Let’s get in to this controversial topic. I was just like everybody else who start with cigars, you buy what ever cigars gets recommended to you or who has the loudest advertisement. When I started in 2014, I bought Gurkha, yes in the beginning of my cigar journey, I bought a wide selection of cigars and a lot of them where Gurkhas. I’m just going to list all the once I’ve had and my opinion on them.
- Gurkha Black Rose Maduro Toro (Medioker)
- Gurkha Ghost Shadow Robusto (To nicotine heavy, felt sick)
- Gurkha Ninja Knife Robusto (Smoked it 6 years after I bought it, thought it was medioker) (Reviewed)
- Gurkha Genghis Khan Special Edition XO Gordo (Smoked it in 2017 and it was kinda okey)
- Gurkha Black Dragon Fury Torpedo (The picture down below describes my feelings about this cigar)
- Gurkha Crest XO Gordo (Just to big and bland) (Reviewed)
- Gurkha Beauty (Can’t remember it)
- Gurkha Widow Maker XO Gordo Maduro (Medioker)
- Gurkha Widow Maker XO Gordo Connecticut (Medioker)
- Gurkha Black Ops Toro Maduro (To heavy for me)
- Gurkha Cellar Reserve 15 Years Joe Labero Edition Koi & Hedonism (Tight draw, burns on it’s own, okey cigars)
- Gurkha Cellar Reserve Limitada 15 Years Joe Labero Edition Koi & Hedonism (Tight draw, burns on it’s own, okey cigars)
- Gurkha Cellar Reserve Edition Reserva 18 Years Joe Labero Edition Koi & Hedonism (Tight draw, burns on it’s own, okey cigars)
- Gurkha 125th Anniversary Torpedo (I liked it)
- Gurkha Grand Reserve Cognac Toro (Taste of sweet orange liquor)
- Gurkha Private Select Ron Abuelo Añejo 7 Maduro Churchill (Kinda good, but too sweet)
- Gurka Seduction XO Gordo (Medioker)
- Gurkha Heritage Robusto (Just to bland)
- Gurkha East India Co The Classic Cigar Havana Blend Toro (Nothing special) (Reviewed)
- Gurkha Pedro Martin Ruby Robusto (Okey cigar)
- Gurkha Sniper Churchill (Just nope)
As you can see I’ve tried 24 different Gurkhas since 2014, and my palette has changed a lot over the years, but I haven’t grown to like these more over time. I’m sure they make some good cigars, but I just don’t feel like I’m part of their target market. To say they are the worst cigar brand out there, is a lie, but I don’t agree on a lot of their marketing and the words and opinions uttered by their former owner and founder of the brand.
I’m sure if Gurkha decided to do a full re-design and go through their different lines and redo them it wouldn’t be such a bad decision. They can start with stopping with their bullshit infusion stories and covering their cigars in gold and diamonds just to make a statement as the most expensive cigars. Perhaps they should take notes of other brands that actually use rare old tobaccos instead of using Fiji water and Louis XIII to kick the price up. And please stop with those gigantic vitolas, is this really what you want your brand to be known for in the the cigar industry!?
Conclusion of my experience, I don’t like them, I have smoked them, I wont buy them again and I don’t support what they do in the cigar space (until now, perhaps they might better themselves in the future who knows). Most of the cigars that I have tried I have bought myself, with exceptions for the last two who I got in a blind tasting.
When I see things like this it gets me angry, because no publication in their right mind would give this cigar 99 points, unless they where being paid huge amounts of money and then it’s not a honest review. So to end this all, we need to call out the bullshit! I don’t expect to get any response from Gurkha, and I have never been in contact with them before either, will probably never happen, but I’ll keep you informed if they reach out.
See you in the next “My Journey With:“.
/ Cigar Reviewer André Dias
P.S. Clarification I’m just telling my story with the brand, my own opinions and experiences, we don’t have any deals between us, I’m not paid by them and I don’t have any contracts with them. I’m just a consumer and fan of the brand. As you’ll see with my other “My Journey With:” posts that will come in the future.