Gurkha 'Ghost' Shadow Robusto

Gurkha 'Ghost' Shadow Robusto. 5x52. Good construction on sight, with nice lines and moderate veins. Cut was difficult, with the wrapper leaf forcing me to cut several times deeper into the thick, over-wrapped crown. Light was also difficult, requiring an extended roasting and a second light minutes later. Medium draw pre- and post-flame.

First half tastes of cocoa powder, herbal leaf, mild pepper on the exhale. Second half is roasty dark leaf, strong black pepper, mild herbal aftertaste. Ash was gray with dark shaded striping, holding an inch and change. Burn was severely uneven in throughout, despite my best efforts. The difficulty with the light surely had a part in this, but even up toward the band the burn was aggressively bad.

I was looking forward to this cigar. A couple of friends had it and seemed to enjoy it. Additionally, Gurkha has always provided a solid smoking experience for me. Hence, I was surprised at what a disappointment this cigar was, from the very beginning. The taste was there, but was easily overshadowed by the cigar's flaws.

The cut and light were poor. The wrap was too heavy handed on the crown, forcing me to cut tragically deep into the cigar. The burn was abysmal, seemingly determined to defeat my efforts in keeping it even. All these issues stem from poor construction, something I normally wouldn't expect from this cigar maker. It feels like it was constructed by a first-day rookie at the factory.

Perhaps I will try another Ghost in the future. Perhaps a different gauge, or bought from a different shop. Until then, based on this experience, I am certainly in no hurry. It's been a long time since I've had such a negative experience from what I consider a triple-A brand. Pass on this one.

From the company:

"The Gurkha Ghost is a sleek and alluring cigar that should make an appearance in anyone’s humidor. The Ghost blend showcases a dark Brazilian, Arapiraca Maduro wrapper, complemented by an aged Criollo 1998 Binder and carefully selected Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. Ghost is a rich, medium bodied cigar with a multi-layered flavor profile providing sweet and earthy undertones with lingering flavors of cocoa and cinnamon. Rated 93."

[source: gurkhacigars.com]

After a miserable cut and light, the burn quickly went off course. I did my best to correct it.

I managed to wrangle the horrible burn briefly, but it continued to fight me.

The burn was like this most of the time, despite my best efforts to keep it under control.