Gurkha Cigars Can Be Inconsistent

Gurkha Black Dragon Robusto (4.5″ x 52)

I’m trying to remain a Gurkha fan, but it’s becoming more difficult. There are a number of Gurkha’s that I genuinely like, including the Titan and the Grand Reserve Churchill, infused with Louis XIII Cognac.

But I’ve received some real substandard sticks from the company, the latest being the Gurkha Black Dragon that I smoked during a cigar break this afternoon. According to Gurkha, the Black Dragon consists of a 5-year old Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper, a vintage mixture of Dominican long-leaf tobaccos and is secured within a Cameroon binder.

The experience was bad from the start, when the wrapper kept flaking off and I had to peel away much of it from the tip in order to get a proper light. Once it got going, the burn was fine, but the taste was totally unremarkable. I might as well have been smoking a cigarette, given the zero taste and complexity of this cigar. There was just nothing there. The only kind thing I can say is the taste was not harsh. Gurkha offers a pricey Black Dragon Especial. I certainly hope it does not share any heritage with this disappointing stick. A 5.0 on the Morris Scale.

Posted on March 17th, 2009 by Aaron Morris
Filed under: Cigar Facts, Cigars, Reviews