The Stogie Guys

We seem to be living in a new golden age of cigar craftsmanship. In magazines, at retailers, and in catalogs, we’re bombarded with tales of “master rollers” and their disciples. We’ve seen a broad resurgence in formerly rare figurado shapes, such as the once-endangered perfecto. Every brand seems to have its own barber pole offering. And, increasingly, it’s becoming very hard to find a poorly rolled stick.

Unfortunately, while the industry focuses so intently on the craft of cigar rolling, some of the art is lost. All too frequently in recent years I’ve smoked exquisitely rolled but boringly blended cigars. I’m sure you know the kind: that undeniably pretty stogie that you can’t wait to smoke, because it just looks so damned good – but whose generic flavor and bland aftertaste leave you wondering what went wrong.

My friends, it is with a heavy heart and a light wallet that I inform you about the Gurkha Special Edition Black Puro Churchill – or, as I like to think of it, the ditzy blonde of the premium cigar world. This seven and 1/2 inch by 52 ring gauge Dominican puro, with its sleek maduro wrapper and its aromatic filler of aged Cuban-seed tobaccos from the Ciboa Valley, is a looker. Quite a looker. And its pre-light nose of coffee, chocolate, and wheat recall a moist and delicate cake at a high-end bistro. With its slick, metallic, black band and its impressive size, the Black Puro seems to whisper, “I know you want me.”

And you do. Until you toast the foot, light the stick, and begin to smoke it. For the first inch or so, the Black Puro is all that it portends to be – offering rich flavors of cocoa, toast, some coffee, and cream. This delicious profile soon fades away almost entirely, leaving in its place very weak notes of chocolate, paper, and dairy. After awhile, smoking the Black Puro feels like drinking a glass of Ovaltine mixed with skim milk. Over and over again. For two hours, if not longer.

I never attribute to poor quality what I can attribute to poor storage. And ordinarily, a cigar whose flavor seems to peter out so suddenly would seem like a victim of dryness. But given the fact that I smoked six Black Puros over the course of the week, and given that each of these Black Puros came from the same shipment (and sat in the same humidor) as some wonderful smokes I’ve had this month, I believe the fault lies in the tobacco here. It is, quite simply, a boring and uninspired blend. While not completely terrible, the Black Puro – which retails for roughly $9-12 apiece – is by no means worth the price of admission.

For impressive construction, questionable blending, and prohibitive pricing, I award the Gurkha Special Edition Black Puro Churchill two and 1/2 out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Jon N

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar. The following is a Guest Quick Smoke, submitted by a StogieGuys.com reader. If you’d like to submit your own for publication, please contact us.

The Camaroon wrapper was smooth and just about perfect. This Gurkha Special Edition (6.5″ x 54) was nice and creamy from start to finish. It had a very delicate balance of woodiness and floral scents. The underlying taste of cedar was less than the Gurkha Ancient Warrior, but every bit as enjoyable. It produced a clean gray ash and burned even. I like the draw of a thicker cigar and found this one to be right up my alley, producing lots of smoke.

Verdict = Buy.

-Submitted by Toby from Uniontown, PA

Cigars sit in my humidor for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes I try to hang on to them as long as I can, secure in the belief that they’ll improve with age. Others I just don’t seem to pick up when I’m choosing a cigar, even those I’ve enjoyed in the past.

Gurkhas often fall into that category. I have a few – probably 10 to 12 – from different lines, and I realized when I picked up a six inch toro Expedition the other day that it had been resting for about a year and a half. Well, I thought, that looks promising. So I picked it up.

When I slid the cedar sleeve off, I noticed a crack in the wrapper at the foot that ran close to a half inch. As I cut the 50 ring gauge cap, most of it came off, and the wrapper began to unwrap. Undaunted, I plunged ahead. After all, I keep the humidity and temperature pretty regular, but I’m always willing to take the blame when there are problems that could relate to storage.

It did light easily, and I was greeted with a pleasant cedar taste with thick, white smoke. Unfortunately, things went downhill quickly. The wrapper developed more splits than Disney on Ice. It continued unraveling as well, creating a three-dimensional barber pole effect.

Then, about halfway down, it blew up. I swear, I started looking for Allen Funt. I even checked the band, wondering if I’d been smoking the Gurkha Explosion rather than the Expedition.

I no choice but to call it quits. This is one case where I don’t think it’s fair to rate the cigar without smoking more, which I intend to do. But I wanted to see if I could first get some input from our readers.

What experiences have you had with the Gurkha Expedition? Let me know so I can bear them in mind when I try another and can include some when I do the second part of this review.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar. The following is a quick smoke submitted by a reader. If you’d like to submit your own for publication, please contact us.

The Camaroon wrapper was smooth and just about perfect. It was nice and creamy from start to finish. It had a very delicate balance of woodiness and floral scents. The underlying taste of cedar was less than the Ancient Warrior, but every bit as enjoyable. It produced a clean gray ash and burned even to the green Boer band. I like the draw of a thicker cigar and found this one to be right up my alley, producing lots of thick smoke.

Verdict = Buy.

–Submitted by Toby of Uniontown, PA.

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

I’ve mentioned before how Gurkha seems to be very hit or miss. This particular blend is a hit. With rich woody flavors and a long smooth finish, the Legend pairs perfectly with either a mojito or a hearty beer. Despite the fact that, by the end, the burn was persistently uneven, I can still recommend this six and 1/2 inch by 53 ring gauge torpedo.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

Tags: cigars

I know many of you are going to disagree with this statement, but I see Gurkha as sort of a hit or miss brand. Sometimes I’m blown away by incredible value, and other times I’m left utterly frustrated by poor construction. Consider, for example, the vast differences between our reviews of the Class Regent and Connecticut Reserve lines.

So I dove into a Gurkha G3 not knowing what to expect. I’ve smoked three recently, and now I can say this line has a lot to offer – especially for enthusiasts who place high value on multifaceted flavors.

Marketed as full-bodied, toasty, and sweet, the G3 received a respectable 88 in the December 2006 issue of Cigar Aficionado and has been called “the most complex cigar to bear the Gurkha name to date.” Only 500 boxes (10,000 stogies) were made in a one-time production.

Due to a shortage of Nicaraguan wrapper leaves, G3 only comes in one vitola: a six inch by 50 ring gauge Toro. It retails for $7 to $8.50 per stick and has a Cameroon binder and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos.

Special care is taken by Gurkha to make a good first impression. The dark wrapper is half covered with a smooth cedar sleeve that sports a shiny black ribbon across the foot – similar in appearance to a CAO Black.

The “hip,” modern band is unlike traditional Gurkhas. This may seem silly but, looking at it, I can’t help but feel the manufacturer intends me to smoke this after an urban night on the town.

Soft to the touch, the initial taste is quite similar to what I expected based on pre-light aromas: licorice with heavy notes of chocolate. A toasty earth flavor is also present, but I can’t put my finger on exactly what that is. In any event, what strikes me most about the G3 is how full the flavors are despite its light and mild body.

Avoiding the pitfalls of other Gurkha lines, this cigar has a fairly even burn, a very strong white ash, and a draw that’s not too cumbersome.

The G3 is a fine smoke with a big, interesting taste. I think the price, however, is a bit higher than it should be, particularly when you consider the Rocky Patel Vintage ’90s and ’92s cost about the same.

Maybe that isn’t a fair comparison because this cigar can hold its own. If you find it for $7 or less, I can easily recommend buying it. The Gurkha G3 Toro earns three and ½ out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

The Gurkha Vintage Torpedo is a pleasant looking cigar with an almost flawless Connecticut wrapper. Unfortunately, it didn’t taste as good as it looked. While the construction was impressive, the cigar had a strong chemical flavor. That flavor, combined with warm tobacco and hints of sweet hay, made for an unenjoyable smoke.

Verdict = Sell.

–Patrick S

Tags: cigars