Archive for the ‘East_India_Trading_Company’ Category

Gurkha Rogue

Wednesday, July 31st, 2013

I know what both of you are saying… “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” Never mind that. I’ll be giving away a cigar sampler in the next day or two, and you’ll have a chance to win it. This is another story in itself, so stay tuned.

I found out about the Rogue from a local tobacconist. Thankfully, I’ve noticed that Gurkha has been releasing reasonably priced cigars these days. Like any brand that boasts dozens of blends, some are a hit, and some aren’t. I figure for this price, it’s worth the risk, so let’s get to it.

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Binder: Ecuador

Filler: Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican

Size: Ruthless 6 x 54

Price: Around $7.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper looked chocolaty and velvety smooth. The odor was mild, woody, and earthy. When squeezing the cigar, I found some minor inconsistencies. One half was fairly firm to the touch, while the other was squishy. The draw was free, and had a woody, earthy flavor.

The ash held for over an inch, and the burn required quite a few corrections. It wasn’t anything too extreme, considering this was a box pressed cigar. One thing noteworthy… When I removed the big band, it put multiple, large tears in the wrapper. This caused chaos in the end of the second third, and in the last third. Less glue on the band would have prevented this. I got through it and everything was fine.

1 Gurkha_Rogue cigars

Flavor:

The first third started off with earth, cedar, and an easy pepper. As I progressed, the pepper became stronger, and reminded me of Cayenne. Thankfully, it wasn’t burn your face off pepper. The smoke feel was smooth, with plenty of volume.

2 Gurkha_Rogue cigars

The second third kept the same core flavors, for the most part. There was an addition of nuttiness, and a creaminess that had some sweet undertones. The pepper remained, and it developed a slight zing.

3 Gurkha_Rogue cigars

The last third was dominated with a nutty sweetness. Earthiness and cedar lingered in the background. Pepper remained, but lost most of it’s punch. The smoke feel was smooth, and borderline creamy.

4 Gurkha_Rogue cigars

Conclusion:

This was a good, solid, medium bodied cigar. I was underwhelmed with the beginning, but the flavors developed nicely, at a gradual pace. I found the last third to be the most interesting. While the Rogue didn’t have any wow factor, it was good, and worth trying. I’d smoke it again.

Gurkha Wicked Indie

Monday, May 14th, 2012

I found the Gurkha Wicked Indie at a local shop the other day. This is the first release under the East India Trading Company, which is a subsidiary of Gurkha. As always, I paired this cigar with water. Here’s how it went.

 

Wrapper: Habano Nicaraguan

Binder & Filler: Nicaraguan

Size: XO 6 x 60

Price: Around $6.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper was a little blotchy and veiny looking, but nothing of concern. It had a cedar and hay smell, while the foot was earthy. The cigar was pretty well packed, and had minor hard and soft spots. Again, nothing of concern. The draw had slight resistance, and had a woody and musty flavor.

The ash held for about two inches, and the burn required a few minor corrections.

1 Gurkha_Wicked_Indie cigars

Flavor:

The first third: The main flavor was peppery spice and wood. The smoke feel was slightly creamy with earthy notes.

2 Gurkha_Wicked_Indie cigars

The second third changed just a bit. The dominant flavors were wood and earthiness. Next up was creaminess with an easy sweet spice. The aftertaste had that same sweet tingle with some earthiness.

3 Gurkha_Wicked_Indie cigars

The last third was basically an exact repeat of the second third. The only difference was a slight floral component. It was very subtle and hard to pick up.

4 Gurkha_Wicked_Indie cigars

Conclusion:

This was an OK medium bodied cigar. The flavor profile was pretty one dimensional and definitely had no wow factor at all. For such a simple cigar, I would have to pair it with coffee or something that would make it a little more exciting. Basically, it was just another cigar…

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