Not ashy, more like when (35 years ago) I smoked a pipe with a quality tobacco, not over the counter...Dunhill, etc, no added vanila, etc...no perique (sp?) either...that stuff smelled like tar
And, it was only there for a couple of shots, the very short ones, like .75oz double, perhaps due to the fact of my lower brew temps....around 199-200f, I believe.

I don't smoke, have never smoked and therefore don't even know what a cigarette or cigar "tastes" like; however, I did used to go with my father to the tobacco shop as a kid, and I *love* the smell of a nice tobacco.

Point is, I highly covet tobacco aromas in my coffee and especially wine. I've only had very subtle tobacco aromas, and it usually came from a Yemeni at a full city roast. Too dark and it tastes more like ash, too light and you get a lot of wild characters.

Mostly, tobacco flavors are created by dark roasts and have at best a smoky quality, at worst an ashy one. However, there are coffee regions where one can, very occasionally, get a fresh tobacco leaf flavor, that would remind one of a cigar store or curing shed. I've had these "light roast tobaccos" from Cuba, Antigua, PNG, and Kona.

I live in the Conn. river valley where they grow high quality cigar wraps and as Jim mentioned the drying sheds is what I've related it to. And it is so strong in the sheds you can taste it.
Ed

I don't do a lot of PNG coffees but that may have been the one that I was getting the tobacco leaf flavor from a few years ago. It was neither ashy or smoky but distinctly aged tobacco leaf. Now I need to go have another shot and a cigar.