Gurkha
The name Gurkha originated from a tribe from Northern India and Nepal called the Gurkha. These people got the name from a heroic warrior saint known as Guru Gorakhnath. According to historians the Gurkha were a brave people for in the 1800s they had waged a war against the British East India Company, this was called the Gurkhas War. The British were awed by the courage and bravery the Gurkha had shown and because of this; they granted Nepal its freedom. The British would hire Gurkhas as missionaries and today they are considered as soldiers of the British Army, the Brigade of Gurkhas and not so much as missionaries. In the 1980s on a journey to Goa, India, Kaizad Hansotia discovered a cigar known to the locals as Gurkha. For as little as $143 he bought the entire brand and contemplated offering them as corporate gifts. In 1995 he closed a deal with the Miami Cigar Company to import the cigars to the United States, however sales were shortcoming and Hansotia began to concentrate more on the packaging of the cigars. Success was at hand, he had transformed Gurkha and created the ultra premium, and premium blends that became popular and the Gurkha cigars became known and well respected. Gurkha holds the record for producing the most expensive cigars in the world. Currently Gurkha boasts of a wide variety of brands including the Black Dragon, Ancient Warrior, Black Puro, Centurian, Legend, Royal Brigade, Nepalese Warrior, Doble Maduro, Titan and the list goes on. The following are just some of the finest cigars there is in the market today.
The Gurkha Black Dragon
Released in 2006 this hand rolled robusto features a dark Cameroon wrapper that has been aged for a full five years, a long filler tobacco from Nicaragua and Peru with a Dominican binder. It is quit aromatic giving off strong cedary aromas coupled with rich flavors featuring tart, roasted nuts, cedar with dark coffee and peppery undertones and some sweetness. The cedar and leather flavors combined with the sweetness remains till the end. They are reasonably priced at 12.50 a stick although you can get one for a much lower price.
The Gurkha Black Puro
This stunning medium to full-bodied cigar features a dark maduro wrapper and it is skillfully decorated with a silver and black Gurkha band. It has an aromatic filler of Cuban-seed tobaccos from the Dominican Republic?s Cibao valley. Coffee, and chocolate aromas fill the room, the moment you light the cigar. The Black Puro has a complex of flavors ranging from toast, cocoa with hints of coffee and cream. These delicious flavors however fade leaving slight hints of chocolate and paper. The wrapper has an amazing combination of flavors as well; it is not all robust surprisingly you will find some spice, leather, and cream flavors. This superb cigar would make for a nice gift to a friend or family member.
The Gurkha Centurain
This prestigious cigar was specially made for the Sultan of Brunei, who is considered one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world. These medium bodied, hand rolled cigars are made with the very best tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, they are rolled in dark brown Connecticut maduro or US wrappers and have a Dominican binder. The flavors feature leather coupled with hints of spice, coffee grinds, and nutmeg. These flavors remain throughout the smoke making it quit a pleasurable cigar to smoke. Considered the Rolls Royce of the cigar industry and it is without a doubt that the Centurian?s reputation precedes it.
The Gurkha Legend
This medium to full-bodied cigar is made of the best tobaccos from the Dominican Republic that has been aged for a period of over 8 years; they feature a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper and a Cameroon binder. This well aged cigar is packed full with flavors that have been enhanced through the long aging process. The flavors feature leather, earth, and chocolate that remains throughout. Some spice is present once you are midway and continue to linger coupled with the other rich flavors to the finish. This beauty is smooth and is one of the best cigars in the market. The price tag will definitely burn a hole in your pocket if you are on a limited budget.
The Gurkha Royal Brigade
This handmade perfecto features a dark, toothy Cameroon wrapper and has a blend of Cuban-seed long leaf tobaccos from Cibao River Valley. Its array of rich flavors includes earth, cocoa and peppery notes with slight hints of leather towards the end. This full-bodied cigar has a sweet aroma; it is chewy and smooth all the way to the end.
The Gurkha Regent Line, Nepalese Warrior
The Nepalese warrior is made from high quality tobaccos from Honduras. The well-aged fillers have an oily dark brown Cameroon wrapper that gives off a chocolaty aroma with notes of cedar and earth. It rather complex flavors feature spice, creamy cappuccino and a rich dark coffee flavor coupled with a hint of nutty flavors. Midway through the cigar blueberry flavors are detected with slight hints of cedar and cinnamon. The blueberry flavors begin to fade towards the end and nutmeg flavors are now present. The cinnamon remains throughout the smoke and the finish gets spicier with notes of creamy coffee flavor. The Nepalese Warrior is reasonably priced for a cigar that has such an amazing package of flavors.
The Gurkha Special Edition Beast
These rare cigars feature a Costa Rican maduro wrapper, Dominican Republic, and Honduras filler with a Nicaraguan binder. It is medium bodied and features leather, cocoa and coffee flavors. The coffee flavor fades midway while the cocoa and leather remain throughout and some nuttiness can be detected. Towards the finish the smoothness remains and there some syrupy sweetness coupled with the initial rich flavors of cocoa and leather but now with hints of cinnamon. This richly flavored cigar costs a pretty penny and it is best given as a gift.
