The Cigar: Gurkha Signature 101 Maduro

I'm not a big fan of Gurkhas, as a rule, but Sauer Grapes said that even he'd smoke this one, so I tried it and enjoyed it.


Nutritional information:
Vitola: 6x50 toro
Origin: Honduras
Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras, Jamaica
Wrapper: Costa Rica maduro



The Marketing:
(courtesy of CI)

"An unbelievable new blend from K. Hansotia of Gurkha Cigars.

Gurkha has always been a special brand - flavorful, unique blends made of the highest quality. The hard work and patience put into each of his cigars is rewarded with some of today’s best ratings. Working magic once again with the Torano family, K. Hansotia of Gurkha Cigars continues to reign as one of the world’s top boutique cigar makers, and the Signature ’101’ Maduro helps underline his prowess in this regard. This blend offers a dark, oily Costa Rican Maduro wrapper, a leaf with some fantastic characteristics. Not the least of which is a super slow and deliberate burn - this allows you to fully enjoy the robust flavors issued by the rich blend of well-aged Honduran, Dominican, and Jamaican long-leaf tobaccos. Medium to full-bodied, this complex blend promotes an assortment of pleasant flavors that will keep you puffing for more.

Truth be told, this is the exact blend that Mr. Hansotia created for himself to enjoy on a routine basis - his private stash, if you will - hence the ’Signature’. He considers it his favorite cigar, among the best in the world, and is so confident that he proudly holds it out to CI customers as one of his very best."

Prelight: the wrapper is dark and oily, and pretty smooth for a maduro. The wrapper gives good earthy aromas. Solid and well filled, with no soft spots.

Burn/construction: Easy to light, this cigar had a firm white ash that made a nice contrast with the dark wrapper. Burn was good, not great; it was a bit uneven through the first two thirds, so I touched it up a couple of times. It burned pretty slowly, giving about an hour of smoking time.

Flavors: rich, smooth, dark, maduro goodness. The mouthfeel was creamy at first, with some mild spice building over the second half. Not super complex, but there were the kind of dark notes you'd expect -- cocoa and coffee. Medium in body and strength, with a good flavor.

The verdict: one of the better choices from the Gurkha line. You can usually find these for cheap on CBid -- under $15 for a fiver. In that price range, a great uncomplicated maduro.
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