Gurkha Ninja
Ed had a Gurkha event at his shop, and the rep threw a few samples my way, which I always appreciate. I forgot his name, so if your out there, thanks! The Ninja is a new line from Gurkha, and is priced lower then most of their other lines. It is aimed at those who seek a lower price range and don’t care too much about presentation (like me). There really isn’t a lot of fluff to this cigar, so without any more delay, I bring to you my thoughts on the Gurkha Ninja.
Wrapper: Brazil Maduro
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 6 x 52
Price: Around $5.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The dark maduro wrapper had an oily, rugged look to it, with small to medium sized veins here and there. The odor off of the wrapper had hints of sweetness and reminded me of a mild pipe tobacco. The cigar was pretty evenly packed, and bounced back when squeezed. The pre-light draw was free, almost loose, and had a sweet natural tobacco taste.
The burn required no corrections, and the ash held for just about an inch.
Flavor:
The first third began with simple earthy and woody flavors. When exhaling smoke through the nose, I got a peppery, woody spice. It was simple and a little rough around the edges. The smoke volume was plentiful and dry.
The second third pretty much kept pace with the first third. One difference is the pepper mellowed out a little, but still felt a little rough. It wasn’t harsh, but it wasn’t smooth either. It was just kind there, and dry. I felt parched and craved water.
The last third: I hate to say it but not a lot happened. That core earth and woody component remained. The smoke feel was plentiful and left me feeling parched. When retro-haling, that same pepper was there. Everything pretty much stayed the same.
Conclusion:
This was an “OK” medium bodied cigar. I didn’t get any bad flavors. I had one a month ago and seemed to enjoy it more then the ones I smoked for this review. Maybe it was because I was hanging out at an event at Ed’s shop. The flavors, although decent, just felt unrefined. It reminded me of a bundle cigar. In the end, the Gurkha Ninja just wasn’t for me.