Untrained Gurkha Reviews

Well, I know what back at the beginning of the year I promised to do some Gurkha reviews. Unfortunately my little TDY trip didn't provide me with much time to do anything other than sleep and work. I did sneak a few cigars in though. Usually on a night where weather prevented us from being able to work the entire shift.

Anyhow, I really am trying now to get this done. So here goes.

Cigar: Park Avenue
Size: Torpedo 6.2x52
Wrap: Connecticut
Duration: about 1.5 hours

My Untrained Review: It was time to mow the lawn and I needed something fairly mild and would not require a lot of attention with regards to flavor profiles. I pop open the humi and there is the 44 staring me in the face. This cigar has a sticker that I put on it. A gift from MTuccelli way back in July '11. A well rested cigar. Excellent!

I take the cigar outside, and let it rest for about 30 minutes or so as I get ready to get ready. I made my first cut and took a test draw and wow was it tight! Second cut-a little better but still fairly tight. Using a soft flame to light the first thing I noticed was how subtle, mild, and smooth the flavor was. Not bad I suppose. I did catch some very mild cedar notes throughout along with some heavy cream flavor every now and again. Flavours did not take any drastic changes for the duration however what was there stayed very consistent. Nothing overpowering and no bitter aftertaste.

With regards to the burn, man this thing was perfect! Not one touch-up. There was no need. The draw stayed faily tight throughout however this thing was like a smoke factory constantly pumping out thick white creamy smoke. The ash held for as long as it could about 1.5 inches at a time which isn't too bad IMO since I was mowing.

Overall: A decent cigar with mild body, mild flavors and a perfect burn. I would recommend this as a morning cigar with a good cup o' joe, or as one that can be used as any everyday cigar since they can traditionally be purchased for about $2.50 a stick.

I hope you all enjoyed this review and as always, your feedback is much appreciated.

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Comments

Steve2010

Not a huge Gurkha fan, but thanks for the review. Nice job!

scarlin

A Gurkha that has good construction? Clearly this review is incorrect. Lol

Vision

I enjoy Gurkha but man they have let me down lately. I like their flavor..... ends there.

robertgreen30

The reason this Gurkha is good, I believe it is made by AJ.

Lakota72

Well, although Gurkha is pretty sketchy on their overall quality and there is no in between (i.e. you either love them or hate them.) I am going to do my best to review a few more. Then who knows, maybe I will pick a different brand.

MTuccelli

LT it is good to see you back on the forum. I enjoyed the review and i am glad to see you chose to start with one of my all time favorites. Looking forward to the next review

Lee.mcglynn

Steve2010:
Not a huge Gurkha fan, but thanks for the review. Nice job!

+1 but for 2.50 a stick it might be worth a shot

Gray4lines

I was never a Gurkha fan until recently when I found the Titan. I may have to tryba beast as well, as I hear they are pretty good

Lakota72

MTuccelli:
LT it is good to see you back on the forum. I enjoyed the review and i am glad to see you chose to start with one of my all time favorites. Looking forward to the next review

Thank you my friend. One thing has changed though.... I made Captain. (Finally)

Lakota72

Well, I have to play catch up. This is a review from the Legend I smoked yesterday.

Cigar: Legend
Size: Toro 6x50
Wrap: Maduro
Duration: About one hour

This stick was received in a bomb from dbeckom and has been resting in his an my humi since Nov of 2010. Overall inspection of the cigar showed that the construction was somewhat lacking. The temp and humidity has been fairly constant around 70. The wrap looked like it wanted to explode on me from the get go. I set it outside for about 20 minutes while I prepared my coffee.

Once again I used a soft flame to light. The initial flavor was very rich and spicy and carried a very sweet aftertaste. I would contribute the sweetness to the Cameroon binding beneath the Maduro wrap. I have to be honest with you, this made for a very interesting smoke. The smooth, rich notes that come from maduros along with the sweetness (almost hay like) flavors mixed in from the Cameroon were pretty nice. It certainly kept me paying attention.

There were very few changes during my smoke with regards to flavor. This may have come from the long rest period however, the experience was quite pleasant and consistent. The ash did not want to hold more than an inch at a time and there were a few touch ups required towards the last one third.

Overall, for someone that enjoys a medium bodied cigar, you may want to try this. There is a consistent rich taste throughout and it is not a terribly long smoke. As far as the price point you can pretty consistently get these for around four bucks a stick plus or minus a little bit on either side.

hope you enjoyed this review, time to start my next.

Lakota72

Ok, so same procedure I go through every time I smoke a cigar in the morning. Set it outside, prepare coffee blah blah blah.

Cigar: Grand Envoy
Size: Toro 5x56
Wrap:Dark Connecticut
Duration: 1.3 hours.
Rest Time: July 2011

traditionally before I light a cigar I like to smell it prior to the light just to allow my brain to process what this thing is like in raw form. I try and catch some potential smells that will later turn into flavor profiles. Similar to drinking wine. Then, I like to taste the cigar before cutting, and then draw from the cigar after the cut before the light. All of these things I have done this morning. Unfortunately, when I tasted the wrap I got a bit of a sour face. It was like I had lemon juice on my lips. Not sure what the heck happened there. I am halfway through my smoke and that taste has faded away however it made the first third of the smoke quite unenjoyable.

Thusfar, I have to say this is a rather bland cigar. It does have moments of demonstrating a more medium body to it but if I were to put it in a category it would certainly be mild. Flavor profile are extremely light cedar, some creaminess, and fairly earthy. I am in the last third now and this by far has to be the most enjoyable section. Unfortunately, I don't feel as if I should have to smoke a cigar for 30 or 45 minutes before I start to enjoy it.

Overall I think there is a reason why you can consistently find this cigar for under three bucks. I don't see this as an everyday kinda of stick (I need something much more reliable) nor do I see it as sit down and enjoy a good smoke with you buddies while drinking some beer. I would class this as a have on hand cigar to give to a guy who likes smoking your cigars.

Well, sorry for putting this on blast but...it's my honest opinion. The wrap did not have a pleasant taste, the burn was fairly uneven requiring several touch ups and it was overall bland in flavor.

josiahcol

Thanks for the reviews, gives me some good things to go on. Im still up in the air about Ghurkas, love the flavor on some can't stand others, Construction issues and whatnot. Thanks for posting

MTuccelli

Lakota72:
MTuccelli:
LT it is good to see you back on the forum. I enjoyed the review and i am glad to see you chose to start with one of my all time favorites. Looking forward to the next review

Thank you my friend. One thing has changed though.... I made Captain. (Finally)

Well congrats Capt. are you still on temporary duty or back home? Totally enjoyed the last 2 reviews. The legend is another favorite, do you have any Regents or Cuban Legacy to review?

Lakota72

MTuccelli:
Lakota72:
MTuccelli:
LT it is good to see you back on the forum. I enjoyed the review and i am glad to see you chose to start with one of my all time favorites. Looking forward to the next review

Thank you my friend. One thing has changed though.... I made Captain. (Finally)
Well congrats Capt. are you still on temporary duty or back home? Totally enjoyed the last 2 reviews. The legend is another favorite, do you have any Regents or Cuban Legacy to review?

I am home gram that TDY as of last week, but now gone again for another four days. I will probably be back on the same mission again by September 15th thru the end of December

Jetmech_63

Gray4lines:
I was never a Gurkha fan until recently when I found the Titan. I may have to tryba beast as well, as I hear they are pretty good

+1, had one last night and it was pretty damn kick ass.

Vision

Copper Label.... best yard gar Ive had in a long time. It may have replaced Mark Twains as my lawn mowing smoke. Nothing to blow the mind but smooth andl light.

Gray4lines

Did anyone jump on the last weekend blitz, the 16 Gurkhas? I almost took a chance on it, but decided to hod off. Looked like a good deal. I still want to try a beast and a beauty... also one of those monster 8.5" ancient warriors

laker1963

Nice reviews Captain. Haven't had a Gurkha in a while, so that means I must have a few with some good age on 'em. Think your reviews put me in a Gurkha mood tonight, thank you. A HUGE congratulations on your promotion sir.

Lakota72

laker1963:
Nice reviews Captain. Haven't had a Gurkha in a while, so that means I must have a few with some good age on 'em. Think your reviews put me in a Gurkha mood tonight, thank you. A HUGE congratulations on your promotion sir.

I appreciate that very much sir. It sure didn't come easy but I don't regret one thing about it.

Lakota72

Cigar: Centurian
Size: Double X 6x60
Wrap: Connecticut
Rest Time: Over 6 months
Duration: A little over 1+15

Sorry for the delay on the reviews guys. Work is literally plowing throw me. If only it could be the other way around. So, I have the house to myself for a few days so I will try and post a review a day until I return to normalcy.

The Centurian I see in my humidor is calling my name, wait....screaming. I can't and won't resist. It's has been to long since I have smoked one of these. Allow me to apologized in advance as this will be a slightly biased review as this is one of my favorite cigars. For those of you who know me and RCY, you also know that he is and was my mentor in cigars. Thanks to him, I have a deeper appreciation for the art of smoking and truly enjoying what has become more than a hobby of mine. This was one of the cigars he gave to me in Germany and said, "you want a pretty nice cigar sir? Well, here you go.". I was impressed at the end of the smoke.

Anyhow, I light the cigar, and have to set it down within five minutes to take care of the animals inside. I come back out, and this thing is pumping out smoke like a steam engine from the 1800's! Awesome. The flavor is not quite what I remembered from the last time I had one. I truly believe this is due to the fact that I am drinking a beer to strong for the blend. (Terrapin Hopsecutioner IPA) This cigar is better suited for something like a Hefewiezen. The hops are literally destroying my palate for the cigar.

initially, I catch a bit of spice , nothing too overpowering and a consistent mellow creaminess throughout. There are also hints of leather and slight cedar notes. The construction was good and the burn was even better. No tunneling, canoeing, or touch ups required. It pumped out a strong steady stream of smoke throughout. I was quite content having this cigar tonight. It really hit the spot.

I would recommend this cigar to anyone. It is not overpowering but is best to be had after a meal. The favors do not drastically change and it should be a fairly low maintenance cigar. As far as price point goes, you can get them fairly cheap here on CCom for about $40 for six. Not a bad price for what I consider something well above a daily smoke.

hope you guys like the reviews, I will do my best to keep them coming. Your comments are always appreciated.

kaspera79

Lakota..I smoked one a couple weeks ago, it was three years between my last and this one, and the flavors were not the same as I remember either. This aged one was a solid performer, but one dimensional in the flavor profile. As you said leather and wood, medium in body and smooth. Not nearly the spice and peppery bite of it's long ago burned younger brother.

Lakota72

kaspera79:
Lakota..I smoked one a couple weeks ago, it was three years between my last and this one, and the flavors were not the same as I remember either. This aged one was a solid performer, but one dimensional in the flavor profile. As you said leather and wood, medium in body and smooth. Not nearly the spice and peppery bite of it's long ago burned younger brother.

I have to agree with you. I think age really mellows this cigar out quite a bit. I almost put down mild but the cigar still packs a little punch to it so I still feel confident in saying medium although it is barely there.

phobicsquirrel

I was all about gurkha's when I first started smoking, maybe it was the pretty boxes and all. Out of the one's you've put up on review I don't like any of them except the centurion but they do suffer from construction issues. I do like your reviews, so please keep it up, always nice to reflect on my opinion vs someone else's.

I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of the Titan, beauty and Beast. Also if you have tried the cognac infused gurkhas, if not then you many want to give the grand reserve a try.

Lakota72

phobicsquirrel:
I was all about gurkha's when I first started smoking, maybe it was the pretty boxes and all. Out of the one's you've put up on review I don't like any of them except the centurion but they do suffer from construction issues. I do like your reviews, so please keep it up, always nice to reflect on my opinion vs someone else's.

I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of the Titan, beauty and Beast. Also if you have tried the cognac infused gurkhas, if not then you many want to give the grand reserve a try.

I think the Titan and the Beast are both okay cigars. I would have said differently a year or so ago. I thought they were great then but I was also new to cigars then. Now, I still appreciate them but I don't use it as a go to perfect cigar.

Lakota72

Cigar: Gurkha Royal Challenge
Size: Robusto 5x50
Wrap: Connecticut (Ecquador)
Rest time: 4 months
Duration: about an hour

Well, here we are for another review. This morning I have sat down with a Royal Challenge robusto. Prior to the light, I was immediately reminded of chucking hay in the barn. That was the smell I caught. The wrap is very well constructed with very little vein throughout. I decided to pair the cigar with a simple dark roast coffee. On the light, the wrap turns jet black. Pretty neat to see as the ash once you burn it has a stark contrast with a very light grey color.

When addressing flavor, this is a pretty mild cigar. Within the first few puffs, I was thinking orange citrus mixed in with a creamy body. This really lasted for about the first third or maybe a bit more. About the time you get a flavor change, you will drop the ash. (That's how it worked for me anyhow)

Flavor changed to a bit toasty midway though but I still feel like the citrus is trying to hold on. There are also some light nutty hints although i feel like i am searching for it. I am catching that flavor moreso on the smoke the cigar is emitting. I always like a ciar that has decent flavor on the draw as well as having a good cigar smell in the air from the smoke it puts out. I have had no need for a touch up whatsoever.

In the last third I pick up some sweet and buttery notes. The burn has been perfectly even and the draw has been very consistent. Flavor changes were slight throughout however you will certainly notice them. I only had the ash drop on me twice before finally nubbing the cigar. The price point is average. You can expect to pay around $5 dollars a stick. I bought this one from my local B&M and paid $6.25. I would recommend this as a cigar to give a shot.

I hope everyone has a cigar filled weekend and thanks for your responses.

Lakota72

Cigar: Gurkha Seduction XO
Size: XO 6x60
Wrap: Habano
Rest Time: 5 months
Duration: Hour and a half

Sorry for the delay my fellow BOTL's. Work has been pulling me in all directions. I sat down with a Seduction XO last night and was looking forward to smoking a cigar that I hope to "Wow" me. The overall appearance of the cigar was nice but not perfect. The wrap had several large veins in it and there felt to be an over packed section in the last third. I punch the cigar and take a pre-light draw. I was pretty disappointed as the draw required some work. On the light, I caught some nutty aromas from the smoke the cigar was putting out. The cigar became more and more difficult to draw on.

The first third of the cigar was slightly nutty but actually suprised me at how powerful the floral notes were. There was very little spice at all and I was unimpressed with the overall flavor. The ash held on tight and dropped about every two inches.

The second third and last third can be pretty much grouped together. There was a significant change in flavor. --How do I put this without putting Gurkha on blast?....As I mentioned before, I got a lot of floral notes in the first third. I believe that because it was so overpowering, the change was so noticable that i was unable to pick up any flavors. It seemed like there was nothing other than blandness. The last third got a bit better on draw but there was little to no flavors detected.

Overall, I can't recommend this cigar unless I revisit it. I only had the one and it cost me $10.25 from the local B&M. I don't know that I want to buy another one to check and see if I just purchased a bad cigar.

Lakota72

Cigar: Gurkha Legend Vintage 2001
Size: Torpedo 6.5x53
Wrap: Maduro
Rest Time: Approximately 6 months
Duration: One Hour Fifteen Minutes

Well, tonight was the last night of of a conference I have been attending this week so what better way than to cap it all off with a cigar. The construction of this cigar was lacking. The wrap already had a small crack at the foot. The color of the wrap was very inconsistent. (Almost looked like leopard print) The smell of the wrap was very pleasant. In keeping with tradition, I took a couple prelight draws. Once again, I experience an extremely tight draw. Upon the light, that little crack begins to grow but the cigar did a decent job of catching up and evening out on its own. The draw remained extremely tight throughout the duration, however that negative was balanced out by the overall flavor of the cigar.

The first third of the cigar had a very mild spice on the start that turned into very pleasant smooth almost hazelnut flavor. The ash did not hold very well at all. It dropped at almost every 3/4 to 1 inch segments. The burn remained even throughout however the wrap began to come apart in the last third.

The second third and last third really mellowed out quite a bit. While the cigar maintained what I feel to be a medium-full body the flavor got quite toasty with notes of a dark espresso. The ash continued to drop at the afore mentioned rate but the burn started to change a bit. I started to notice that the filler was burning a little bit faster than the wrap. It only required two very brief touch ups.

Overall, the cigar was fairly low maintenance however the draw certainly effected my overall impression of the cigar. I believe the cigar can rank as one to be smoked while mowing the lawn. It does not have a lot of complexity however flavors are not so subtle that you have to really concentrate. The price point is arount $4 a stick from our beloved site all the way up to about $12 at a local B&M.

RCY Cigars

You are on a tear with your reviews, awesome. This is one I have not had. I think I have a few of them. Question, when you held it in your hand. Did you squeeze it to see if it was firm? If not, try that next time. If so, and it is firm. Try giving the cigar a massage. I know it sounds funny. Best way I can discribe what I mean is. Hold it in your hand and rotate the cigar while squeezing it softly from the head to the foot of the cigar. What I found with doing this on a firm cigar which usually ends up being a tight draw later. It actually loosens the cigar up. Now I don't know if there is another terminology for it. But that's what I do, seems to work most of the time.

Lakota72

RCY Cigars:
You are on a tear with your reviews, awesome. This is one I have not had. I think I have a few of them. Question, when you held it in your hand. Did you squeeze it to see if it was firm? If not, try that next time. If so, and it is firm. Try giving the cigar a massage. I know it sounds funny. Best way I can discribe what I mean is. Hold it in your hand and rotate the cigar while squeezing it softly from the head to the foot of the cigar. What I found with doing this on a firm cigar which usually ends up being a tight draw later. It actually loosens the cigar up. Now I don't know if there is another terminology for it. But that's what I do, seems to work most of the time.

Yeah, it did that. Believe me, after I had a couple cigars do that to me that we're pretty expensive, I started doing that of I felt a firm spot. It worked a little bit but these things really felt like bricks.

Lakota72

Cigar: Black Dragon
Size: Torpedo 6.5x52
Wrap: Maduro
Duration: well.......

Sorry about the delay again, I was out of town last week and a bit under the weather so I did not take any cigars with me on my trip. Yesterday was an early wake up for me so I snagged one of the many Gurkha cigars out of my humidor and hurried outside with the dog. On the initial look over of the cigar I could help but notice how cheap it looked. The wrap was slightly discolored and it looked like it wanted to crack. After the light, the cigar burned very evenly (initially). The flavor was not that bad. I caught notes of very rich chocolate/cocoa. This was a solid medium bodied cigar.

The ash dropped off at one inch and the flavor held its chocolate hints. It also started picking up some spice as well. After about half of the cigar was finished, I couldn't help but notice that the flavor was dwindling and the heat was picking up. I knocked the ash to find what I expected. A large tunnel. At this point I decided that rather than deal with it, I would discard the remaing cigar.

I did enjoy this cigar until the tunneling started. It was full medium bodied and boasted some pretty rich flavors however lacks in complexity. As far as price, you can get them for pretty cheap through one of the many Gurkha samplers CCom puts out. This is by no means a premium or mid IMHO however would be a good introductory cigar for a beginner.