Accept the Challenge! A New Royal Maduro from Gurkha.

Gurkha has had a lot of success with its Royal Challenge blend and in 2014 Gurkha extended the brand by introducing a Maduro version. The Maduro wraps a broadleaf maduro around the Habano/Honduran binder and Nicaraguan/Dominican filler of the original Royal Challenge cigar, giving it a new taste. The size profile ranges from a 5 X 50 robusto to a 7 X 52 Churchill. Gurkha provided me with a Maduro Churchill to review.

The Churchill has a nice, traditional appearance. The wrapper is like dark chocolate with an earthy aroma. The dark wrapper provides a nice background for the shiny platinum band. The cigar was slightly firm, almost soft. The draw was excellent throughout the smoke and the burn remained even with no relights required. The smoke volume was thick and creamy. The Churchill started out quite mild with earth and leather as the predominant flavors and just a small hint of spice. Later coffee mocha replaced the earthy taste. Near the end, the strength of the cigar brushed the barrier between mild and medium without ever crossing it. The sweetness of the maduro was not overdone and added to the overall experience.

The Churchill lasted a little over 1 ½ hours and I found it to be a relatively mild, flavorful smoke that was not very complex. Every puff was delicious and the construction was excellent. The SRP is $10 but I have seen the Churchill for less. This cigar can command that price and I rate it a 4.5 out of 5.