Gurkha 'Beauty' Super Toro. 6.5x56. Light-medium brown wrap. Good construction, straight lines, smoothed veins and leaf ends. Cut and lit well. Medium draw pre-light, slightly easier soon after flame.

First third tastes of mild tobacco, cut wood, leafy herb, notes of allspice. Second third is more botanical, round, creamy on the exhale. Final third is earthy, woodsy, walnut, faint pepper. Aroma is roasty, nutty, cured leaf. Ash is marbled well, holding near two inches. Even burn throughout. Consistent medium draw to the band.

This is a lovely mild smoke, a well rounded, balanced taste wrapped in a big stick. The profile is full and complex, sustaining flavor down past the midpoint without succumbing to a bitter peppery cliff. Great balance of mild yet surely present tastes. A great hour smoke. Well recommended.

From the company:

"A work of art from Gurkha. Built for the true connoisseur, Gurkha Beauty is a sophisticated, mild-bodied cigar loaded with elegant and enjoyable flavors. Each patiently crafted cigar comes attractively packaged inside a heavy, opaque glass tube....incredible presentation, the norm for Gurkha cigars. Utilized is an ultra-rare blend of 5-year old tobaccos and a superior Connecticut-seed wrapper that might bring a tear to your eye. Beauty offers a divine experience that’s deep in rich, luxurious flavors. Limited, rare and truly one-of-a-kind, the Beauty is a wonderful new addition to Gurkha’s high-profile Special-Edition series. A must-try for those enthusiasts looking to treat themselves to one of life's finer pleasures."

[source: cigarsinternational.com]

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.

Gurkha 'East India Prize Fighter' Robusto. 5x52. Nice build, straight lines. Light brown wrap with some darker shades and dark veins. Cut and lit well. Medium draw pre-light, eases up shortly after flame. First half tastes of mild tobacco, smooth, touch of pepper on the exhale. Second half has more punch with flavors of toasted oak and roasty leaf. Mostly even burn. Ash is clean with faintly darker stripes, holds an inch before an easy drop. Aroma is fresh herbal throughout.

This is an excellent little cigar, with a mild taste that offers more pronounced spice and wood notes just underneath. The draw and burn are good, and the aroma is fresh and bright. Gurkha is known for robust, aggressive high-end cigars, but over the past few years have been offering solid, medium-milder value smokes. This one is worthy of your time. Well recommended.

From the company:

"Prize Fighter is a mild to medium bodied cigar with a smooth and elegant flavor profile. The blend showcases a stunning Connecticut shade/Ecuadorian wrapper, that pairs perfectly with an Ecuadorian/Indonesian binder and a 3-year aged Dominican filler."

[source: gurkhacigars.com]

"Instead of swanky packaging and high MSRPs, this one cuts out all the fat for a lean, highly anticipated release. Inspired by historic boxing figures from the 1900's, Prize Fighter takes a refreshing all substance approach. In fact, you've probably heard stories of this era - when the men were men (and real men smoked cigars). Prize Fighter wins on so many levels....a picture perfect Connecticut-shade Ecuadorian wrapper, double binder combination of Ecuadorian and Indonesian leaves, and a 3 year aged blend of Dominican fillers. Never overpowering, this mild to medium-bodied cigar is easy to enjoy one after another. Light, crisp, and slightly creamy this is going catch on real quick like."

[source: cigarsinternational.com]

Gurkha 'Nautilus' Torpedo. 6.5x53. Medium brown wrap. Good build with perfect lines and minimal veins. Questionable cut with some fraying of the torpedo tip. Good light. Strained draw pre-light. Moderate draw post-light. First half taste of rich spiced leaf, herbal, earthy. Second half is roasted leaf, dark wood. Draw closed slightly during the second half. Burn was even throughout. Ash was very clean and held near two inches.

This is a good cigar with moments of rich flavor in the first half, a good burn and ash. However, the cut was less than ideal, not a deal-breaker but worth noting. Also, the draw was too strained for my taste, starting tough, opening up just a bit, and then proving harsh to the band. A few missteps, but still a good cigar that I enjoyed. Recommended.

From the company:

"Steeped in legend and history, the Gurkha cigars, created more than a century ago has been reborn and today is one of the most famous brands of luxury cigars in the world. Having extraordinary quality and premium blends of tobacco, Gurkha is known for limited release and rare tobacco products with outstanding and artistically-oriented packaging. Gurkha is also known as the 'Rolls Royce' of cigars and is enjoyed by many of the world's elite including members of Royalty, Military, leading government officials, and celebrities."
[source: gurkhacigars.com]

Gurkha Colorado Presidente. 7.5x50. Good construction with straight lines. Dark Maduro wrap with pronounced veins across. Cut was ok, with the cap slightly unravelling. Lit well. Medium draw pre-light and throughout. Burn was uneven during the first two thirds before correcting.

Taste on the first third was dark cured tobacco, black pepper, roasty. On the second third down the taste mellowed, with the strong pepper becoming a mild herbal taste. In the final third, there was a bitter spice taste. Ash was mostly clean with some marbling. Ash clung over two inches.

This is a fine cigar with a couple of nitpicks. I would have liked an easier draw and a much more even burn. Otherwise, it's a fine smoke, particularly in the first two thirds. Recommended.

From the company:

"Blended by K. Hansotia, Gurkha cigars are Handmade in the Dominican Republic and Honduras. Using only the rarest and finest aged tobacco leaf from several nations and methodically appointing them to each of their blends, you will delight in a multitude of luxurious and unique flavors. Tastefully appointed in artistically themed packaging, and sparing no cost on quality and presentation, Gurkha is often referred to as the 'Rolls Royce of cigars'."

[from jrcigars.com]