Gurkha Centurian
jarubla
Posts: 2,329 ✭✭✭✭✭
Smoked one last night.
Having read the overall consensus regarding the brand, I figured this was going to be a bit of an experimental smoke for me. Please know how stubborn I am, and note I was determined to finish it in order to give it a full/honest chance.
It almost sounds like a cliche, but it blew up. I tore apart the nub this morning and the wrapper leaves seem exceptionally thin; compared to the other nubs in my butt box, there was a noticeable difference in the Gurkha wrapper versus the other wrapper nubs.
On to the actual smoke itself:
Pre-light smell was faint barnyard (the secret to a good smoke, IMHO), and something else, a slightly tangy/off odor. The cello had a nice yellow tinge to it.
Pre light draw was good.
Smoking the actual stick:
Butane torch, toasted the foot, then lit it.
First 3rd was pretty bland. All I could describe was an indistinct, slightly funky aged profile. I was searching for descriptors and the only other profile I found a off-flavor nuttiness. I was not expecting much from that point.
Second 3rd it opened up and tasted better -- I was surprised. I got cedar and some light pepper profiles. The odd funk went away. This may be due to the shape of the cigar itself as the ash was significantly past the closed foot area (but to be fair, other closed foot cigars I have sampled did not taste like this). The wrapper came undone early in the second third. Had to be retouched once.
The ash fell only once, during mid second 3rd.
The final third/down to nub: hot. Spicy red pepper, and a very generic profile.
Overall smoke time was 1 hour 40 mins.
I will not buy this one again, but will smoke it if it is the only choice I have. I am still surprised that the cliche rang true. This one is a odd one--it blew up, it is relatively expensive for the quality of the smoke, and subsequently I feel it to be overpriced. I know I might offend some, but I would even dare say this is a overpriced yard gar.
If you dig these, I am not writing this to attack you (grins), just not my cup o' tea.
Cigars I have well and truly enjoyed? A. Funete (any), Nub (any), Macanudo (esp. when searching for light flavor), CAO (any), & Davidoff cigarillos. The only other cigar other than Garcia y Vega and Swisher, I truly was non-plussed with was a Wicked Indie (another Gurkha brand).
And so, I am sharing this review as I thought people had some misunderstood-by-me case of the a.s.s. against Gurkha. But the stick exploded like clockwork, and the overall smoke left me wanting a lot more.
So a single burning question remains for me: is the exploding phenomenon due to the thinness of the wrapper leaf?
Overall, I rank this one and a half out of five stogies. It lit, the ash was phenomenal, and the company I shared for that nearly two hours under the sky was fantastic. The smoke left several things to be desired.
N00b out.
-Jay
Having read the overall consensus regarding the brand, I figured this was going to be a bit of an experimental smoke for me. Please know how stubborn I am, and note I was determined to finish it in order to give it a full/honest chance.
It almost sounds like a cliche, but it blew up. I tore apart the nub this morning and the wrapper leaves seem exceptionally thin; compared to the other nubs in my butt box, there was a noticeable difference in the Gurkha wrapper versus the other wrapper nubs.
On to the actual smoke itself:
Pre-light smell was faint barnyard (the secret to a good smoke, IMHO), and something else, a slightly tangy/off odor. The cello had a nice yellow tinge to it.
Pre light draw was good.
Smoking the actual stick:
Butane torch, toasted the foot, then lit it.
First 3rd was pretty bland. All I could describe was an indistinct, slightly funky aged profile. I was searching for descriptors and the only other profile I found a off-flavor nuttiness. I was not expecting much from that point.
Second 3rd it opened up and tasted better -- I was surprised. I got cedar and some light pepper profiles. The odd funk went away. This may be due to the shape of the cigar itself as the ash was significantly past the closed foot area (but to be fair, other closed foot cigars I have sampled did not taste like this). The wrapper came undone early in the second third. Had to be retouched once.
The ash fell only once, during mid second 3rd.
The final third/down to nub: hot. Spicy red pepper, and a very generic profile.
Overall smoke time was 1 hour 40 mins.
I will not buy this one again, but will smoke it if it is the only choice I have. I am still surprised that the cliche rang true. This one is a odd one--it blew up, it is relatively expensive for the quality of the smoke, and subsequently I feel it to be overpriced. I know I might offend some, but I would even dare say this is a overpriced yard gar.
If you dig these, I am not writing this to attack you (grins), just not my cup o' tea.
Cigars I have well and truly enjoyed? A. Funete (any), Nub (any), Macanudo (esp. when searching for light flavor), CAO (any), & Davidoff cigarillos. The only other cigar other than Garcia y Vega and Swisher, I truly was non-plussed with was a Wicked Indie (another Gurkha brand).
And so, I am sharing this review as I thought people had some misunderstood-by-me case of the a.s.s. against Gurkha. But the stick exploded like clockwork, and the overall smoke left me wanting a lot more.
So a single burning question remains for me: is the exploding phenomenon due to the thinness of the wrapper leaf?
Overall, I rank this one and a half out of five stogies. It lit, the ash was phenomenal, and the company I shared for that nearly two hours under the sky was fantastic. The smoke left several things to be desired.
N00b out.
-Jay
“There’ll be two dates on your tombstone and all your friends will read ’em but all that’s gonna matter is that little dash between ’em.” -Kevin Welch
1
Comments
I think it is definitely a contributor. I'm not sure why they blend it that way... maybe it's all about the "small batch" tobacco and who cares if it's not really a suitable leaf for a wrapper.
-- Winston Churchill
"LET'S GO FRANCIS" Peter
2015 Gang War - East Coast
Enola Gay - Target #29
-Jay