Gurkha – 125 And Going Strong

The year 2012 commemorates the 125th Anniversary of the Gurkha cigar, where it was this year back in 1887, at the height of the British rule that colonial soldiers first began to smoke and enjoy their own cigars from local tobacco. The fondness of the British for these legendary Nepalese fighters inspired them to name their cigars ‘Gurkhas’.

“We are very proud to continue the legacy and tradition of the Gurkha cigar,” said Gary Hyams, President of Gurkha Cigar Group, Inc. “The blending process has been a fascinating and creative journey and we are excited for cigar enthusiasts to try the finished product, which we feel appeals to all palates.”

Packaging of Gurkha cigars always complements the wonderful flavor and quality of the sticks.  This cigar release is made even more special by the box which your non-smoking spouses will be fighting over.  “We have been meticulous with every detail surrounding the 125th Anniversary project,” said Kaizad Hansotia, Chairman of Gurkha Cigar Group, Inc. “From the blend to the packaging and presentation, we are proud to have created a cigar that we believe truly lives up to the expectations of an anniversary cigar.”

When I first took this cigar from its cello wrapper, my first thought was impressive.  It shows as a large, dominant stick.  Something to be reckoned with.  It has a nice medium brown hue, rich with veins from a glorious leaf.  I punched and lit easily.

With an open draw, this cigar provides lots of nice smoke.  I was with a group of both smokers and non-smokers all of whom thought it smelled very nice.  The cigar burned evenly with an excellent long speckled ash.  Truly, a very well constructed cigar.

The cigar was medium bodied or a ‘lunch’ cigar.  Its first flaovrs were creamy, with hints of vanilla and coffee.  The after taste was very clean.  As the cigar progressed, I got chocolate and cream, tinted with just the slightest bit of nutmeg.  The mocha flavors gained a little bit of spice as the cigar was well into the final third.  Overall, I thought it was a complex rich cigar that was approachable and not overly powerful, something to be enjoyed by anyone.

At around $8 – $10, depending upon size, it is not an inexpensive cigar, but one that is very well worth its price tag.  These cigars won’t be around forever, so you should definitely make sure to get some soon,