chosen as the base for this aromatic.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-10-22		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Got a new tin and popped it open right away. Moist but not too. Beautiful gold color. Packed great. As I smoke slow I taste the honey & lemon when I exhale through my nostrils. I love the smooth taste with no bite. I smell the tin again and I remember back to my childhood working in my family's tobacco fields & barns.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bence (34)	2011-06-09		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

When i first opened the tin i realised the smell of raisin. Better to dry a bit, like all va-s. Good leaf, recommended for VA lovers. Nicely brings the lemon and honey taste.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-02-08		Very Mild	Very Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

I Don't know if the tin I got was bad, but as much as I can appreciate Virginian tobacco, this was a terrible experience.

I opened the tin and it first smelled ok, the citrus/honey fragrance coming out of the tin at first seemed inviting. I packed a corn cob and there we go, after half a bowl, I have to stop smoking, I am feeling nauseous becasue of the "overflavoring".

The tobacco is Virginian, very mild on its own, and the flavoring is VERY overwhelming in contrast with the tobacco. I felt like Ashton sold me stale tobacco soaked in citrus/honey...

I gave it a try the next day, after eating this time, but again, I could not finish it. I smoke Virginian in my cigarettes everyday, but it does not make me sick like this. I am very curious about who liked that mixture...or I really had a bad tin? Anyway, not even good enough for a home blend to my taste...one more try in a few weeks and then to the trash, update in a couple weeks.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	renwardhoop (177)	2010-09-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

I like Ashton's blends, but this isn't one of their best.

As other reviewers have mentioned, the tin aroma is sweet and with a slight citrus scent. It's moist and looks tasty.

I found it needed a little extra rubbing out, otherwise it was a swine to keep alight.

I can detect , rather surprisingly, no discernable room note, although Mrs RH has not passed comment either way.

Halfway through the tin, it's remained tasteless. Drying it out, it's still tasteless. Lacks character. No bitey.

Won't be buying another tin after this has gone.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-07-23		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well not much to say. Experienced pipe smokers said well here that this blend is immature. And this situation does not offer you the rich tastes of pure Virginia smoking. I've dried thinking maybe it would offer that richness, however it smoked even hotter in this way. Dried or not be careful not to smoke it fast! Low nicotine and low taste. This "new" blend was not a memorable smoke experience to me.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-06-23		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

This is yet another very decent tobacco from Ashton. I bought a tin of this after reading the many positive reviews on this forum, and am quite happy I did.

I am not a VA smoker everyday, but I do enjoy a nice light easy going Virginia on a hot summer day while relaxing with a glass of ice tea or a tall malty beverage.

The moisture content was almost perfect upon popping the tin, and it did definitely benefit tremendously from a few months on the rack.

I bought this in the late winter, and not being in the lighter VA mood yet, I let it be until the early summer.

The tin aroma is wonderful. A delightful bouquet of dried fruit and citrus. It packs with ease, and stays lit with minimal trouble. Occasional tamping and slow puffing leads to a euphoric expeirence.

I would recommend this to anyone just delving into the world of Virginia tobaccos, or someone who is looking for an easy going all day smoke.

The room note is very nice, but maybe not to non smokers. It of course has that very natural tobacco aroma, and no sweet casing that will have the ladies tripping over your heals. Still it is not a bad indoor smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-04-25		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I recently purchased an aged tin off a "clearance shelf" at a local tobacconist here in town, Uhley's. The blend is a pleasing straight Virginia, definitely not an aromatic, burns on a single light after an initial charring, mellows mid-way down, leaving a powdery white ash. Definitely recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-05-03		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Opening the tin reveals a golden to mid-brown ribbon cut tobacco that possesses a rather plain tangy and woody smell. I could not identify any distinct flavours or aromas, and found very little to distinguish the smell of this tobacco from that of Virginia tobacco for cigarette rolling. The tobacco has a nice moisture content, if a little damp, and may bite the tongue if not dried out for a few minutes.

The tobacco has a mild tangy taste that starts sugary and develops into a satisfying honey and lemon flavour. The smoke is weak bodied but there is a bit of a nicotine kick towards the end of the bowl. Gold Rush is a pleasant and mild tobacco, if somewhat uninspiring, and I recommend it as a good all-day smoker.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-03-15		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I found this blend to be truly an aromatic. The leaf looks lovely in the tin and has a sweet, but not overpowering aroma. Truly an enjoyable smoke for morning to mid-day, during which times I can find English mixtures with a lot of Latakia a bit overpowering and tension-headache inducing. I would not recommend this to people who are English fanatics. There is no trace of anything spicy or Latakian. Just a pleasant mellow smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Budman (25)	2008-08-07		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I do not really dislike this blend I just think it lacks ageing. The tobacco was very moist when first opened so it needed some drying time. There is a sweetness to Gold Rush but I feel it's more from the topping then the Virginias. I have a few tins cellering and will revisit in a year or so. For the money I think there are much better Virginias out there.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JEM (24)	2008-02-23		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

I love Virginia tobacco and this one is nice. Mild is the key word here. When I opened the tin, I got the distinct smell of raisins. It lights easily, stays lit, and has a nice texture to the smoke. It also has a pleasant smell in the room. If you like Virginia, this one is good. I agree that with some age, this one could be great.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Glorfindel (86)	2007-09-19		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I usually like staight VAs but something was amiss in this one. I detected something in the taste I didn't quite like and Pipestud and Puff Daddy said it well - "new" and "immature".

I would have said "green".

Other than that, I like the lemon/honey flavoring - not too strong but definitely present throughout the smoke.

A decent straight VA, but one of my least favorites of the kind. More agining pre-tinning would have helped I think.

I bought this in a shop because it was the only staright VA they had. That will likely be the scenario if I ever buy this blend again.

I'm keeping my tin to see if age improves the green twang. One can hope.

Thanks,

Ethan.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-02-08		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Is Gold Rush a sleeping giant? No, probably not. But, it is just what it is - a fairly mild and pleasant Virginia of good quality. It's not a complex blend, and stays mostly monochromatic. It's... nice. There. That's what this is. Given a few years of aging, this will be better. It's still a touch immature. Enjoy it now for what it is, and expect no more. We'll revisit it later, and see how it behaves when the sugars mature. Three stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillBrown (137)	2021-03-10		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Straight up, this was a pleasure to smoke. The VAs were not overly sharp and the additives were not overly intrusive. A honey, lemon, hay nose wafts, but the honey dissappears when smoked. Theres's a definite lemony edge to this smoke. The lemon edge borders on tinny, taste wise, and that would be my only complaint. The snork is outstanding! The nicotine is low level, which means I LIKE IT! Overall a pleasurable smoke. I'd purchase this again. Good job K&K.

Keep on pipin'

Pipe Used: Jobey, straight

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Madox07 (43)	2019-08-30		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I am not one in search for tobacco that is the subject of a fiery debate, but rather bought this out of curiosity. I always had a good experience with Ashton tobaccos, and GOld Rush is something new in my local store. Overall ... one interesting virginia. Out of the tine ... a golden looking ribbon (probably the reason for the name), with some remains of a broken flake here and there. The nose is grassy and sweet, very drawing I might add. Unlike your most US Virginias, it doesn't have the ketchupy / vinegary element to it, either. I didn't leave it out to dry, just stuffed my 320 and lit the baccy. I am quite happy with this. For one, I am not that big on virginia, but ... this is one pleasant smoke. Very sweet, a tad reminder of honey taste - although the tin label insists that there is no casing. Some may say it's plain, but in my humble opinion it is just a straight, friendly virginia, with subtle hints of various sweetness. In other words, while taste is not straight in your face, I find it having several levels. A very pleasant smoke indeed, and in my 9 mm filtered pipe, I am happy to say there was no bite. I warmly recommend it for virginia beginners, and as a curiosity to those more advanced ones as well.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ocelot79 (32)	2019-01-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Very nice plain VA of decent quality, but there is a drawback. This tobacco burns rather quickly compared to all the other similar blends I have tried - and that is dozens and dozens of them - and also has a marked tendency to overheat at the slightest provocation. Nothing else wrong with it otherwise from my point of view; good fresh and light ribbon cut VA - but I would not recommend it for beginners.

Pipe Used: High-end English briars

Age When Smoked: Not more than a year or so.

Purchased From: Smokingpipes USA

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (566)	2023-02-16		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note of sugar, spices and mild citrus. Tobacco is a ribbon/broken flake of yellowish tan, brown and a tiny bit of dark brown. Moisture content is ok, some may prefer to dry it a bit. Larger flakes may need to be rubbed out. Burns moderate with few relights. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild. Flavoring is mild to medium, with notes of honey and lemon. Both are up front in the beginning. Honey dissipates to nothing as the lemon fades to the background fairly quickly where it remains. Taste is mild to medium and mostly consistent, with notes of citrus, lemon grass, sugar sweet, bread, wood, spices, spicy/acidic, earth, floral, dry hay, orange peel/zest, mildly bitter, mildly savory, a vinegary sour fermented fruit background note, and a peppery retro. Virginias are leading with Flavoring supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is good.

Pipe Used: 1992 Ashton Sovereign XX Billard

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipefitter (51)	2022-08-18		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Okay, straight Virginia is not everybody's cup of tea, but i do think that a couple bad reviews bring the overall score of this tobacco artificially low. This tobacco is typical of a straight Virginia where the flavors are more nuanced than pronounced. With that being said. this may not be my favorite straight Virginia, but it it a good example of a "non`blend" of straight flue cured tobacco and shouldn't be confused with blends that are overly flavored or heavy on the burly or Cavendish side. This smokes cool and clean with no bite or moisture, but I would avoid smoking this from the tin....Gold Rush is what you should expect from a quality, straight Virginia pie tobacco. I give it a 3 .

Purchased From: City Tobacco in New London Ct.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FilipPruncu (89)	2021-10-13		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Tin note is sweet, citrusy, fresh virginia with a bit of grass.

Although it’s 3 years old, the moisture level is quite high and needs good drying time.

A bright virginia with medium to long ribbons, some which are even too wide for a ribbon but I like that. It’s a bit irregular so I’d rather call it a coarse cut than a ribbon.

The smoking experience is very nice. It delivers a cool smoke, doesn’t bite, doesn’t get hot. Tastewise, the flavoring is very mild and the taste is mild to medium. Some enough sweetness, but not really a taste of honey. It’s indeed citrusy, with lemon notes. Has a refreshing taste.

Not one of the best virginias you will find, but good enough. Could be an all day smoke for a straight virginia lover.

Age When Smoked: 3 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_german (43)	2021-09-15		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Typical full VA leaf, bright all the way through. Ribbon cut with a few bits of ready-rubbed in it. Several provenances can be made out. The tin scent has some Bergamot in it, so there is a citrus topping on there, which is to be expected for a VA blend.

Lights easily, and since it's pretty pure VA, burns somewhat hot. The flavour starts out sweet, with a light citrus-y note that by the second half of the bowl becomes more fully Orange. Flavours deepen until the end, with occasional kicks of grassiness. There is very little dottle at the end.

I find nothing to object to in this blend. Not something I would buy regularly, but good enough to recommend.

Pipe Used: Big Ben WW, Kürle Freehand

Age When Smoked: Fresh from new tin

Purchased From: cigarworld.de

Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith - Golden Glow.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gamzultovah (10)	2021-09-03		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Ashton Gold…it’s like smoking a cool breeze in the sun while walking through a citrus grove. These are my impressions from my first bowl. I’ll update and refine my thoughts as time goes on.

Pipe Used: Castello Sea Rock Long Lovat

Age When Smoked: Fresh

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