Once in action the Benchmade burns evenly without problems. The stick produces a light white ash and it has a solid draw. The flavors are not bad either. A good amount of pepper and spice is prominent. Some earth, cedar, and wood is also noticeable throughout the cigar. Even a little bit of sweetness appears to smooth things out somewhat. This is a stogie that goes nicely with a cup of coffee.

Nothing really “wowed” me about the Ashton Benchmade. It is a nice cigar, with solid construction, an even smoke, and decent flavors. The best part of the cigar is by far its price. As Ashton intended, this stick does provide good value at only around $3 or less per stick. It also comes in boxes of 25. At that price, it's really hard to complain. I'm not sure I would try it again, but at only $3 each, you don't have much to lose in at least giving it a shot, particularly if you enjoy Ashton cigars or like medium-bodied sticks. I give the Ashton Benchmade a rating of three out of four stars.

Avalon Masters Series Honeyboy Edwards Lancero

Avalon Cigars is a relatively young company that was founded by Gary Hilton in early 2007. According to their homepage, the company is named after Avalon, Mississippi, the birthplace of Blues icon Mississippi John Hurt. Just by looking at their cigar lines, you can tell that Avalon really loves not only the Blues genre of music but also the region of the United States commonly known as “the South.”

Keeping in tune with the company's overall southern Blues theme, the Avalon Honeyboy Edwards cigar is a music-related stick. As with other cigars from Avalon's Masters line, the Honeyboy Edwards is a dedication piece to Blues artists. It pays homage to David “Honeyboy” Edwards, a Blues guitarist and performer who is a legend in the South and still performs to this day at the ripe age of 94.