This is a BIG cigar! I remember back when I was starting out, I thought the bigger the better. This is definitely one of those large cigars. Now of course, there is too big, as well as novelty big. This is not in either of those categories. If you are looking for a large, smoke-able cigar, then this is it.
Gurkha cigars are becoming known for having an over the top bold presentation. The boxes are made to look like treasure chests or some kind of rare antique commodity. The bands look like something from the renaissance period.
They are made with a Nicaraguan wrapper, Dominican binder, and a Nicaraguan filler. They measure 7″ in length and a full ring gauge of 55. You can immediately tell they the point of this cigar was to be intimidating. It has a very rich smell to it, and the hefty look might shy a few people away from trying it. It almost was too big to fit in my cutter.
Lighting & First Taste:
It lit rather well for a large cigar. I didn’t have any problem getting a full burn. There was a lot of peppery spice during my pre-light, which was about 75% of the tastes. There was some wood/earthy aroma. Very strong out of the gate, but not a complex taste. I could tell they were just trying to make a bold cigar, and didn’t try too hard on the taste factor.
Smoking the Cigar:
It had a descent burn to it for being so large. I never had any issues. The taste was about the same from the initial light. Strong, bold, and spicy. The earthy aroma came and went at times. I haven’t seen too many reviews, so I don’t believe it’s a very popular cigar, and I can tell from the lack of complex tastes that it might not be a big hit with cigar enthusiasts that like complexity. I did not mind because from time to time, I like simple and bold.
The Finish:
The tastes on this cigar was very steady and simple. They got their point across of boldness, but lacked complexity and any type of blends they might have tried. With that being said, I enjoyed it. This is a very good cigar for those who just like a strong rich simple cigar. There are times when I don’t want to feel like I need to pay attention to the complexity of tastes and just want to have a descent strong smoke, and this is definitely the cigar to do that.
Band & Packaging:
I really like the renaissance/dark age theme they go with. The boxes and bands are all very artistic and stylish. The band was easy to take off, and the cigar had no visible problems with it.
Rating:
7.5 out of 10 puffs
