The Astral TVS is a square pressed cigar that features a natural maduro wrapper leaf from US Cigar's exclusive Talanga Cubano hybrid tobacco. The wrapper comes from the corona, or uppermost priming, of the Talanga Cubano tobacco plant and have been aged for a full 12 months. The binder is a San Andres tobacco from Mexico and the filler is a blend of tobaccos from Dominican Republic, Brazil and Nicaragua. It was introduced in 2001.
The Astral Talanga Valley Selection is also the newest addition to the Astral line-up. This cigar is produced in limited quantities and is only available to 80 appointed tobacconists worldwide. The wrapper on this cigar is one of the most beautiful that I have ever seen. This Cuban-seed wrapper is sun-grown in the Talanga Valley of Honduras, and like I said, is harvested from the top of the tobacco plant. This results in a dark, oily wrapper with lots of flavor. The flavor is full bodied and complex. In my opinion, this is one of the finest cigars from Honduras.
Astral's have been on the steady decline, and I've seen them sold at the local 'Quick Stop' next to the Backwoods and the Black and Milds. They needed something to boost their fall ... and I belive that they have now come up with a cigar that can compete once again with the ultra-premiums.
Personally, I don't care much for their regular line ... just to bland and one dimentional for my tastes.