What the pros say: 30secondcigaradvisor.com rated this cigar 2.5 out of 5, noting vanilla, light cedar and nutty flavors but disappointed that “the cigar had gone soft (in the final third and was) a futile attempt to keep smoking it.”
- Shape: Ruthless (toro)
- Size (length x ring gauge): 6″ x 54
- Country: Honduras
- Wrapper Origin: Ecadorian
- Wrapper Leaf: Habano
- Wrapper Color: Natural
- Filler Origin: Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic
- Filler Leaf: 3 year aged ligero long filler
- Binder Origin: Ecuador
Flavors Touted: Spicy and Nutty
Bottom Line: A good cigar but not a great cigar. You can do better at this price point.
Brief Summary: It’s early afternoon on a Friday, so I am going to skip out of work early and enjoy a cigar on a sunny fall day. It’s just starting to cool down, but the migration has yet to begin. But none-the-less, it is still a delightful day.
Today I will light up a Gurkha Rogue. This cigar was gifted to me and had been sitting in the humidor waiting for the perfect day. I produced my punch and applied a good clean cut. The cigar’s appearance is a little rough and blotchy, but it’s attractive for a cigar. It is labeled as a box-pressed cigar but is a very light press with quite a bit of sponginess to it. The cigar has a closed foot where the tobacco leaf folds over where you apply the flame. The scent is a fresh a little bit of earthiness, perhaps of peat and reminiscence of mushroom. The draw seems a bit lose given to its spongy character but still serviceable.
The light was clean and even and looks good during the first couple of minutes. The initial impression is very smooth, with a cedar woodiness and perhaps a hint of vanilla.
I’m smoking a toro today, which is 6 x 54. Under the Rogue line, they call the toro “Ruthless,” while the other vitolas are labeled as follows: the corona is “Rascal,” robusto is “Tyrant,” gordo is “Bamboozle,” and the extra gordo is the “Armageddon.”
About an inch in, I’m getting some burn issues. It is smoking a lot, and the burn is uneven, but the flavors are robust; it’s got a spicy taste with a little bit of a bite, and up to this point is solid medium strength cigar. There seems to be a bit of toastiness that I discern with a new taste of charred wood, which is not unpleasant. The cigar’s strength increases a bit with the charring. At this point, we are at the midpoint of the cigar. The last third has a creaminess of which a strong espresso may have. The uneven burn has caught up with itself and has not become an issue during the smoke. The sponginess of the cigar has become an issue, and the head has deteriorated at this point.
The Gurkha Rogue is a good cigar but not a great cigar. At its price point, there are better cigars to be smoked. It is worth picking up one or two for the experience if you can find it at a reasonable price.
About Gurkha Cigars: The Gurkha Rogue is part of the East India Trading line of Gurkha cigars. Kaizad Hansotia formed the company after seeing cigars being made while on vacation and purchasing the rollers entire lot. Thus began his passion for high-end cigars, and soon, Gurkha became known as the premium cigar company. After much initial success, the cigar boom broke in the mid-’90s, and Gurkha began to offer premium cigars at more affordable prices. Today, they continue to provide premium, well-made cigars at fair prices, as well as some ultra-premium selections as well. The Gurkha name pays tribute to Nepalese fighters who carried the curved swords known as kukri or khurkuri knives. British soldiers in the 1880s admired the Nepalese warriors’ skills and abilities and named the cigars they rolled Gurkha’s. Along with the East India Trading Company line, Gurkha offers many core and limited edition brands. They also provide the Pedro Martin line of cigars.
Price: $8.40 per stick as of Oct. 14, 2019 (MC)
