Gurkha Rogue
Wednesday, July 31st, 2013I 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
