Review and Questions About Gurkha Seduction and Gurkha Beast

CigarFanatic

First off, hello everyone!

Here's a little history.
I am a bit of a newbie on the forums but I have been smoking around 2 years. Started at 18 and now 20. Regularly buy from Steamtown Cigar Club in Scranton but I have been trying cigar.com for samplers and mega packs. Which brings me to Gurkha.

Recently about a month ago I bought the 50 Gurkha Big Ring Sampler (Gurkha Seduction, Centurian, Titan, Beast, & Vintage 2001). (I know people say there are issues with the wrapper and construction.) From my personal experience, I find if you treat Gurkha sticks like a lady (gentle & softly) then she rewards you. Anyway, out of the 40 some I smoked already, only two were "bad" i.e. construction issues. First, the Gurkha Beast's binder split near the top when I started smoking (about 1 & 1/2 inches) so the draw was uneven and I had to throw it out. (Wish i took pictures), Then I smoked the Centurian and the wrapper fell apart near the middle, so I threw that out too. (I was smoking when it was raining underneath my patio, so maybe the rapid change in humidity destroyed it). But the rest were perfect smokes!

My favorite out of the sampler was the Seduction. It was pleasant, long smoke (about 2 hours and 15 minutes) and smelled of licorice. For some reason the reviews I read online said it had a "chemical smell". I couldn't isolate the chemical smell though. 

When you smoked the Seduction, did you experience a chemical smell?

Bottom Line: I would definitely buy again!

Usaf06

Welcome to the group. There is a newb welcome thread in the general section. As far as gurkha goes, not many people here smoke them so I'm not sure you would even get an answer. Imo, if your buying them because they are cheap, there is better choices. Try  dpg blue or La Palina Classic. Much better and same price range

Bob_Luken

Welcome to our little forum You seem like a very introspective smoker.  
I'm a big proponent of "Smoke what you like, like what you smoke."
So, don't take it personal if someone (or a lot of someones) talk trash about Gurkhas. Around here, Gurkhas get no respect. Like Nick said, and I agree, there are plenty of other better choices in that price range. Keep trying new stuff. All of us do. We are on a constant quest to explore new cigars. Gurkha is a brand I pay no attention to anymore. I have a few leftovers in the bottom of a cooler that I bought early on in my purchase history. Every now and then I burn one on a short drive home from work. They always get tossed before I make it home. They gotta be good for me to smoke 'em in the driveway or bring 'em into the garage to nub 'em. LOL
But, If I met you at a cigar bar and you handed me one and asked me to try a Gurkha I'd approach it with an open mind. 

I like the part when you said   "I find if you treat Gurkha sticks like a lady (gentle & softly) then she rewards you." and I totally agree. That approach works with all cigars. 

Usaf06

A true statesman you are Mike

jarubla

I will admit, I enjoyed the 18 year cellar reserve, as well as the Armageddon. 

Bigshizza

I liked the Seduction and Red Witch and Cellar Reserve....the other 9k will just rotate through volume sale cycles.

Oneisnone

@Bob_Luken - offers sage advice. I have enjoyed the Cellar Reserve, some others not so much.
There is a wealth of information here on the forum. Welcome

CigarFanatic

Usaf06 said:

Welcome to the group. There is a newb welcome thread in the general section. As far as gurkha goes, not many people here smoke them so I'm not sure you would even get an answer. Imo, if your buying them because they are cheap, there is better choices. Try  dpg blue or La Palina Classic. Much better and same price range

I will definitely will try them. But I smoke gurkhas, because of its complexity of flavor. But just recently I bought an obsidian sampler and the Manowar Armada though. Had the Manowar once and it was my favorite cigar behind the Cohiba Edicion Diamante.

 Oneisnone said:

@Bob_Luken - offers sage advice. I have enjoyed the Cellar Reserve, some others not so much.
There is a wealth of information here on the forum. Welcome

Had the Celler Reserve once but I personally like the Grand Reserve a bit better

Usaf06

Never heard anyone call a Gurkha complex. Interesting... The MoW Armada is definitely a good one though.

Patrickbrick

Usaf06 said:

Never heard anyone call a Gurkha complex. Interesting... The MoW Armada is definitely a good one though.

I agree with Nick, I too have never heard that.  Let me ask you this, have you branched out to other brands/blenders?  There are some great "complex" sticks out there that in my opinion will out perform and again in my opinion taste better.  However as Mike stated I too will never tell someone that they are smoking the wrong cigars.  Smoke what you like, and enjoy what you are smoking, however keeping an open mind and trying new/different cigars is what makes this "hobby/addiction" great.  

CigarFanatic

Patrickbrick said:

Usaf06 said:

Never heard anyone call a Gurkha complex. Interesting... The MoW Armada is definitely a good one though.

I agree with Nick, I too have never heard that.  Let me ask you this, have you branched out to other brands/blenders?  There are some great "complex" sticks out there that in my opinion will out perform and again in my opinion taste better.  However as Mike stated I too will never tell someone that they are smoking the wrong cigars.  Smoke what you like, and enjoy what you are smoking, however keeping an open mind and trying new/different cigars is what makes this "hobby/addiction" great.  

I definitely like to keep an open mind. Now "branched out" is a relative term. I can give you some brands I've smoked. 

Olivia/Cohiba/Perdomo/manowar/romeo y Julieta/arturo fuente/rocky patel/la aroma de cuba/monte cristo/macanudo (absolutely hated these)/punch (couldnt find anything i liked in them)/trinidad/

Am I just smoking the "big brands"?

Usaf06

My "go to" brands are Tatuaje, Viaje, crowned heads, La Palina, And Warped. 

Nolagizmo

Usaf06 said:

My "go to" brands are Tatuaje, Viaje, crowned heads, La Palina, And Warped. 

These are definitely palate pleasers 

subtlehustle

  Not a fan of gurkhas, but I did enjoy a gurkha crest. Hard to find,  but they are popping up again. 

T3USNRET24

I'm a fan of Gurkha especially The Beast, Warlord, Evil and Assassin to name a few. There not my go to cigars since I've been recently tried Man O'War sampler as for Virtue, Liga Privada Dirty rat, Montecristo, Romeo Juliet, and Nub Cameroon. Happy smoking in the Mancave!!!!